What kind of marketer are you? And you definitely are one. Well, you’re one of the following:
The Marketing Cynic: We all know this type. Prone to outbursts of “Money for old rope”, these individuals appear to have an allergic reaction to all the “fluff” that is marketing. Their approach to marketing is to send Malcolm a bottle of whiskey at the end of the year with a note attached explaining that they’re open again at 8.30am on 27th December.
The Marketing Mouse: Perhaps the most prevalent of marketers. They live in fear of the mystical world of marketing. They see it taking place all around them and it seems to keep changing each and every day. The Marketing Mouse understands that it’s something other companies and individuals get. Somehow, they don’t. For some odd reason they believe that it’s a “Permits only” entrance into the world of marketing. Looking from the outside in, they tend to stick to what they know. “We’ll update the company brochure for 2011. That’ll be fine.”
The Marketing Vigilante: They eat, sleep and breathe marketing. They seek out the company of other marketing ambassadors and play “Trump” card with the brands and ad campaigns they like. Their “We can change the world” attitude will either inspire you or want to make you throw up (if you’re a Marketing Cynic.) I must confess, there’s no help for me, I fall into this category.
But listen up cynics and mice, I have some non-glossy marketing speak at hand. I intend to demystify and condense the essence of marketing strategy. And that is, drum roll please, there are only ever 4 marketing strategies you need to consider. This applies if you own Coca-Cola or Roy’s Rolls (a Coronation Street reference for all you Corrie fans). They are:
1. Nurture your existing customer base
2. Expand your customer base
3. Expand your offering
4. Raise your profile
And that’s it. When somebody starts talking marketing, it’s going to be linked to one of these strategies. My plan for this blog from Business Consultancy is to take each of these areas in turn and simplify all the hype and distil the key considerations for your business, any business.
That’s it for now. More of an introduction from Business Consultancy than anything else. But in the interim, if anybody wants to play marketing trump card with me, I believe that the most consistently impactful brand for advertising is Guinness. You can’t trump that? Any contenders?