The Marketing Eye

Shotgun marketing should finally RIP and maybe as ...

2009-10-22T18:50:37.022+01:00

Shotgun marketing should finally RIP and maybe as marketers we will finally realise that we need to concentrate on the conversation not the broadcast. That we are seeking a renewed relationship with the current client as well as engaging the new clients. That fact of it being 8x more expensive to recruit a new client is ever more apparent in the days of marketing budget pressures. Some sectors / companies forgot to care about the current always wanting the new, it has cost them dear during this period. Nurturing leads yes, nurturing relationships also needs to be done.

Rick - you are indeed correct. The change has bee...

2009-10-07T09:32:17.430+01:00

Rick - you are indeed correct. The change has been made.

"who’s turn it is" Surely you mean "whose turn it...

2009-10-07T01:02:06.011+01:00

"who’s turn it is"

Surely you mean "whose turn it is"?

A little perspective on AIDA and marketing from a ...

2009-09-20T20:28:05.631+01:00

A little perspective on AIDA and marketing from a top performing sales person's perspective...

I agree with the AIDA model. All I think McKinsey is trying to say - and I HEAVILY agree with them - is that the desire component of AIDA is driven by a ‘Trigger Event’.

Back in 2003 I took a month off to reflect on 20 years of success as a sales person - in one case I went from new hire to #1 in the entire country for a multi-billion dollar company in less than six months.

I was amazed to identify that in almost every seven figure, or eight figure deal, that I won there was a specific ‘Trigger Event’ that started the purchase process and that I was the first person the decision maker spoke to after the ‘Trigger Event’ happened.

Since then I have been sharing insights about Trigger Events at www.TriggerEventBlog.com.

If people want to identify the best ‘Trigger Events’ for the products/services they sell they can download the Trigger Event Analysis (aka Won Sales Analysis) form and instructions at www.TriggerEventAnalysis.com.

Good Luck!

Craig

With the layoffs and downsizing of so many marketi...

2009-09-08T22:11:27.047+01:00

With the layoffs and downsizing of so many marketing and advertising professionals, it seems like a natural opportunity to develop "virtual" strategic alliances that can serve customer needs in a much more flexible and cost-effective way.

And, to your article's point, companies will choose to keep employee payroll to a minimum in the future -- especially if they perceive that there are viable alternatives for outsourcing available.

So your question begs the question, as independent contractors how do we most effectively market to these corporations to educate them on the available resources? How do we create effective strategic alliances and partnerships that meet client needs and provide appropriate resources aligned with the marketing objective of the company?

I wouldnt say they are numbered, but I have seen a...

2009-09-08T09:47:34.093+01:00

I wouldnt say they are numbered, but I have seen a huge increase in contract/freelance based marketing roles. Similar to the IT industry, Marketing looks like it may move in the same direction, although not all the way.

When marketing is effective they don't need me :o(...

2009-09-08T09:45:27.010+01:00

When marketing is effective they don't need me :o(

David,in which case, you will certainly have a vie...

2009-09-07T17:42:06.130+01:00

David,in which case, you will certainly have a view on this post. 'When the tail wags the dog' http://tinyurl.com/ldwjzw

no...... as long as there are control freaks aroun...

2009-09-07T17:41:24.635+01:00

no...... as long as there are control freaks around your job is safe..... you just have to understand you are a support function to sales like finance and HR.

no...... as long as there are control freaks aroun...

2009-09-07T17:37:25.617+01:00

no...... as long as there are control freaks around your job is safe..... you just have to understand you are a support function to sales like finance and HR.

Rob, Thanks for the comment and the correction on...

2009-08-12T18:08:06.945+01:00

Rob, Thanks for the comment and the correction on Lexus. Oops.

The whole debate is a fascinating one.

As I see it, the theory is that without the endorsement, there wouldn’t be any transference of equity. The individual stores will be free to generate their own equity, each as a brand in their own right. This is only different from the Lexus example is in terms of scale.

In practice, consumers will work the link out for themselves. There is a limit to how many different iterations of stores Starbucks will be able to manage and, even with lots of local autonomy, costs will drive a need to seek economies through bulk buying. Repetition will soon creep in. The new stores will display the attributes of a common brand, even without any physical clues.

I agree with and like the way you express the goal of a truly local establishment with the support of a global corporation turning into the risk of a global corporation with a local mask on. There is definitely a thesis in this for somebody oneday.

