Marketing is communications and a lot more
Published on 05/13/1995 under Ad Management
Most "marketing communications" professionals are really just "communications" people. They don't understand marketing, nor do they want to.
And that's unfortunate, because marketing is where the action is these days. Companies that have historically been known for other things (like, engineering or research, for example) are discovering the difference that marketing can make.
That's why it's so important for communications professionals to don our marketing hats at all the appropriate moments. Otherwise, we get left on the outside looking in.
It's no longer okay for us to concentrate on "how" to implement a program while others debate the "what" and "why" of key issues. We need to add our two cents worth to the discussion. And if you think you don't have anything to add, you might be surprised to find that managers wearing real, honest-to-God marketing titles don't have all the answers. They do need our help!
We got a call several years ago from one of our larger clients to come talk to them about a direct mail piece for a new product they were planning to launch to the oil industry. After some discussion, it was obvious they needed a lot more than a mailer. They hadn't decided how the product was going to be priced or who would actually install it (they had limited field service personnel with no plans to expand).
Over the course of several meetings and a few internal sessions, we helped them develop a licensing scheme and obtained a list of potential distributors who could handle the installation. But that was only part of the problem.
Since this product involved a totally new (and unproven) technology, how were we going to make sales calls on prospective customers spread over a vast geographic trade area? They only had two sales reps, again with no plans to add more.
The solution was to produce a demonstration video showing how easy it was to install, along with a brochure describing all the features and benefits. We ran a fractional page magazine ad in two publications, qualified leads by telephone and used the brochure and video as fulfillment pieces.
The program was very successful in launching the new product for a budget of less than $50,000. And we never did get around to doing that direct mail piece they called about in the first place.
Another client wanted help in producing a safety manual. They marketed a highly volatile product and feared legal exposure in the event of an explosion. Their goal was to encourage more of their dealers to conduct safety awareness programs in their territories through a manual of brochures and flyers describing safety considerations and available materials.
We listened to the direction provided, and ultimately devised a safety awareness strategy that doubles as a marketing program. As dealers purchase products, they accumulate credits for rebates that can be used to cover the cost of getting safety-related materials distributed to customers in their areas. And it gives them a reason to keep buying from our client because, the more they buy, the more rebates they earn.
Despite the fact that we created some nice ads and mailers, plus a handsome brochure for this program, the main satisfaction we got was from the marketing aspects. It was a case of marketing communications people actually thinking like marketers, and it felt real good.
We recently took on a small client that makes pipeline repair products. The sales manager, in giving us the basic orientation, emphasized again and again the "high tech" nature of the product's design and application procedures.
Our advice, however, was not to position the product as high tech. We felt the beauty was how simple it is to install (a 2-man crew can be thoroughly trained and ready to go in two hours or less). With many thousands of these products already in use, we wanted customers to think of it as a "no brainer." High tech products require too much thinking, too much evaluation.
We even created a quirky, illustrated character to serve as the company's "spokesperson" with a professorial look and a name that plays off the company name. The result is a friendly, reassuring campaign that is producing big results on a small budget.
But sometimes big companies with big marcom budgets need similar advice on positioning. We have such a client that is number three in a service-oriented business where numbers one and two have been slugging it out for years over which one has the most advanced technology. It's so ridiculous that, in several cases, when one has run an ad claiming a certain advancement, the other runs an ad saying "we had that before they had it, but we just didn't tell you yet." Or something to that effect.
We counseled our client to avoid the slugfest, because the reality is that all major competitors in the industry are virtually on par technology-wise. It's easy for them to analyze and copy new developments, and customers know that as well as anyone.
Instead, we positioned our client as the "applied technology" company and helped them introduce a series of technical seminars to help customers understand the technology better. Again, everybody in the industry does seminars, so there's nothing new there, either. But we differentiated our client by the manner in which we packaged and promoted our seminars. So far, customers seem to appreciate the more collaborative approach.
It all boils down to this: Marketing communications people who limit themselves to communications activities are not only selling themselves short, but creating an image problem for the rest of us as well. If we act like tacticians, then it should come as no surprise that we're treated like tacticians.
The better solution is to become a strategic thinker and valued marketing resource for your company and clients. Not only will you make more money and be promoted faster, but you'll enjoy the ride a lot more, too.