5 Proven Marketing Concepts Every Business Should Know
Understanding marketing concepts is key to growing your brand, improving customer relationships, and driving long-term success. Whether you’re a small business owner, startup founder, or marketing manager, knowing these five core ideas can guide your strategy and make your business more competitive. In this guide, we’ll walk through each concept in plain language and explain how to apply them in today’s world.
What Are Marketing Concepts and Why Do They Matter?
Marketing concepts are broad business philosophies. They define how a company thinks about its products, customers, and promotional efforts. Instead of focusing only on sales or features, the right marketing concept helps you understand what your audience truly needs—and how to give it to them.
Whether you’re trying to grow your customer base, launch a new product, or build trust in your community, these concepts form the foundation of smart decision-making.
Quick Overview
Production Concept – Make it affordable and available
Product Concept – Make it better
Selling Concept – Make them want it now
Marketing Concept – Make it customer-driven
Societal Marketing Concept – Make it good for everyone
Let’s dive deeper.
The 5 Core Marketing Concepts Explained
Production Concept
The production concept focuses on efficiency. It assumes that customers want affordable products that are easy to find. This approach works best when demand is high and supply is limited.
Example: Fast-food chains like McDonald’s streamline operations to deliver food quickly and affordably. Customers choose them because they’re reliable, fast, and accessible.
When to Use It:
You’re targeting price-sensitive customers
You want to scale production
Distribution reach matters more than personalization
Product Concept
This concept emphasizes quality and innovation. It assumes that customers want the best product—whether it’s faster, safer, or more advanced.
Example: Apple uses this strategy by focusing on design, performance, and cutting-edge features. Their audience values premium quality.
When to Use It:
You’re in a competitive industry
Customers care deeply about performance or aesthetics
You can regularly improve your product
Selling Concept
Here, the goal is to persuade customers to buy—whether they need it or not. It works through aggressive advertising, discounts, or upselling.
Example: Insurance companies and seasonal products often use this. People may not think they need it until someone convinces them.
When to Use It:
You’re launching a new, unfamiliar product
You need quick sales results
Your offer isn’t driven by customer demand yet
Marketing Concept
The marketing concept flips the old-school model. Instead of starting with the product, it starts with the customer. It’s all about understanding your audience and solving their specific problems.
Example: Amazon’s entire platform is built around customer data and personalization. Their goal is to serve what the buyer actually wants—not just what they have in stock.
When to Use It:
You want long-term loyalty
You have customer feedback and data
Personalization is part of your value
This modern approach considers the greater good. It still focuses on meeting customer needs, but also factors in ethics, sustainability, and community impact.
Example: Patagonia builds eco-conscious products and supports environmental activism. Their mission-driven model builds brand trust.
When to Use It:
You’re building a brand with strong values
You target socially aware audiences
Your product or process promotes sustainability or ethics
Societal Marketing Concept
This modern approach considers the greater good. It still focuses on meeting customer needs, but also factors in ethics, sustainability, and community impact.
Example: Patagonia builds eco-conscious products and supports environmental activism. Their mission-driven model builds brand trust.
When to Use It:
You’re building a brand with strong values
You target socially aware audiences
Your product or process promotes sustainability or ethics
Applying These Concepts in Your Business
Step 1: Identify Your Audience
Know who you’re trying to reach. Is your audience price-sensitive? Do they care about quality, sustainability, or convenience? Dig into demographic data, buying habits, and even social media conversations. This insight sets the foundation for how you position your brand.
Step 2: Align Concept to Strategy
Pick the core concept that best matches your product and audience. Are you selling a commodity (use production)? A niche product (product or marketing)? This choice impacts how you build your funnel, set your pricing, and promote your offer. Keep your value proposition tightly aligned with your chosen strategy.
Step 3: Blend Where Needed
Most successful brands use a combination. For example, you can focus on customer needs (marketing concept) while also promoting social values (societal marketing). A hybrid model lets you meet both short-term goals and long-term vision, especially if you’re balancing performance and purpose.
Step 4: Build Your Funnel
No matter your concept, your marketing funnel should move people from awareness to decision with:
Strong content (blogs, videos, SEO-rich landing pages)
Social proof (reviews, testimonials, influencer mentions)
Clear calls-to-action (CTAs that guide users to book, buy, or sign up)
Optimize every step with data. Measure what works and adjust regularly to align with evolving audience expectations.
Real Examples from Utah Businesses
At New Tab Marketing, we’ve applied these concepts across diverse Utah-based brands:
Renegade Covers embraced the production concept by offering hard-to-beat pricing and simplified online shopping for truck bed covers. Their focus on availability and streamlined ordering helped grow volume in a competitive e-commerce space.
DiamondBlade Knives and Knives of Alaska reflect the product concept, leaning into quality materials, U.S.-based craftsmanship, and Friction Forged Technology. These brands market performance, edge retention, and premium build—earning loyalty from hunters, ranchers, and serious outdoorsmen.
James Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery uses a societal marketing approach, educating patients about oral health and promoting transparent, compassionate care. With an emphasis on community trust, they’ve positioned themselves as ethical leaders in Idaho Falls and surrounding regions.
When you understand these models, you can use them intentionally across content, branding, and digital campaigns. Great strategy isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about finding the message that fits your mission and your market.
How New Tab Marketing Puts These Concepts into Action
At New Tab Marketing, we don’t just talk about marketing. We implement the 5 marketing concepts in ways that help businesses grow, build trust, and increase conversions.
We apply these 5 marketing concepts to real client campaigns across Utah, from rugged outdoor gear to high-trust medical services. Here’s how we do it:
Use the production concept to help eCommerce clients scale with automated systems and cost-efficient funnels.
Apply the product concept with high-end visual content and copywriting that makes premium products stand out.
Implement the marketing concept by using audience data and research to guide content, ads, and funnel design.
Support the societal marketing concept for value-driven brands who want to show purpose alongside profit.
Every solution is built around strategy, not guesswork. We combine marketing psychology, local insights, and SEO best practices to help your business stand out and succeed.
Book a strategy session or call (801) 210-1417 to see how your brand can grow with the right concept.
