Marketing is described, by the American Marketing Association, “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”  I know when I took a marketing course in college (just because I needed some hours) they made a big deal out of saying that marketing was not sales, but I still have a hard time making the distinction.  What I do know is that it has become ubiquitous, and not necessarily to good effect.