Sometimes you need more then a one-sentence answer. While the term marketing generally refers to what a company does to create value for customers, practicing marketers know they have a major role in setting their company's strategic direction. Successful marketing requires a deep knowledge of customers, competitors, and collaborators-and great skill in serving customers profitably.

The book provides the foundation for developing those skills and insights. It's organized according to the design of the first-year marketing course in Harvard Business School's MBA program. Each chapter was written by HBS faculty and used by MBA students to analyze marketing opportunities and develop and execute successful marketing strategies. Areas covered include: