Marketing

Abstract

This chapter reviews the rôle that marketing is beginning to play in the public services. Marketing ideas arose in the United States, as a conséquence of the need for firms in fast-moving consumer goods markets to compete with each other. The appeal of marketing in this context is clear: those firms who better understand and find ways of responding to the needs of their customers will be more effective in their chosen markets and be more likely to achieve commercial success. From fast-moving consumer goods markets, the marketing approach has spread to cover consumer durables, services, business-to-business markets and also ‘not-for-profit’ organisations in the public services.