International Day of Marketing Date in the current year: May 27, 2025

Marketing is the process of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service. It involves identifying customer needs, creating value, and communicating that value to a target audience to create demand and build customer relationships. The ultimate goal of marketing is to satisfy consumer demand more effectively than competitors and generate revenue for the business. The practice of marketing has existed for millennia, but the term “marketing” in its current sense came into popular use in the late 19th century, and marketing as an academic discipline began to develop soon after.

Marketing is generally carried out by the seller, usually a retailer or manufacturer. It may be directed to other businesses (business-to-business, B2B) or directly to consumers (business-to-consumer, B2C). In some cases, specialized marketing firms, such as media, advertising, or market research agencies, are hired to handle these tasks if the seller does not have a marketing department or wants a fresh outside perspective. Sometimes trade associations or government agencies promote an entire industry or region. This is often seen in campaigns for specific foods, regional products, or tourist destinations.

International Day of Marketing was created in 2023 by the European Marketing Confederation (EMC), a non-profit marketing membership organization representing marketing, sales and communications associations across Europe. Its main objective is to help its member organizations exchange information, share knowledge and expand professional networks.

The date of International Day of Marketing, May 27, was chosen to commemorate the birthday of American marketing practitioner and theorist Philip Kotler, who was born on this date in 1931. Kotler has written more than 80 books on marketing, developed several important marketing concepts, and helped create the field of social marketing. He is widely regarded as the father of modern marketing.

The primary objectives of International Marketing Day are to highlight the important role of marketing in modern business and society, to celebrate the achievements of members of the marketing community, and to recognize outstanding professional contributions to the field by presenting the annual Lifetime Achievement Award for Marketing. It is a day for marketing professionals to celebrate their accomplishments and share their stories to inspire the next generation of marketing professionals.

The EMC encourages its member organizations and other stakeholders to organize and participate in a variety of celebratory initiatives, including formal and informal events within marketing organizations, departments and teams; conferences, seminars and webinars; award ceremonies; sharing personal stories on social media using the hashtag #CelebrateMarketing, and more.