The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to marketing: Marketing – social and managerial processes by which products, services, and value are exchanged in order to fulfill individuals' or groups' needs and wants. These processes include, but are not limited to, advertising, promotion, distribution, and product management. Core concepts in marketing Marketers may sell goods or services directly to consumers, known as business to customer (B2C marketing); commercial organizations (known as business to business marketing or B2B), to government; to not-for-profit organizations (Not-for-profit organization (NFP)) or some combination of any of these. Actors and relationships At the center of the marketing framework is the consumer lies the relationship between the consumer and the organization with the implication that marketers must manage the way the organization presents its public face. The consumer: Typically, the consumer refers to the end-user - but this may be an individual or group such as a household, family unit or organization. In addition, marketers may need to consider the roles of influencers such as Opinion leaders who increasingly use means such as social media to develop customer to customer networks of influence. The organization: may be represented by many different actors including: various sales personnel: Agent; Broker; Sales representative; Merchant; Retailer; Street vendor or Vendor Selling situations & relationships: Depending on the nature of the business operations, many different types of actors are involved in a variety of selling situations involving a variety of sales personnel, who perform varied sales roles. Sales activities involve many different types of customer relationships - from simple transactional exchange through to long-term, enduring customer relationships. Needs, wants and demands Marketers typically begin planning with a detailed understanding of customer needs and wants. A need is something required for a healthy life (e.g. food, water, shelter, emotional bonding); A want is a desire, wish or aspiration; When needs or wants are backed by purchasing power, they have the potential to become demands. Nature of exchange Exchange, the act of giving or taking one thing of value in return for another is central to marketing activities. Not all exchange involves Financial transactions, but may also involve barter, contra dealing or other form of trade. The object of exchange can include: Goods; services or experiences; concepts or ideas; causes and may even involve celebrity marketing Perceptions of value Traditional thinking around the concept of value was that marketers