Two of my favorite courses while getting my Studio Art degree at Cal Poly Humboldt were Introduction to Anthropology and Intermediate Painting (especially the Abstract Painting segment). I remember practicing in the studio. After painting for a while, we stopped, turned the canvas upside down, stepped back to assess it, returned it to an “upright” position, perhaps not, and continued on. Throughout the evolution of the process, this was repeated periodically with 90 degree rotations. This exercise opened my eyes to all the possibilities in front of me that I had never considered. This is a great tool for understanding composition, and its conceptual applications are endless.
My research was plagiarized in my anthropology course. This was my first dive into an online course and my first experience with the risks involved in putting my ideas out on the internet. Despite that painful experience, I developed a curiosity about people and the complexities of human behavior.
Did I know that the interest sparked in both classes would foreshadow my work today? Not quite. But I'm in the marketing world here. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense. But I don't know if I understood what marketing was then.
Part of the reason I think this is true (in addition to the dilution of meaning due to the rise of “influencer marketing”) is that I simply have an incomplete general understanding of what marketing is. is. Because of this widespread ambiguity and vague definitions, some companies are missing out on opportunities.
So what is marketing? Most people first think of marketing in the form of a verb. “The act of satisfying and retaining customers,” “the activities undertaken by a business to facilitate the purchase or sale of products or services,” and “the activity or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.”
These are all good definitions, but I think they're missing an important point. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as “the activities, institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging products of value.”
This definition is better because it includes what the previous definition excluded. All four definitions immediately use the words 'act' or 'activity' or 'activity', but the fourth definition also incorporates 'institution' and 'process'. Yes, marketing is active. It's a creative job that revitalizes business. And if I didn't have an art background, I probably wouldn't have gotten into the marketing world at all. But an informed process, not just research and analysis, but an applied science of both human behavior and ethics, is what distinguishes good marketing and creates a pathway to impactful creativity.
That's why I love what I do. Marketing is holistic and implements art and science. The balance of these components is great. Marketing is smart, measurable, and strategic, not just creative advertising that follows trends. It takes adaptability and predictability, but when you apply marketing to your business efforts, you do more than just increase sales. It can open doors and shape the future.
Especially now, with the ever-changing technology landscape, there are plenty of free tools to help you integrate data and inform marketing decisions. With the click of a button, you can generate real-time reports to monitor market positioning, campaign performance, and more. So take your time to discover what you don't know yet. Look at your business from a different perspective, learn about your audience, explore opportunities, and continue to evolve.
Jessica Kalenko is Mad River Brewery's marketing manager, graphic designer, and mother. She likes to spend her season soaking up the sun and attending local events. Contact jessica@madriverbbrewing.com.
