7 Misconceptions About Marketing and 7 Rules to Follow

1. It’s all about money. A small local company can’t compete against large global brands with 3 times larger marketing budgets.

2. If marketing is not working, it’s the marketing departments or the ad agency´s fault.

3. It’s all about creating great marketing campaigns. A great campaign will grab attention, woo new customers and deepen the commitment of existing ones.

4. The secret to being customer centric is to ask people what they want. And to believe the things they say in surveys and focus groups.

5. Marketing is about telling why the brand is great. The more convincing the arguments, the harder you sell, the more like they are to buy.

6. In the near future, all we need to do is to invest in marketing automation software. It will turn suspects into prospects and prospects into leads.

7. Content is king and content marketing is the solution. All we need to do is match great content to our brands and people will love us.

What Should You do Instead

1. Crystallize your brand into a promise in a way neither employees nor customers can misunderstand. Be exceptional in at least one thing: look what Über does in the taxi business.

2. Do tangible things that deliver the brand promise, not just a campaign. Nissan’s promise is ‘innovation that excites’. They have a smart watch that connects the telemetrics of the car to the driver’s pulse.

3. Treat people like wild animals. Jet Blue observed that people hated the slow internet connection during the flight – and developed their own superfast satellite link.

4. It is not about you. Engage your audience. Be like Starbucks, who tell the status and proceeding of customers ideas in their Starbucking by Starbuck initiative.

5. Innovative marketing is not necessarily an action hero making a split between two moving trucks – but merely a great service innovation that makes a difference in people´s daily life.

6. Doing more is the new norm. Longest calls to Zappos’ customer service can take up to 6 hours. In the automation era, the best marketeers are the ones with the best customer service.

7. Never underestimate the power of good deeds or values in action. Convergence is not opposite to good will. Brands that stand for something are more likely to stand the test of time.

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About the writers:

Marjaana Toiminen is an entrepreneur, senior advisor, consultant. Former CEO for Bonnier Publications Oy, prior to that editor in chief Anna and Image magazines, journalist in the early days. Twitter: @Sarimarjaana

Marco Mäkinen is a Vice President, Strategy and Consulting, at TBWA Helsinki. Brand and marketing strategist focused on creating growth and increased effectiveness and profitability.

 

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This article appeared on the August 2014 issue of Nordic Business Report. Read the full magazine here »