Is marketing synonymous with advertising?

While marketing and advertising are often mistakenly used interchangeably, marketing is the very broad, overarching heading. Marketing encompasses many variables, oftentimes referred to as the Seven Ps of Marketing. These “Ps” include Product (the services you deliver and needs you fulfill), Packaging (how you bundle services), Price, Place (physical facility and geography), People (you and your staff), Positioning (why you) and finally Promotion.

That final “P” for promotion includes doctor referral marketing, patient referral marketing, publicity (free press), branding (the sum total of experiences the patient has with you), Internet marketing, community marketing, case presentation, point of purchase displays and finally advertising.

A well-considered marketing plan may or may not include some form of advertising, depending upon objectives, budgets, philosophy, marketplace and many other factors .