Getting Back to Basics with Your Marketing
From VR to Blockchain, it can often feel that the marketing environment is moving faster than you can keep up, with each month bringing a new technology that will ‘revolutionise’ the way that companies communicate with customers and operate their businesses. However, the constant need to adapt can lead us away from the fundamentals of marketing.
Customer Championing
In its purest sense, marketing is defined by The Chartered Institute of Marketing as “the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably”. It’s important to remember this in every activity you undertake, as in the end, however innovative your product is or however modern your operational processes are, if they don’t identify, anticipate and satisfy customer requirements, then your business will not succeed. We’re looking at you Google Glass.
As such, your primary objective in marketing should be to act as the customer champion within the organisation. No matter the decision, it’s important to ensure that it has been made with the customer in mind. When this doesn’t occur, there can be consequences. A recent example of this is Snapchat’s redesign. Whilst it was intended to make the user experience simpler, the majority of users found it be a confusing mess, with 1,200,000 people signing a Change.org petition asking parent company, Snap, to revert the app to the previous version. Whilst we’re yet to see how the changes and backlash have affected the company’s profits, it’s clear to see that Snapchat have failed to identify, anticipate and satisfy its customer’s requirements.
The Additional Ps in the Marketing Mix
Whilst of course you are familiar with the four Ps of marketing mix; price, promotion, product and place, there are three additional elements that are often forgotten:
Process
Long gone are the days where customers would simply buy a product or service. Customers now expect every experience – from the moment they discover your business to the time they make their purchase and beyond – to be delivered to a high standard.
An excellent example of this is the Domino’s Pizza app. Easy orders can be configured to make a purchase with one touch, you can track your pizza from order to delivery, and the app has been designed to be as user friendly as possible. From the moment customers pick up the phone, Dominos have ensured that the process of ordering a pizza from them is an easy and hassle free as possible.
People
Customers do not often separate the product or service from the staff member who provides it, so whether it’s your front of house team of Managing Director, it’s essential to that your staff are appropriately trained, well-motivated and have the right attitude. As the only Creative Agency to be awarded a Customer Service Excellence accreditation, we understand the importance that staff play in the customer experience.
Physical Evidence
Due to the intangible nature of a service, it’s important to provide consumers with the opportunity to see what they are buying. The idea should always be to show, rather than tell. Whilst we, as an agency, can tell potential customers that we can improve their SEO performance or assist them in creating a stronger and more professional brand, we are more inclined to show them through our case studies.
Communication Is Key
What Channel?
From TV and radio to print advertising and social media, there are an array of channels that you can use to communicate with your customers. However, not every channel will be relevant to your target audience, and thus time should not be spent trying to utilise each one. For example, whilst you would expect a music and events company to have a strong social presence, you would not expect it from a car parts manufacturer. This is not to say that you should actively avoid certain communication channels, however, it’s important to prioritise the channels that provide an active return on investment.
Feedback
Communication should not be a one-way street with your customers, opening your business up to feedback not only helps to build trust but can also help you to address customer requirements that you had not previously identified.
How Can We Help You
We believe that successful marketing starts with a good understanding of your business and market insights. We spend time immersing ourselves in your business and data in order to understand your product, service, target audience, competitors and market place. This provides you with the insight and support to identify, anticipate and satisfy customer requirements profitably.
For more information about any of our marketing services, get in touch with one of our expert marketing consultants today!