CRM & MARKETING AUTOMATION AGENCY

What Marketing Isn’t

red haired lady giving a thumbs down sign

Every day there are more posts, blogs and articles telling us what marketing is.

So we thought we’d flip it on its head.

Fewer marketing professionals are taking up board positions these days, and we wonder why… It may be that the perception of marketing within companies is inaccurate

So let’s talk about what marketing is NOT.

Marketing is not the ‘colouring in department’

Do colleagues ever ask you to ‘make something look pretty’? You’re not alone. Marketing professionals are the most creative people within the business. And that creativity is often confused with what is, essentially, graphic design.

Marketing is Not a Step Within a Process

When projects launch within a business, colleagues of all functions come together. You’ll have finance, HR, operations, IT, sales and, of course, marketing, all in one room. But in this environment, marketing is often overlooked.

In such scenarios, marketers should feel confident that it is their role to champion the customer. So whatever decisions are being made that impact the customer, we should be there, at the heart of it all.

Marketing is not just digital marketing

There’s a real buzz around digital marketing these days. With new digital marketing channels launching at rapid speed, it’s easy for non-marketers to get things mixed up. But digital marketing is just one area of marketing, made up of specific marketing channels. Things like search engine optimisation, pay-per-click advertising and social media advertising.

So What Is Marketing?

In a nutshell, marketing steers the way a product or service is presented to its market, and how a brand is positioned. Effective marketing delivers communications to the right people, at the right time and place.

Who is responsible for changing perceptions?

You.

Them.

Everyone.

Try this: Choose another department in the business. Write down 2 things that (you think) the team are responsible for. Then, go and ask them to see how close you are.

Enjoy the responsibility of changing the way marketing is positioned in your company. It is your role within the business to educate other teams, as it is theirs to educate you.

Why not try a weekly email introducing one of your team members, describing their role within the team? Or better still, make it a company-wide activity and invite other teams to get involved.

Turning Back Time To The 4Ps

Revisiting some marketing fundamentals can help us make sense of this. The 4P’s are the reason why there will always be a place for the marketing professional in the boardroom.

Product. This could be a physical product, software, event or service. Whatever the product is, the marketer should have a say in the development of it. They will always act and advise with the customer in mind.

Price. Marketing people are the research people. They know what customers will pay for your product or service. They will also know of any trends to be aware of and what competitors are up to.

Place. Where will your product or service sell? How will it be positioned? Will your tin of tomato soup sit on the top or bottom shelf? Will your email subscription form sit at the top or bottom of your landing page?

Promotion. Promotion is often confused with a money-off, offer or sale. To ‘promote’ something is to tell others about something. To promote a product or service, marketers must identify their target audience and deliver a message to them.

BONUS: Process

In the extended version of the 4Ps (the so-called ‘7Ps’) is Process. And this is one area we take pride in at Airbase. The right processes can be the difference between poor and excellent results. Be it team productivity, customer satisfaction or sales.

Using insight and intelligence, we build processes that are bespoke to your business. And through these processes we aim to improve performance, while optimising customer experiences.

What Does Your Marketing Look Like?

How do you attract your customers? And how do you retain and amaze existing customers? At Airbase, we can help businesses choose the right strategy based on proven processes and techniques.

If you’d like a free consultation, then our team would be happy to speak with you. Get in touch today.

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