A small business launches a new product, invests in an online advertising campaign, and three months later, finds that sales are stagnating. The problem does not lie with the product, but with the lack of preliminary work: no market study, no precise targeting, no tailored message. This touches on the concrete role of marketing, far beyond mere promotion.
Customer complaints and after-sales service: a marketing angle often overlooked
When we talk about marketing in business, we instinctively think of acquiring new customers. However, the reality on the ground shows that after-sales service is an underutilized loyalty lever. The Customer Journey Observatory 2025, conducted by IFOP for Skeepers and PMP Strategy among 6,000 French consumers, highlights a gap: after-sales service occupies a limited place in the interactions analyzed by brands, while it represents a considerable effort for customers.
Handling a complaint quickly, offering an appropriate commercial gesture, following up after a problem is resolved: these actions are as much about marketing as a good advertisement. A company that ignores this friction point loses already-converted buyers, which costs more than acquiring new ones.
To delve deeper into the meaning of marketing on Businessmindset, we understand that this discipline is not limited to selling, but encompasses the entire relationship between a company and its market, including after-sales.
Marketing strategy: what the term really encompasses
The term marketing comes from the English “market.” It refers to all the actions that a company undertakes to identify its customers’ needs and respond to them profitably. The definition seems simple, but its implementation involves several layers of decision-making.
A marketing strategy begins with market analysis: who are the targeted consumers, what products or services are they already using, what problems remain unresolved. Next comes positioning, which is the place the company wants to occupy in the minds of its target audience relative to competitors.
Then comes the operational phase. It is often summarized by the “4Ps”:
- The product or service, designed to meet a specific market expectation, not an internal intuition.
- The price, set according to the value perceived by the customer and the chosen positioning against competitors.
- Distribution (place), which determines how and where the consumer accesses the offer, online or in-store.
- Communication (promotion), which conveys the message to the right audience, at the right time, on the right channels.
These four axes do not operate in isolation. A poorly calibrated price neutralizes a good communication campaign. An appropriate product distributed through an unsuitable channel will not find its audience. The coherence between these elements is what distinguishes an effective strategy from a series of scattered actions.
Digital marketing and AI: separating experimentation from real transformation
Digital marketing has reshuffled the cards for businesses of all sizes. Targeted advertising on social media, organic search, email marketing, content creation: digital levers allow reaching customers with more controlled budgets than traditional advertising.
Generative artificial intelligence has been added to this palette. It is used to write variations of ads, personalize emails, or analyze sales data. However, it is important to distinguish between occasional use and real integration into processes. Bpifrance Le Lab separates the occasional use of an AI tool from regular and structured use. Using ChatGPT for a draft email is not a marketing transformation.
Adoption figures for AI vary significantly depending on the source and the definition used. Insee measures the use of at least one AI technology in companies with at least ten employees, while other surveys include small businesses with a broader definition. These indicators are not directly comparable, making any categorical statement about the adoption rate unreliable.
What matters on the ground: AI accelerates certain repetitive tasks (segmentation, A/B testing, visual generation), but it does not replace strategic thinking about positioning or in-depth consumer knowledge.
Regulatory constraints: what marketing can no longer ignore
Since the implementation of the GDPR and the ePrivacy directive, commercial prospecting towards individuals is subject to strict rules. Prior consent is required for sending electronic communications to consumers who have not yet purchased. Failure to comply with this obligation exposes one to sanctions from the CNIL.
Another area has become stricter: environmental claims. In France, the law now regulates terms like “carbon neutral” or “eco-friendly” used in commercial communication. Companies that display these claims without solid proof expose themselves to lawsuits for misleading business practices.
For a marketing team, these constraints are not obstacles, but working parameters. They guide content creation, advertising targeting, and customer data management. Ignoring them is akin to building a strategy on a legally fragile foundation.
- Check the legal basis of each prospecting file before any email or SMS campaign.
- Document the evidence behind each ecological or social argument used in sales materials.
- Implement a compliant consent collection process for loyalty programs and targeted advertising.
Marketing in business operates on multiple fronts simultaneously: understanding its market, structuring a coherent offer, using digital tools wisely, and integrating regulatory constraints from the campaign design stage. The difference between a company that sells and one that lasts often lies in its ability to articulate these dimensions, not to treat them separately.
