What marketing really is, and what it means for your business.

What marketing really is, and what it means for your business.

Let’s be honest—marketing isn't commonly understood, nor does it always get the credit it deserves.

In many businesses, especially smaller or growing ones, it can be misunderstood, underused, or seen as something fluffy and reactive. You’ve probably heard it called "the colouring-in department"— the team that makes things look nice, manages social media, or sends the odd email.

But here’s the truth: marketing is a strategic business discipline. Treating it like window dressing doesn’t just mean missing out—it could actively hold back your growth.

So, what is marketing, really?

Marketing is about identifying and meeting customer needs in a way that drives sustainable business growth. It's about understanding your market, positioning your brand, and communicating value clearly and effectively.

As the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) defines it:

"Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably."

At its core, marketing answers big, business-critical questions like:

• Who are our customers?

• What problems are we solving for them?

• Why should they choose us over anyone else?

• How do we reach them, speak to them, and build long-term relationships?

It's the discipline that connects your product or service with your customers, all while driving toward your commercial goals. Done well, it doesn’t just support your business strategy - it is your business strategy.

More than logos and likes

Of course, marketing includes brand, design, and content. But those are the outputs, not the strategy.

Marketing is:

• Research and insight

• Positioning and planning

• Value propositions and messaging

• Pricing strategy and go-to-market plans

• Customer experience and retention

• Data, measurement, and continuous improvement

It informs what you say, how you say it, and where you say it, but more importantly, why you say it in the first place.

Why this matters for SMEs

If you’re running a small or medium-sized business, you might not have a marketing team, or you might have one very busy person trying to do everything. It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing marketing activity (posting on social, writing blogs, running ads) without a clear strategy behind it.

That’s when marketing becomes frustrating, time-consuming, and ineffective. But with the right strategic steer, it becomes focused, manageable, and impactful.

You can:

• Make smarter decisions about where to invest time and money

• Align marketing with your wider business goals

• Build credibility and trust with the right customers

• Create marketing that actually works

How to start thinking differently about marketing

If you want marketing to work harder for your business, start by treating it as a strategic function, not just a delivery one.

Ask yourself:

• Does marketing have a role to play in helping us grow?

• Do we use customer insights to drive our decision-making?

• Are we clear on what differentiates us, or our value proposition?

• Is there a plan that links our business goals to our marketing activity?

And if the answer to any of the above is no, it’s a clear signal that marketing deserves more focus and structure in your business.

Marketing isn’t just about making things look good (although that helps!). It’s about helping your business grow in a smart, sustainable way.

So let’s leave the colouring pencils to the kids, and give marketing its rightful place as a strategic driver of business growth.