What Is Marketing To You?
Years ago whilst studying for my MBA at Cass Business School in London, I came across a definition of marketing I hadn’t heard before.
In fact nobody had heard it before. The individual behind it had literally made it up, there and then on the spot.
By the way, he wasn’t a marketer. He was an IT guy. Whether that tells us something is another matter.
But to get to the definition. This person described marketing as “The art of intellectualising the bleedin’ obvious”. For the marketing purists who subscribe to the ‘pure’ definitions of what marketing is all about, this may be rather insulting.
But you know what? I kind of like it. It’s kind of true.
The point of this is that marketing is many things to many people. Ask 100 people and you’ll probably get 100 different answers.
So what is it to you?
If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. So here are a few possibles to get you ticking over.
- Understanding who your competitors are, what they offer and prices they charge
- Having a clear definition of who your prospective customers are
- Knowing what problem(s) your products and services solve for your customers
- Having a clear message that is easily understood by your prospective customers
- Being in the media and places where your customers are so they can find you and talk to you easily
- Offering value that is appreciated and understood by your customers
You see? Maybe it’s obvious. But it does actually need intellectualising.