MKTG 716 : Marketing Management

Introduction:

Human resources are the most valuable assets of any marketing-company of the modern era, and this fact cannot be denied at all (Petruzzellis, 2010). Though technology has covered a huge corporate portion, still this fact remains that technology is invented by humans only. Contemporary organization has experienced tremendous shift in marketing techniques and processes. Companies currently are making use of social media, internet advertisement techniques along with other technological processes to build and promote their brand, products, thereby increasing their areas of marketing. They are focusing more on technological investments rather than human based investments so as to increase market share. The scope of the current argument essay includes evaluating technological investments against human investments within companies.

Argument

Contemporary marketing companies are directing tremendous financial resources towards social media and electronic marketing modes and methods. As per Pfeffer et al., (1999), common-sense, experience and research of people can establish a direct relation in between commitment towards management practices and financial success of the company. This is why people are considered as assets in companies. Therefore, if any company lacks human-resources, then technology will also suffer greatly. Keeping this thing in mind marketing-companies should invest more on human-resources than technology.

Process streamlining requires people to be concluded (Wang & Zhang, 2012). Marketing-pace can be accelerated by technology, but marketing strategies cannot be created without humans. Strategy-implementation can be done smoothly by technology, but for applying that technology, requires specialized HR in the company. Company growth can be ensured only if critical business-operations especially human-resources, insurance, and payroll are streamlined or integrated well. Software alone cannot make these processes streamlined with the use of automation. Applications are fully robotic, and thus they cannot understand the actual goals of the company, but humans can understand. As per Bollinger et al., (2001), knowledge has been recognized as one of the most useful resources that can enable organizations to compete and innovate and this knowledge lies within employees. People for marketing-concern can, not only conduct critical-operations, but will ensure integration by establishing a healthy communication. A perfect planning can also be created that leads towards the fulfillment of company-objective.

Customer-care service is the most important section of any marketing company. Without human-representatives serving customers is simply impossible. Not all customers will ask the same set of questions that software can answer. Some customers might ask questions which are completely out of the box and then in that scenario your software will not be able to answer as a result of which customers will get completely dissatisfied (Wirtz & Lovelock, 2016). People as customer-care representatives can answer all the queries of customers and fulfill or channelize their customer demands accordingly. Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy relationship with both customers and corporate clients, then nothing can be a better solution other than investing in human resources.

Implementation of marketing strategies can be best undertaken by people. Not all marketing strategies work equally great for all clients. Therefore, the strategies need to be planned in a customized manner for making the clients benefitted. In this case, it is better for engaging humans than technology as humans will be able to understand the client-needs well and in accordance with that customized marketing-strategies will be prepared (Maglio & Spohrer, 2008). Humans do not need to be programmed as they already have knowledge and skills. Thus, personalized-strategies for clients can be quickly prepared and implemented without any waste of time. If clients are in need of any modification in marketing-planning, then that can also be inculcated easily without any hassle. This will make clients happy and will also enable the company earning more prospects from targeted communities.

The software needs to be updated manually as per ongoing marketing-trends, but here also adaptation of humans will be much faster. It is always better for any marketing-company to invest more in human resources. Successful marketing campaigns can be executed by humans only as they have the capability of implementing best strategies on the basis of received responses. As per Chesbrough (2007), the Company’s business model can be made innovative only by talented executives. They will understand the actual matter and then accordingly will choose only those paths that can bring improvement to the existing business model of the company.

Conclusion:

The above argument establishes that investment has to be made in people rather than in technology. It will ensure regular formation of strategies within companies and will also allow establishment of competitive advantage within the market. Marketing companies need to devise their strategies by combining technology with people such that they are able to balance between both.    

References:

Maglio, P.P. and Spohrer, J., 2008. Fundamentals of service science. Journal of the academy of marketing science, 36(1), pp.18-20. Retrieved on 1^st September from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11747-007-0058-9

Petruzzellis, L., 2010. Mobile phone choice: technology versus marketing. The brand effect in the Italian market. European Journal of marketing, 44(5), pp.610-634. Retrieved on 6th September from  https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/03090561011032298

Wang, C. and Zhang, P., 2012. The evolution of social commerce: The people, management, technology, and information dimensions. CAIS, 31(5). Retrieved on 3^rd September from  https://aisel.aisnet.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3675&context=cais

Wirtz, J. and Lovelock, C., 2016. Services Marketing: People, Technology. World Scientific Publishing Company. Retrieved on 7^th September from  https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dKJIDQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR4&dq=people+and+technology+in+marketing&ots=gbD29sdQbc&sig=SuSb33G-vHmNudg6r4s-Dy79c18#v=onepage&q=people%20and%20technology%20in%20marketing&f=false