Trust is the water to your product promotion’s seed.

The best offers and plans often FAIL to make an impression on the consumer. Most companies assume this is a failure to publicize the product. Often the problem is trust.

Scenario: A new company is trying to sell boots and offers worry free replacement for 1yr along with 20% introductory discount. Most customers will just assume there is a catch and won’t bother with it. Some will go to the store but will be skeptical of such a great deal, leaving without making a purchase. Those that make purchases will indent the sales staff with many questions before completing the transaction.

If the same offer was made by say REI Inc. the result would be excited crowds of people. The difference is trust.  All of us as consumers have been exposed to what I like to call the “crying wolf” problem, we view every offer and deal with skepticism. Too many companies have offer But One Get One only to write 20% off in tiny font at the bottom.

Marketing Lesson: Trust is not granted by default in today’s marketplace. Every commercial and non-commercial enterprise needs to work proactively to cultivate consumer trust. Good news is that trust is easy, make great products and services, provide great service and be honest in all your dealings.

Until next time.

namaste.

That’s all there is to it

My artistic impression of a street hawker.

“That’s all there is to it.” If not these specific words, then at least the sentiment is expressed all around us.Since the advent of trade there has been a need for marketing. If the consumer does not know a solution exists to their problem then even the best solution is a failure. Everything we do in marketing is an evolution of the classic street hawker. This is not an attempt to trivialize the actions of those in the marketing industry. On the contrary, it is a heartfelt compliment to everyone involved in the industry. Marketing professionals work hard everyday to understand human behaviour and then present solutions to consumers. They are the bond which links industry to consumers and vice versa.

To me, marketing is educating a potential consumer about choice. It gives the consumer the power to vote with their wallets and opinions to shape the products and services that are offered to them. To someone that does not spend their time thinking about marketing as a process (because the best marketing is invisible) the term ‘marketing’ is synonymous to advertising. This is understandable because advertising is the most visible part of marketing, but it is largely dependant on other aspects of marketing namely Research and Design.