Silly old me. I thought it was more sales. Apparently not: it is a good cup of coffee. Or something
A friend who runs a business on the south coast sent me an email he received about getting better marketing.
If you want to know why most firms are struggling, maybe it’s because the only thing that matters to them – making more money – is of sublime irrelevance to their marketing department and thus their agency – and, I suspect, many others.
The agency’s email asked: What makes great marketing? Is it good ideas? Proven experience? The right people? Nice office coffee?
They then went on to say that one of their ladies makes good coffee, and gave some case histories from well-known brands.
Not one mentioned ROI or sales. Not anywhere.
They talked about how a holiday brochure’s design “reflected the relaxed nature of the holiday and invoked the culture and gastronomy of the regions”. Got to love that “invoked.”
They said for one firm they produced “shelf barkers, window displays consumer holiday checklist, transparent EVA travel bag, window displays, leaflet dispenser for counter, ‘Love Summer’ branded luggage tag and a Flickr-hosted holiday snaps competition.”
A bit repetitive, but you get the idea. A lot of money was spent.
However, for one client they “delivered a comprehensive package of marcomms management, including campaign development, a GP advertising campaign, new website, formulary packs, PR and an email campaign targeted at healthcare providers.”
Here, sales kind of crept in sideways and vaguely: “early results showed strong interest expressed in the xxxx brand from the target audience.”
By the way, what is a package of marcomms management? Do tell.
For all I know this agency is utterly brilliant. And no doubt they deliver what their clients ask for.
But are details of how they spent the budget what makes great marketing?
I think it’s time I quit this business before I go mad.
Drayton, you old fuddy-duddy, don’t you know that it no longer matters what the results are but how you feel while you hope for results and your agency goes off on holiday — afforded by the generous fee you just paid them (because they made you feel so good).
Before you go mad!!!!!
No doubt the great marketing can be vary from business to business and some can take it as making more sells and some can get it by grabbing peoples attentions by anyhow.
I think marketing is nothing but satisfying your target market and consumers need and service after sale.
There is no point – absolutely none whatsoever – in getting attention without selling. Any fool can get attention by undressing in Piccadilly Circus, but will it sell? AdolF Hitler got a lot of attention; didn’t do much good in the long run.
Drayton: All of this has to do with technology. Certainly I have to ask myself just what is “marcomms mangaement” or whatever. What are “marcomms”? I dare ask.
And where does all of this funny syntax come from? Educational Testing Service? Why is this hard to understand? And, who wrires this stuff?
This sounds like the twitter-texting-iPhone-iPad generation.
This is so much like where I work: my fellow co-workers can text and tweet, and do all sorts of nifty stuff with their electronic gizmos–but nobody can do their job! It’s the same here–they try to be “nifty” and with all of the technology they have to be impressive in some way–but they can’t write.
You guys must all be uncultured louts living under rocks. A marcomm is a kind of cookie made from coconut and dipped in chocolate.
I must confess though that I’ve never needed any help in managing them, so not sure what that’s all about.
Bill
Go to the top of the class, Bill. Worthy of Socrates