Thought I'd read your full post, since you were ki...

2009-08-11T01:43:21.827+01:00

Thought I'd read your full post, since you were kind enough to stop by Semantic Argument and leave a comment on mine. Again, I agree with most of what you've written here. We agree that Starbucks has gotten the situational analysis right. They're in trouble, and creating a sub-brand that feels less corporate and mass produced is one solution--a perfectly reasonable one.

But as a brand strategist, their decision to give each new store a different name and endorse them with "Inspired by Starbucks" is the where they've gone astray, if only slightly. In this way, the new stores are not like Lexus (also, a minor correction: Lexus is a Toyota brand; Honda's luxury line is Acura). Where Lexus was free to generate its own reputation (i.e. brand equity), any transference of equity between these stores will have to occur indirectly, by way of the Starbucks parent brand. Creating a consistent sub-brand, like "A Starbucks LocalBrew," even if it was only used as an endorsement, would've meant more direct associations between the new stores. I also think this would've helped prevent the perception of deceptiveness. I suppose I'd be more enthusiastic about a move along these lines.

The rest of my concerns are around implementation, and I think you share these concerns. Already, 15th Ave E seems to have missed some opportunities to be a "truly" local establishment with the support of a global corporation. Instead, it feels like a global corporation with a local mask on. Success will depend on changing that impression quickly and lastingly.

Lynn - I totally agree that Marketers need to be m...

2009-07-29T17:50:42.354+01:00

Lynn - I totally agree that Marketers need to be more commercially aware. I see 3 main reasons for the battle for hegemony:
1) Sales and Marketing don't invest enough time in getting to know and understand each other (both are guilty)
2) Marketers don't invest in their own leadership skills and hence don't rise to the level of influence with an organisation needed to exercise the mandate they seek
3) The role of marketing is too big to be the sole responsibility of one individual or one department. Marketing has to be owned by the organisation as a whole. Responsibility for individual components needs to be clearly defined and there is no shame in the marketing department being primarily focused on promotional activity.
Rosie - I think you'll find some sympathy with these views.
You both might have a view on this post http://tinyurl.com/c9obts where I looked at the definition and remit of marketing within larger organsiations.

If you think that marketing should deliver an incr...

2009-07-29T17:36:47.902+01:00

If you think that marketing should deliver an increase in shareholder value ( or stakeholder value for nfp), long term cash flow, brand reputation and sustainable competitive advantage .........then how this is done and how it is delivered crosses the whole orgnisation is the real question that needs to be answered. The true vision that marketers hold needs to grip the organisational psyche.The CIM need to get this message across. Marketers will then find themselves valued beyond belief!

Having worked in both sales and marketing, I don't...

2009-07-29T17:35:10.912+01:00

Having worked in both sales and marketing, I don't think it's a case of whether sales is part of marketing or marketing supports sales; there is value in both arguments. Certainly personal selling is part of the marcomms mix and the marketing team should produce support materials for the sales team; most organisations still view marketing as supporting the sales team as we seem to perpetuate the sales oriented climate of decades ago. Marketing need to up their game to become more commercially aware, then at least they would win the approval of sceptical sales people. Putting marketing on the Boardroom agenda in terms of how it can influence the bottom line is paramount. I agree with Rosie!

I once worked with the McKinsey boys - they work s...

2009-07-27T14:39:25.897+01:00

I once worked with the McKinsey boys - they work s**t hard and produce lots of 'stuff'....but personally never found it that enlightening. Always thought there was an air of emperors new clothes about them.

Thanks for your thoughts. Michael - the voice of g...

2009-07-25T11:28:06.533+01:00

Thanks for your thoughts.
Michael - the voice of good sense and reason. Unfortunately, in many large organisations this doesn't exist and the debate is anything but sterile.
Andrew - a very succint summary. Your right: the key lies in clearly defining the role of the marketing department. I have posted previously on whether the ambition of a marketing department's remit is too wide. I'd be interested in people's thoughts on this too http://tinyurl.com/c9obts
Fouad - The reality is that most organisations don't recognise the full definition of marketing and, even when they do, I have my own doubts about whether it is the role of one individual or department to deliver it. Not-for-profits are likely to have similar issues when sales is redefined as donations.

The problem with this sort of argument is that it ...

