Marketing is the strategic process of understanding customer needs, creating value through products/services, and communicating that value to attract, engage, and retain customers, ultimately driving business growth and sales through activities like research, advertising, branding, and building relationships, encompassing everything from initial awareness to post-purchase loyalty. It's about making people aware of offerings and persuading them to buy, focusing on satisfying wants and needs better than competitors, often summarized by the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.