Making Your Mark In Marketing ( I )

I. Marketing begins before the service is created.

It goes back to your value proposition and the competitive strategy that you have mapped out. Who is your target audience? Why are they likely to find your value proposition compelling? What is the competition up to? What you are offering - does it serves to meet their wants? You begin to identify your mavens, connectors and fete them with your best shots and get their feedback. If they are turned on, their word-of-mouth marketing can be viral.

II. Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.

With your army of mavens, connectors and salesmen, you are well positioned to create the buzz. Once the anticipation is created, audience can't wait to try out your products.

III. Making promises and keeping them is a great way to build a brand.

Imagine having to wait on queue for hours, and your value proposition is operational efficiency. It will turn off your customers. Ensure that your service level matches with your value proposition. If you are in the fast-food business, don't forget that the very reason people come is to get a fast serivce, and not necessarily good food.

IV. Your best customers are worth far more than your average customers.

When your customer made a remark like " Exact fit to my training needs at this point. Probably the only useful training I have had in 10 years", need I say more.

V. Share of wallet is easier, more profitable and ultimately more effective a measure than share of market.

You may gain market share - but the question to ask is at what price? If you price it too cheaply, you are not making a decent return, and instead of creating value you destroy value. You may make the customers happy, but you are short changing yourself. Definitely not sustainable.

VI. Advertising is just a symptom, a tactic. Marketing is about far more than that.

Definitely not an after-thought. The message you deliver has to be clear. Customers are discerning and they will appreciate the care taken in meeting their needs. After all, if they want a lifelong relationship, if has to be worth their while, and not something where the cost to maintain the relationship is so prohibitive.

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Keywords: competitive strategy, value proposition, mavens