Marketing
Marketing in “ann land” is:
The real life actions of communicators to advise beliefs or actions in others. It is a blend of science and art. It is critical to note that marketing happens without intent.
Or, more simply: Everything Communicates.
Marketing is real life. Marketing is not a spectator sport. It changes every day because the beliefs and actions of those being communicated to change constantly – which changes the landscape of the communication, and often, its impact.
Marketing is not passive – it is the collections of actions taken by communicators.
Marketing does not change a thing. The very best marketing advises either a belief or an action to be taken. It is a mistake to measure marketing through changes in behavior or beliefs. Sometimes marketing reaffirms a belief or action – therefore no change takes place yet the message was successful.
Marketing is both science and art. Science has taught the good marketer much about reading data from a group of people. Trend data and tracking, psychological sciences, physiological sciences, all have contributed to significant understanding of human behavior. The art comes in because no one person is represented by the data – each human is unique. The action of reaching the emotional core of someone where decisions are made about beliefs and actions – that is art.
Marketing happens without intent, because
Everything communicates.
The absence of communication is sometimes as strong a communicator as a marketing message. Purposeful marketing is what most marketers are paid to do, however often much of a marketing professional’s time is spent fixing the places where marketing took place and wasn’t intended.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well done. As I’ve progressed in my career, and having spent the last three years in a “marcomm” role, I absolutely believe that great marketing is really about great communication, and orchestrating those communications like a talented conductor leading his symphony. Everything truly does communicate.
I love the term you used Ira – orchestrating. The role does indeed have much in common with a good conductor – complete with gifted creatives, careful productive folks, and analytical types.
Great post! Wholeheartedly agree with marketing being a science and art and the careful orchestration required. I’m always often amazed in the B2B world of marketing how little exposure we marketers get to the end customer “live and in person”. How insulated we are from actually getting to be present with out customers. It has been my experience that I’ve often had to rely on sales feedback (lost in translation?) and other metrics and data captures to suss out what it is we’re really trying to solve, what the pain points are, what it is our customers and prospects need to know from us to help them to do their jobs.
Sure – there’s data; surveys, market segmentation, purchasing habits, sales funnel decision process lifecycle, and analytics from which to garner a (hopefully) appropriate, relevant and effective marketing message, but I’ve found if I can just sit quietly and listen to what customers have to say, to really listen to the conversation between the customer and the sales executive, often times it is what ISN’T communicated that is the most important and the little “golden nugget” of information that doesn’t usually show up in data analysis.
More often than not it is my listening skills that makes me an effective marketing professional and communicator. It is getting the opportunity to listen, to understand what the customer needs, from the customer. Knowing the right approach or tactic only presents itself if we truly know what it is that needs to be shared. I think clear understanding is first and foremost the starting point for any great communicator. Humble opinion included in this statement.
Tracy thanks for the note. There is something magical – in a number of ways – in what happens when humans get together.