Marketing Management:

Essential Ideas for Business Success...

Marketing Management:

Essential Ideas for Business Success...

"Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere." ~ Ronald Reagan

My company has mastered the art of highly focused MARKET POSITIONING and STRATEGIC DIFFERENTIATION... which makes us a highly desired BRAND in the minds of our customers. THINK: Yes or No?

Related Ideas:

Advertising/Promotions... Brand... Distribution Channels... Market Research... Marketing Plan... Public Relations/Associations... Web Site/On-line Marketing...

Executive Summary...

There is a huge difference between MARKETING and SELLING. Sales/selling is all about parting people with their money... the LOGICAL progression of doing business with you. Exchanging cash for what you have to offer.

Marketing, on the other hand, is all about finding and focusing on your ideal customer's needs... the EMOTIONAL connection between the heart and the head that makes people WANT what you are offering... well before your customer even knows he or she needs it.

Simply put, marketing is everything you do to place your product or service in the hands of potential customers... everything you do to first create a customer... make them feel good about dealing with you... then keeping them coming back year after year, purchasing product after product.

Marketing is a business-wide function — it is not something that operates alone from other business activities — it must be built into the CORE ESSENCE of your company as a whole. Done right, it gives you an unbeatable competitive edge and allows you to fully exploit your comparative advantage.

Think of every major innovation of the last 100 years. Google searching... Facebook social interactions... Apple iPods and iPads... Ritz Carlton... Olive Garden... all have two things in common: Brilliant INNOVATION combined with Brilliant MARKETING.

Without question, marketing focuses on the satisfaction of customer needs, wants and requirements.

Marketing is fundamentally founded on the belief that profitable sales and high returns on investment can only be achieved by identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer needs and desires... and then becoming their "trusted solution."

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In order to distinguish pure marketing from other related professional services, S.H. Simmons, author and humorist, relates this anecdote. "If a young man tells his date she's intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he's saying the RIGHT things to the RIGHT person and that's MARKETING. If the young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is — that's ADVERTISING. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is — that's PR (public relations.)"

Think of marketing management in these terms: If business is all about people and money and the art of persuading one to part from the other, then marketing is all about finding the RIGHT people to persuade... and give them the big REASON why.

According to Theodore Levitt, the world's greatest marketing mind and author of The Marketing Imagination...

"Exceptional marketing and marketing management is critical to building a business because it establishes credibility and brand authority in the eyes of current and potential customers. Marketing management, when well done, spells the difference between a business that becomes nothing more than a draft nag, and a racehorse where WINNING is everything."

In fact, great marketing means, Everything Matters...

Every aspect of a successful business is guided by exceptional marketing: Your trade dress, company colors, advertising programs, corporate communications of every nature, brochures, handouts, signage, flyers, catalogs, labels, shelving, PR, marketing research, your organizational attitude (young and hip/ mature and respected)... promotions, pricing, channels and methods of distribution, product research, packaging, uniforms... everything that either creates or leaves an impression (hopefully positive) on every member of your potential audience.

Beyond simplistic demographic analysis and more sophisticated psychographics, successful market strategy and brand positioning is based on exceptional behavioral analysis where you truly "get under the customer's skin"... seeing even what the customer him or herself cannot begin to see... intrinsically "wanting" what you sell without fully understanding why or the appeal.

When marketing is done well, it is virtually indistinguishable from pure MAGIC... where purchasing your products and services almost seem like an "involuntary impulse"... the positive effect of pure "conditioned response".

No question, great marketing is an essential INVESTMENT, not a COST to be shaved.

Great marketing must be BUILT in, never "added on." It is framed in TRUST and INTEGRITY. It is telling your audience WHO you are, WHY you can be trusted to serve them, and all the "feel goods" about HOW and why they should choose you over your competition.

It is found in the shape and color of the Buy Now button on your perfectly designed web site... it is found in the details manifested in the touch and feel of not just your product, but the brochure describing your product... and the TV ads that drove people to request the brochure.

Put simply, great marketing not only makes people WANT to do business with you... it makes it EASY for them to make that decision. To build a truly great business, you must take these two words dead seriously: INNOVATION and MARKETING.

Innovation comes first... staying ahead of the customer just ever so far... and brilliant Marketing makes sure your customers "get it" and "want it".

Clearly, making you stand out from the herd — the Purple Cow of your industry as marketing expert Seth Godin would say — is what the Marketing Management function is really all about.

Excellence At This Function Means You Can Say...

