Marvelous marketing myths: part two
More misconceptions from the world wide ways of marketing and the truth behind them.
I've already invited five clichés to the table, and there are four more just waiting to be digested:
- Anyone can do marketing - it's just embellishment!
My intern has an Instagram profile, my assistant writes great emails and the friendly sales employee loves to take photos. Mission marketing: accomplished! But would you leave the accounting to a math student or the production responsibility to a Lego enthusiast? Marketing is often associated with prettifying presentations, designing business cards and sporadically posting on social media. But that's like reducing a tennis match to the yellow ball and putting ice hockey players in tennis outfits. This might look the same on the surface, but it won't win the game. Marketing is the discipline of brand building, brand retention and loyalty, the internal and external, seamless communication strategy – and of course, making sure all of this is “pretty”. The only word that’s justified in this popular misconception.
- Marketing doesn't sell
"Our sales department generates sales, marketing... doesn't." But the truth is that sales dances on the stage set by marketing. Without sales, the customer would have to swing and sway alone, but without marketing, there would be nowhere for them to meet in the first place. Marketing attracts the customer, invites them in, creates the communicative setting and the right market atmosphere. Thus allowing sales to dance into the profit zone. Marketing and sales are only strong together.
- Design is expensive and doesn't sell either!
Why spend money on visuals, product and packaging design or advertising materials, it only reduces profits. But as the saying goes: You eat with your eyes. If a customer has to choose between two products with equivalent features, they will naturally be drawn to the one with the more attractive design and packaging. Even if it is more expensive. Because design makes things appear more valuable, more exclusive, more desirable.
What use is a higher profit margin with lower sales figures?
- B2b doesn't need marketing to sell!
"In B2B, we’re dealing with businesspeople who understand how things work. You don't need marketing to sell, just discounts and good delivery times." However, both B2B and B2C have two things in common: competition and people. And in both areas, it's about standing out from the competition and appealing to people. In B2B, too, it’s important to ensure brand loyalty in the long term. And this can only be achieved by addressing the business and end customer's needs to make them fall in love with the brand.
–––
Did you miss “marvelous marketing myths: part one”? Click here!
