MARKETING 45.
Internal marketing
Internal marketing, a key component of holistic marketing, involves the process of hiring, training, and motivating employees who are capable and eager to serve customers effectively. Smart marketers recognize that internal marketing activities—focused on the company’s employees—can be as, or even more, critical than external marketing efforts. Promising excellent customer service is futile if the company’s staff is not adequately prepared to deliver it.
Marketing success depends on the collaboration of all departments working together to meet customer goals. For example, engineering must design the right products, finance must allocate sufficient resources, purchasing must procure the right materials, production must ensure timely product delivery, and accounting must measure profitability accurately. These interdepartmental efforts can only come together when senior management communicates a clear vision of how the company’s marketing orientation and philosophy contribute to customer satisfaction.
The following example illustrates the challenges of integrating marketing internally:
A marketing vice president at a major European airline aims to boost traffic by improving customer satisfaction with better food, cleaner cabins, more trained cabin crews, and lower fares. However, this strategy is undermined by the lack of authority in key areas. The catering department prioritizes cost savings, the maintenance department uses low-cost cleaning services, human resources hires employees regardless of their customer service orientation, and the finance department sets fare prices. As a result, the marketing vice president struggles to create a cohesive, integrated marketing approach.
Internal marketing requires both vertical alignment with senior management and horizontal alignment with other departments, ensuring that everyone understands, supports, and works towards the shared marketing goals.
