“We don’t have a marketing department; we have a customer department.”
Herb Kelleher’s statement given above refers to which one of the following concepts?

Correct option is C

Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines, emphasized a philosophy that is deeply rooted in the marketing concept. The marketing concept asserts that the key to achieving organizational goals lies in determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors.

When Kelleher says, "We don’t have a marketing department; we have a customer department," he underscores the idea that every function within the organization must be aligned to serve the customer—not just the marketing team. It’s a strategic orientation that places the customer at the center of all business decisions, including production, operations, HR, and finance.

This philosophy goes beyond transactional marketing; it calls for customer-centric thinking across all organizational levels, which is the essence of the marketing concept—not a separate functional activity but an organization-wide commitment to customer satisfaction.

Information Booster:

• The marketing concept is built on the principle of customer orientation, integrated marketing, and profit through customer satisfaction.

• It replaces the focus on product or selling with a deep focus on market needs.

• It encourages cross-functional alignment, ensuring every department contributes to delivering value to customers.

• Kelleher’s quote is a prime example of embedding marketing thinking into the organization’s culture, not limiting it to a department.

• This concept leads to sustainable competitive advantage through consistent value creation.

Additional Knowledge:

(a) Social Responsibility Marketing Concept

• This concept balances company profits, consumer wants, and society’s long-term interests.

• It adds a societal layer to the marketing concept (e.g., sustainability, ethics).

• Kelleher’s quote does not reference broader social welfare, so this is incorrect.

(b) Internal Marketing Concept

• Focuses on treating employees as internal customers and ensuring their satisfaction to improve service delivery.

• It is employee-centric, not directly customer-centric like the quote suggests.

• Hence, it doesn't align with the statement about serving external customers.

(d) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Concept

• CRM is about managing long-term customer relationships using data and personalized engagement.

• While CRM supports the marketing concept, it is a subset focused on retention and loyalty, not an organizational-wide philosophy as described in the quote.