The most unfair criticism of business folks is that they are just “marketers,” which is somewhat of a negative label in the tech sector. I think marketing gets a bad rap. In MBA terms, there are four Ps that define marketing: product, price, placement, and promotion. Defining the product and price is a creative process. The goal is to develop a product idea—sold for a profit—that matches the needs of the targeted customer. Research, analysis, and creative work are necessary in order to succeed. Placement, the third P, regards how customers will obtain the product (through a web site? the supermarket? the trunk of Fred’s car?).
Finally, promotion—what marketing is often stereotyped to mean—is how to spread the positive word about the product to influential people and potential customers. Surprisingly, promotion is a small part of a business analyst or product manager’s time (maybe 10–20%). So, marketing plans define much more than what the ads will look like or what promotional deals will be made. Also, note that the four Ps of marketing apply to almost anything. There is always a product (HR web site), a price (free), a placement (intranet), and a promotion (email) for it.