I get introduced to many businesses and frequently find mid-sized companies without an understanding of what marketing should be doing for their company. Yes, we create websites, flyers, brochures, and send emails, but those are the tactics. What is the real value that a strategic marketing approach provides? Simply put, what is marketing’s job?
Marketers identify a community with needs and develop a product or service to solve their problem. And, through our communications effort, we tell our story so that it resonates with potential customers and they understand why we are different from other choices.
Marketing is a way of thinking about opportunities by immersing yourself with a community of people who have a common problem or world view. We don’t see purchases. We see experiences. When you buy that hammer from a hardware store, does it meet your needs?
What if you are a 78-year-old older woman and need a light-weight hammer with a specialized grip? A hammer for the elderly isn’t the same as a product designed for a 28-year old building an addition onto his house. Does your tool company serve this community of builders with special needs?
Marketers Watch
- You might be serving people who are highly sensitive to wheat flour and need an alternative like cassava flour from Otto’s Naturals.
- Perhaps you are creating a wine for people who want the convenience of a small serving size.
- Your business might take the stress out of hiring new employees by doing comprehensive background checks on 100% of new associates instantly.
- People who want to be more sustainable at home may want to buy cleaning supplies that are concentrated and are refillable without wasteful plastic.
- Ice cream that you make might be for people who have problems with portion control, so each container has only 100 calories.
Marketing’s job is to be an empathetic observer of a group of people they want to serve. (note how the word serve is embedded within observe).
We watch what is going on and gain insight before, during and after a purchase. From watching them struggle with a challenge, your job is to make their pain go away. Businesses make the same mistake. They try to find an audience for their products. That’s backward.
Find an audience you want to serve and create a product or service that supports them. That’s what a marketing mindset does for a business.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com The conversation is free, and we can explore working together.
Photo by Great Neck Hammer
