Embracing Change with Gracefulness

Christmas Thoughts 2009

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Plus, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Marketers have gone through quite the roller coaster in the last couple of years. Many of them not surviving their tenure in troubled industries and businesses.

In this slide show I prepared with the colors and images of Christmas, I wanted to look back at some of the threads and learning that characterized the year:

• content marketing is the beginning of the journey
• social media is no silver bullet. You still need to do the work every day
• decide one thing you want to accomplish and focus on it
• control is over how you prepare for and respond to events
• value/values alignment matters
• the product (or service) is marketing
• customer focus is key
• employees are brand ambassadors who build bridges between the business and its customers
• consider the cost of not doing
• with execution you need to measure and show performance
• it's not only how much - it's why, what, who, when and how

Everyone seems to know marketing these days. Yet, if I ask 100 people what the purpose of marketing is, I'm pretty sure I'll get 100 different answers. Would you like to try?

What is the purpose of marketing? Weigh in!

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

[image of babas, Bensone ciambella, and more. Store in via Emilia, Modena]

© 2006-2009 Valeria Maltoni. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Stan Phelps]

Interesting question Valeria.

I'm quoting Andrew Lock of the vodcast "Help . . My Business Sucks!"

"Remember Everything is Marketing . . . and Marketing is Everything".

The purpose of marketing is to generate demand for your product or service. My take is that most people perceive marketing bas ackwards. They concentrate 90+ of their efforts on the traditional funnel (awareness, interest, desire), while neglecting their absolute best marketing vehicle . . . their current customers.

If businesses figured out how to provide that signature 'little something extra' that drove value and exceeded expectations . . . they would retain customers and ultimately create evangelists. To me - - that is the purpose of marketing. Show rather than tell.

[Alfonso Pace]

Profitable Customer Satisfaction

I'm really against complicated definitions and I find that this one applies to almost everything (even to non-profits when you correctly configure the profit concept)

Thank you Valeria for this always interesting blog.
Best wishes.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Stan - indeed, most businesses see only the promotional aspects of marketing and neglect to consider the most influential aspects of it. Plus there's that issue that everyone knows how to do marketing, right? Right ;)

@Alfonso - I'm reminded of the definition of brandng. Its purpose being to generate loyalty and credibility for repeatable purchases, over time.

[Andrew @ WeBuildYourBlog.com]

Marketing is giving the best to consumers or customers. A joyous season to everyone ;)

[jon b]

The slides are stunning and all spot on, great presentation. The one thing I find confusing it that there are multiple instances of "one key thing you need to focus on". Sure, everything is important, and you should focus, but I'm not sure I got the key takeaway.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Andrew - thank you for stopping by.

@Jon - sounds like I should have spelled out focusing on purpose. Sure, there are many actions we should pursue, one key purpose or raison d'etre, if you fee philosophical today.

[peter]

The purpose of marketing is to successfully "market" to management that marketing matters as much as those in marketing want you to believe.

Who or what can lay claim to the sale of one of those lovely pastries in the window - the fortunate position on the street, the town's traditions, the owners forefathers and mothers, the farmers and manufacturers who supplied the ingredients, the driver who delivered the flour through a terrible storm in time for Christmas, the person who arranged them in the window the way they have been doing for 50 years, the friend who recommended you buy from there or your mother who always buys from there, the shop assistant who carefully wraps each pastries and carefully boxes them up so that they arrive home safely , the busload of tourists that are drawn to the town at this time of year or the child who tugs at his mothers coat as they walk by

And on and on -

Is it all marketing ? - If so then nothing is marketing other than the marketer.

Wishing you and your family a safe and happy year.

Peter