  • My company engages the best marketing minds in the business to keep our company fresh and relevant...
  • Effective marketing is woven into our DNA, not an afterthought added on after the fact...
  • At every point of contact with our customers (product branding, corporate identity, advertising and PR,) we clearly communicate our values, attitude and expression of doing business...
  • We live the phrase "Great marketing defines great businesses" and spend a great deal of time finding new ways to differentiate ourselves from our competitors... positioning our company as the winning leader in our industry.
  • Our marketing and sales efforts are perfectly blended for maximum effectiveness.

Improve This Function Now...

This Golden Function is composed of the following sub-functions and actions — things which must be done to guarantee your success.

See a weak spot or area of interest? Click on the action link to dive in and learn more. There's wealth of information behind each click!

Advertising/Promotions

1.  MKAPAA  Research and select an advertising agency to perform marketing/advertising campaigns.
2.  MKAPAB  Determine the size of budget allocated to Advertising for each product/service/campaign in this quarter and next.
3.  MKAPAE  Implement methodology for determining advertising results vs. cost for every product/service/campaign.
4.  MKAPAS  Define for this year the advertising strategy for the company/products/services.
5.  MKAPBP  Bundle products/services to provide improvement to the customers price-to-value offering.
6.  MKAPCP  Bundle products/services with related company products/ services for expanded exposure and customer convenience.
7.  MKAPCW  Improve all the sales copy that exists on marketing/sales materials to increase advertising effectiveness.
8.  MKAPDM  Implement an automated "Drip Marketing" campaign to turn sales leads into interested prospects and customers.
9.  MKAPDR  Create and promote Discounts/Coupons/Bonus/Rebates for the company's products/services.
10.  MKAPGD  Review, improve or re-create all marketing, sales, and company graphic design to promote highest level of quality to Ideal Customers.
11.  MKAPIA  Expand company exposure to the entire world by implementing an Internet advertising strategy.
12.  MKAPLP  Develop and implement a customer loyalty program, focusing on the Ideal Customer.
13.  MKAPNA  Create/improve and print advertising campaign in newspapers, magazines, brochures and handouts.
14.  MKAPPK  Review all product/service packaging for quality and consistency to the desired company image.
15.  MKAPPL  Create extensive, attention getting product launch to promote new/improved products as a media event.
16.  MKAPPM  Select and distribute "Premiums/Promotional" products and merchandise to help establish the company's name .
17.  MKAPRA  Research, create and implement radio advertising to a target audience.
18.  MKAPRF  Plan and implement a referral marketing program to solicit referrals from past customers and affiliate businesses.
19.  MKAPRM  Find another company to trade marketing efforts of their products to promote to each others existing customers.
20.  MKAPSA  Produce "Samples" to give away to prospective customers complete with small, easy steps for them to become customers.
21.  MKAPSE  Review current retail location/signage/Web site and improve visibility by making it easy for customers to find our company... especially by Google on the Web.
22.  MKAPSS  Develop "Point of Sale" displays and systems for retail purchases or advertising of products/services.
23.  MKAPTI  Research, create and implement television commercial advertising or infomercial campaign.
24.  MKAPVP  Create and distribute a video to promote my company's product/service.
25.  MKAPYA  Research and place contact info in Yellow Pages and other commercial directories that customers may use.

Brand

1.  MKBDBA  Inculcate all team members with the importance of being "Brand Ambassadors" for the company.
2.  MKBDBE  Determine the value of the company's brand and research means to increase its value.
3.  MKBDBM  Research how customers/public "brand" our company. Identify positive matches of opinion/beliefs that are beneficial and those that are harmful.
4.  MKBDBN  Understand the importance of a Brand and how our company's current brand is impacting its business functions.
5.  MKBDCI  Review company Mission and Vision and define the desired company's Identity on appearance and performance to the public.
6.  MKBDLT  Create or review corporate logo/trademarks as they relate to current customers. Protect all images with legal recordings.
7.  MKBDTR  Review Mission/Vision. List areas/products/ways a customer should be able to trust the business relationship.

Distribution Channels

1.  MKDCDD  Analyze current distributorships/dealerships for cost/value benefits and identify additional opportunities to increase distribution.
2.  MKDCMM  Research and implement products into existing Multilevel Marketing Programs or create new ones.
3.  MKDCMR  Analyze current manufacturer representatives and sales agents for cost/value benefits and identify additional opportunities to expand.
4.  MKDCRS  Wholesale products/services to other companies who can Resell them to their customers under their brand and packaging.

Market Research

1.  MKMRCD  Research and identify current customer demographics and psychographic profiles to improve target marketing.
2.  MKMREM  Identify and target emerging markets for products and services that we are not servicing now.
3.  MKMRFG  Create focus groups to get feedback on products, marketing, sales offers and other company functions.
4.  MKMRMS  Classify customer/market into market segments. Targeting each marketing/sales differently.
5.  MKMRMT  Employ market testing/research methods to gain valuable information on customer responses.
6.  MKMRNM  Identify and carve out the ideal niche of customers/products/services that are best target customers.
7.  MKMRPR  Review and compare current company products and services price-to-value as they relate to all the other competition.
8.  MKMRSH  Measure the company's current market share. Determine strengths and weaknesses.

