Marketing, unfortunately, is probably the most misunderstood term in the English language. It is also the skill most likely to be misdirected and abused by many companies.
Requirement
Companies should review their marketing direction/stance and assess its position in the "value" domain to determine where it is located between the two extremes of being purely a sales activity and purely an academic exercise. An honest appraisal may have a surprise result.
Solution
"Real Marketing" is the art/skill of combining information and knowledge into a practical format where it can be of most benefit to the company using it. Marketing is a business tool, the effectiveness of which can be measured by the success of a company's performance.