If companies don't know how to use marketing, how would they grow?

In latin countries, the main slice of the private sector it's composed by SOHO's and SME's. There are to much barriers for companies to improve their competitiveness and the major reason for that is related to companies knowledge. In latin countries, companies have lack with specific knowledge, knowledge which can create value for their customers. Internal knowledge should be rich for companies face the turbulent markets nowadays. But the lack in employee diversification, the lack in competences and the lack in qualifications can conduct to a lack in the firm's capacity to understand the market.

The marketing function in latin countries is sick. Companies don't understand the markets neither their own customers. Companies don't realize how their competitors are evoluting neither how technology is changing the economy. Companies are not market oriented neither customer oriented! Companies are "black hole oriented"!! They are digging their own grave when they cut in marketing staff or in marketing budget, because what really matters is not how much they spend but how they spend it and how the investment affects the ROI!

Companies have a lesson to learn. Bill Gates said one time that "if he had one dollar, he would spent it on marketing". I am not asking to companies to increase their marketing budgets. I am just saying to spend it wisely! Why it's so difficult?