What is marketing? What is advertising? What is a brand? What is PR? What is sales? What are interpersonal skills? What is an essay? What is a white paper? What is a sales sheet? What is a case study? What is marketing? Marketing is the process by which products and services are developed and distributed to consumers and customers.  It involves viewing a business in terms of its customers’ (or potential customers’) needs and developing goods/services that satisfy their needs. Some may think that marketing is only about advertising and selling goods and services, but these activities are just one component of the process.    Marketing is an integral function of business management and consists of the following key components, which are known as the four P’s.  Selecting and developing a product (or service) to bring into the marketplace Determining a price to charge for the product Deciding upon a place in which customers will receive the product and mapping out the distribution channel for delivering it Developing and implementing a promotional campaign that attracts customers to the product and motivates them to purchase it Reference http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/marketing.html  What is advertising? Advertising is one component of the marketing process.  It is the promotional element of the 4P’s of marketing.  It involves using various forms of media (i.e. print, online, television, and radio) to convey a message about a product or service.  Some advertisements include practical information about the product/service or highlight the benefits of the product/service.  Others are designed to evoke a particular emotion in consumers in an effort to persuade them to make a purchase.  Fear, hope, love, guilt, shame, anger, sadness, happiness, and loneliness are some of the emotions that ads  attempt to conjure up in consumers.  What is a brand?   A brand is the perception that customers have of a business.  It is a business’ reputation and encompasses the business’ promise to create a particular kind of customer experience and uphold certain values. Disney is an example of a company with a well-known brand.  For many, the thought of Disney conjures up images of kids laughing with delight and families spending time together making happy memories that will last a lifetime.   Developing a brand is an important component of the marketing process. And building a successful brand involves providing top-quality products, first-rate services, and outstanding customer service on a consistent basis.   What is PR (public relations)? Businesses engage in public relations (PR) to build a favorable public image and to promote products or services.  Like advertising, PR is a component of marketing and falls under the promotional element of the 4P’s of marketing.  But unlike advertising in which a business pays a fee to a particular advertising outlet to deliver a sales message, PR is a more indirect way of selling a business and its products/services. PR, which uses the media as a mode of communication, is a business’ efforts to develop positive on-going relationships with its stakeholders – people who have an interest in the business.  A business’ stakeholders might include customers, employees, investors, the media, other businesses, the government, and various communities.  PR aims to keep a business’ publics (stakeholders) informed about various aspects of the business including its philosophy, activities, events, products, and services.  It also involves offering its stakeholders something of value such as free information. Public relations activities include the following: Submitting press releases and pitching story ideas to media outlets Writing articles that pertain to a business’ industry and submitting them to syndicated services or directly to the media Publishing a newsletter that is sent to various stakeholders Holding special events Making contributions of money, products, or services to non-profit organizations Conducting workshops Speaking at conferences and events Engaging in online communication through forums, web sites, blogs, and social media outlets Besides building a reputation and promoting the business, PR also involves the following important tasks: Monitoring the media to determine how the public is responding to a business and its products/services Managing crises to minimize or eliminate any threat to a business’s reputation PR is an on-going process that should be approached strategically and systematically. Reference http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/public-relations/what-is-public-relations/  What are sales? "The sales process consists of interpersonal interaction. It is often done by a one-on-one meeting, cold calls, and networking. It's anything that engages you with the prospect or customer on a personal level rather than at a distance." http://marketing.about.com/cs/advertising/a/mrktingvssales.htm  What are interpersonal skills?  "Interpersonal skills are all about working with other people. They include being able to support and encourage others, being able to give and receive constructive criticism as well as being able to negotiate. They are also skills where you listen to and value other's opinions, and are able to convey your points to a group. Interpersonal skills sometimes overlap with spoken communication skills. This is because communication is crucial to good interpersonal skills." http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_interpersonal_skills  What is an essay?  An essay is a brief composition that is usually written from the author's personal point of view. It explores one topic and is generally written in the first or third person. Newspaper editorials and columns are often written in essay format. An essay generally contains an introduction that includes a thesis statement, paragraphs that discuss the main points, and a conclusion.  What is a white paper?  A white paper is a report whose purpose is to educate the reader about a specific position on an issue or solution to a problem. It can be used as a decision making tool and is persuasive in nature. Historically, the term "white paper" was used to refer to official governmental reports that were designed to be informative and authoritative. Today, businesses also use white papers as marketing tools. A company may publish a white paper that discusses a problem that its product or service addresses. The white paper might include historical information about the problem, research findings, and possible solutions to the problem. Reference: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/546/1/ http://www.stelzner.com/copy-HowTo-whitepapers.php  What is a sales sheet?  A sales sheet is a one-page document that discusses a particular product (or service). It provides a brief description of the product, discusses its benefits, and includes one or more graphics (i.e., images of the product, charts, graphs, etc.).  A sales sheet should not be cluttered with long blocks of text. Headings and lists that use numbers or bullet points make text  easier to read. The sales sheet should also include a powerful call to action (request) that prompts the target audience to order your product or contact you for more information.   What is a case study?  A case study is research that explores a particular aspect of an individual, group, event, program, or organization. It involves collecting in-depth information about the subject over time and then analyzing it to draw conclusions and report the results.