Is there a time and place for certain marketing?

Recently I found an article on the American Marketing Association's website about drug companies and their advertising now moving to social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter. For quite some time now pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to put up banner adds on Google and various other websites but moving to social networks is a whole new step. I think that marketing your brand is great and every company should have the freedom to do so-but drug companies on Facebook and Twitter? There have already been problems reported with this type of advertising. In the article, Drug Companies to Get Social Media Marketing Guidelines, it states that drug company's Facebook pages have contained comments from their prescription users talking about adverse effects or untrue statements about the company's drug. This can cause serious problems and give the public the freedom to post false content on these social network pages that millions of people see. Another problem, that was first seen in 2009, is that the drug companies do not have enough space on their online adds to put side effects; this is another big concern for consumers seeing these adds while casually surfing the web.

Personally, I think places on the Internet, such as Facebook and Twitter, are the wrong places for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their product. I believe banner adds are good and can be educational but not Facebook pages that are open for the widespread public to comment on.

So, do you think there is a time and place for certain marketing?

Article: Drug Companies to Get Social Media Marketing Guidelines

Marketing Mix Strategies: The 4 P's

The Marketing Mix can be related to many different things in life especially when it comes to bussiness and the job market. The 4 P's of the Marketing Mix are product, place, price, and promotion. As we come to the end of our college careers we can now go out and put everything we learned in our college courses to use and look for a job. This is an exciting time in our lives but also a very competitive task.


While searching for jobs, handing out resumes, and going on interviews we have to think of yourself as the 'product'. You basically have to sell yourself and your skills to potential employers. Marketing your knowledge, work ethic, and professional behavior are essentials that you must 'sell' in a job interview.


The second part of the Marketing Mix Strategy is 'place'. This is also known as the 'distribution' variable. Location, coverage, transportation and costs all make up the 'distribution' variable. 'Place' is very important when making a job decision. Your potential place of work must be in a area that you are willing to work in. Some jobs you choose from may require you to relocate completely; this is a big decision and you must do a lot of research. If you have to relocate for your job you must look at your finances to see if the move is possible, make sure you will have proper transportation, and that the job you are choosing is worth uprooting your life for.


'Price' is the third part of the Marketing Mix. The 'price' variable is based upon decisions and actions associated with establishing pricing objectives, policies, and determining product prices. In the situation of youself as the product, the 'price' variable would be your salary. Job offers come with a set salary or wage that can usually be negotiated. Normally, you will have a salary in mind as the minimum that you are willing to be paid for doing the job, and the salary that you believe will make you the happiest. Hopefully, the job offer comes with a 'price' that satisfies you.


The forth and final part of the Marketing Mix Strategy is the 'promotion' variable. In the marketing world we think of promotion as advertising, publicity, and public relations. This can be easily related to oneself in the business setting. When you work at an organization for some time you will want to move up in the company and work to show management that you should be promoted. Just like you would do to market a materialistic product, you must advertise your skills and knowledge and maintain good relations with upper management and your coworkers.


Marketing is not only used for brands, products sold in stores, or for companies. All aspects of marketing can be related to you and your everyday life. The Marketing Mix is especially helpful when entering the job market. This can keep you focused during interviews and help you put your best characteristics forward.

Differences Between Marketing, Advertising and Propaganda

There are many differences between marketing, advertising and propaganda. In the Pride and Ferrell text, Marketing Express, marketing and advertising are defined. Marketing is defined as "the process of creating, distributing promoting, pricing goods, services, and ideas to facilitate satisfying exchange relationships with customers and to develop and maintain favorable relationships with stakeholders in a dynamic environment." Advertising is "paid nonpersonal communication about an organization and its products transmitted to a target audience through mass media." Propaganda is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "the spreading of ideas, information, or rumors for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution."

As you can see, these three terms have all very different meaning but they do connect to one another. Marketing is the thought process behind selling your product or giving your service to your customers. Marketing also involves the research that your organization does about the market that your product will be sold or provided in. Advertising is a form of communication that is used to actually sell your product or service to customers. The first word we think of when we talk about advertising is media. The media is constantly showing us ads for different products and stores. Just like advertising, propaganda is a form of communication. Propaganda is a form of communication that is used to influence others. It is the most bias form of communication. Often times, when a consumer has a strong opnion about a company or a product they will share what they think, trying to sway another consumers thought about the company or product. 

Marketing, advertising and propaganda are three different terms used in the business world. These terms always somehow connect but we must make sure we do not get them confused with one another.