2009-07-25T11:11:44.815+01:00

The problem with this sort of argument is that it starts with too narrow a vision of marketing. If it is simply about advertising and promotion, then yes it should probably focus on helping the sales teams deliver their targets. If it's about understanding and responding to the 'market' then it's about the whole business and every touch point with the world in which it operates, both internally and externally. In this case the activity of the sales team should be in complete alignment with the company's marketing strategy.

This is a sterile debate. What matters is optimisi...

2009-07-25T11:10:15.139+01:00

This is a sterile debate. What matters is optimising the performance of the whole organisation and synchronising processes to enhance and excel in performance to market demand. The two activities need to secure customer intelligence and to inform delivery.

Although at the end of the day it is sales which m...

2009-07-25T11:08:56.748+01:00

Although at the end of the day it is sales which matter to run the business but how about not-for-profit organizations for instance? The discussions seem to be revolving around a sales oriented organization instead of a marketing orientated organization and it missed almost all points in the definition of marketing - defined as "A management process to identify, anticipate and satisfy customers' requirements in a profitably".

Whether a marketer is trying to stimulate an impul...

2009-07-24T08:52:19.726+01:00

Whether a marketer is trying to stimulate an impulse purchase or place a product in the consideration set, the marketing strategy has to begin at the point of creating awareness and attention. As basic awareness turns to interest, the focus can turn to influencing perceptions and creating the desire. Whether this is by progressing the messaging in ‘old-style’ brand advertising or using ‘modern’ social media doesn’t change the basic objective.

My frustration is that the McKinsey theory says nothing new and at the same time suggests that AIDA is now incorrect. I don’t agree – it has stood the test of time because it’s common sense. A consumer or business can’t desire a specific product or service if they don’t know it exists in the first place.

Good post. What exactly do you find the differenc...

2009-07-24T08:50:57.216+01:00

Good post.

What exactly do you find the difference between customer behavior and marketing intervention? To me it are the two sides of the same coin.

If you don't know when to intervene you might be too late or too early creating brand awareness and a spot on their consideration list.
If you don't know how customer behavior works, a marketer can intervene all he or she wants, but not with the maximum result.

"To my knowledge, nobody has ever maintained that this is how people buy", there are -too- many that apply AIDA to create supports to fall back on. Problem remains, AIDA might have been correct back then (1898) in that economy, but mr. Lewis developed AIDA to explain mechanisms of personal selling.

Personal selling/sales is much back then is a different and other world then marketing in a dynamic world as we know it now.

Neuromarketing research has found that AIDA could be at most a reversed process of it.

Lies and cover-ups WILL be revealed. In the meanti...

2009-05-18T08:20:00.000+01:00

Lies and cover-ups WILL be revealed. In the meantime maintaining them will be stressful for all concerned and journalists will know they have been lied to and a normal relationship cannot be re-established.
A good PR dealing with a crisis will determine the truth of the matter. They will find out what is going to be done, build confidence in decisions that have to be made and find a succinct way of presenting the truth to press and public.
The crises mentioned in the blog concerning banks and parliament have one thing in common – there is no clear message about truth or what will be done to bring people to justice.
Have the banks ever apologised? Have they learned anything from the events which have unfolded over the past year? Do they care about their customers? I think these are the questions Joe Public would like answered – but I’m not aware of ever having seen those answers.
In terms of Parliament I think the one thing people would like to know is whether any wrong-doers will be prosecuted? It is not enough to be told any police inquiry could last many years.
PR messages in a crisis need to be clear and positive to attract attention and to be believed.

A key difference between B2C and B2B is that consu...

2009-04-22T20:30:00.000+01:00

A key difference between B2C and B2B is that consumer branding (other than pharmaceuticals) mostly focuses on increasing pleasure and emotional appeal while B2B branding/value propositions generally need to focus on reducing a pain that a purchaser is facing today and supporting this with credible stats/facts and proof.

Thanks to all. I'm delighted by the interest this ...

2009-04-18T12:24:00.000+01:00

Thanks to all. I'm delighted by the interest this discussion has generated.
Edward - I agree that the complexity of the decision making process is one of the fundamental points.
Mark - your analysis comes from the angle of one business using another for distribution and is of course correct in these circumstances. I wonder how you feel about products and services provided directly to businesses for their own consumption e.g. finance, plant and machinery, professional services?