Marketing Plan

1.  MKMPCA  Research, identify and implement programs, products, services that exploit the company's Comparative Advantage.
2.  MKMPCE  Research, identify and implement programs, products, services that exploit the company's Competitive Advantage.
3.  MKMPEN  Collect, organize and "show-off" endorsements and testimonials from satisfied customers.
4.  MKMPEP  Develop Elevator Pitch for promoting our company. Train all employees in their version of this same pitch.
5.  MKMPHC  Research and select a marketing firm to create and implement marketing activities.
6.  MKMPIC  Define the ideal customer. Increase the focus on current customers who match. Identify potential customers as Ideal Customers.
7.  MKMPMC  Hire a coach, mentor, expert, consultant, to help perform this function.
8.  MKMPMD  Discover where our company dominates the market. Expand the areas of dominance or focus additional resources to increase market share.
9.  MKMPME  Determine the market effectiveness of each marketing/advertising campaign.
10.  MKMPMK  Study and implement "low-buck" guerrilla marketing and advertising efforts.
11.  MKMPML  Develop and update the marketing management manual for all marketing responsibilities, activities and operations.
12.  MKMPMM  Review, re-create and improve all marketing materials which will improve the image and marketing effectiveness.
13.  MKMPMP  Write a marketing plan for the next 12 months.
14.  MKMPPD  Identify "product placement" opportunities for exposing products and services to larger audiences.
15.  MKMPPP  Determine desired "position or shelf" for each product to link customer awareness and identification with products/services.
16.  MKMPRP  Partner with businesses that share the same customers offering related/extended/packaged products or services.
17.  MKMPSN  Integrate all marketing efforts into all relevant social network platforms.
18.  MKMPTM  Identify and reduce down the universe of potential customers by aiming for a specific target market or niche.

Public Relations/Associations

1.  MKRABA  Join and become active in all local, state and national relevant Industry Associations.
2.  MKRABN  Create/join and attend business networking events. Be prepared to provide referrals and to request referrals.
3.  MKRACC  Become actively involved with local Chamber of Commerce.
4.  MKRACE  Sponsor public event, individual, charity or cause to do good in the world and promote company name.
5.  MKRACM  Identify charity or cause to support for positive public relations and make a positive difference in the world.
6.  MKRACR  Promote and support company's and customers community.
7.  MKRACS  Connect a designated company spokesperson to local and national media and promote as leading expert in industry.
8.  MKRAPK  Automate the creation and delivery of press kits/releases to all media for the promotion of the company name.
9.  MKRAPR  Research and employ a public relations company to promote the company.
10.  MKRAPS  Identify public speaking opportunities and schedule speeches to display company's expertise and positive relations with the community.
11.  MKRATS  Rent booth at industry/trade show promoting our company to attendees and take orders from immediate customers.

Web Site/On-line Marketing

1.  MKSMAF  Increase the number of web-sites that will promote products/services in return for an affiliate commission.
2.  MKSMBA  Create and place Banner Advertisements on the web and mobile devices.
3.  MKSMBB  Monitor, respond and contribute content and expertise to relevant chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards.
4.  MKSMBG  Create company blog, contribute content to other blog sites.
5.  MKSMEM  Develop an E-mail Marketing campaign to existing and prospective customers.
6.  MKSMEO  Improve the Search Engine Optimization for our site or employ a company to improve the search rating.
7.  MKSMIM  Design and implement an Internet Marketing Campaign.
8.  MKSMOA  Research and place advertising on-line by way of both natural search and pay-per-click.
9.  MKSMPC  Create, implement and monitor a pay-per-click advertising strategy.
10.  MKSMPD  Produce, promote and deliver Podcasts that are relevant to the customers and community.
11.  MKSMPT  Create and implement an on-line advertising performance tracking system to monitor all on-line expenses.
12.  MKSMRF  Produce, promote and deliver RSS Feeds that are relevant to the customers and community.
13.  MKSMSA  Identify and implement Social Media Analytics to determine the greatest cost/value and effectiveness of our Social Media efforts.
14.  MKSMSM  Design and implement a Social Media marketing platform to improve visibility and convenience to the Social World.
15.  MKSMVW  Produce video that promotes the company and delivers to all relevant sites.
16.  MKSMWD  Research, review, improve, create current web-site design for ease of use and clear communication to customers.
17.  MKSMWS  Create a web-site to promote the company to the world-wide web.