Marketing is defined as the process by which organizations create and disseminate information in order to promote their products or services to the public. Basically, marketing has three distinct stages: pre-market, market, and post-market. Marketing is a strategic, creative, and ever-evolving discipline whose objective is to identify, anticipate, and direct the buying behavior of potential customers.
Marketing myopia is basically the danger of marketing your product concept before the concept is developed, tested, and polished enough to attract consumers. The danger is that consumers, once they realize that the product is not ready yet, will automatically turn their backs on you or your company. That’s why it is crucial for entrepreneurs to conduct thorough marketing research to assess the needs of potential consumers. Without proper market research, marketers may miss out on discovering important feedback and insights that could help them fine-tune their product concept and develop a campaign that’s highly responsive to consumer needs.
Marketers also need to remember that marketing is a collaborative activity. Marketers are aware that their success in selling whatever it is that they are selling to consumers hinges on developing a strong and effective selling message that will resonate with their target consumers. Developing a marketing message requires research, because it involves defining what sells and what doesn’t. Knowing which marketing messages are more likely to produce the desired effect and which ones are less effective is crucial for marketers. However, there is still no substitute for conducting extensive marketing research, because the more you know about consumers, the better prepared you will be when crafting your own marketing campaign.
It is important to note that some of the most successful selling campaigns also employ traditional marketing techniques. For instance, large retailers like Wal-Mart and Target have been able to increase their revenues for years by exploiting their core business model of selling products in a manner that’s consistent with the way people naturally buy products. These retailers understand the value of establishing a marketing concept that will allow them to sell their products to people who are already seeking them out. In fact, many of the strategies employed by Wal-Mart and Target can be considered textbook examples of successful selling campaigns.
Developing a core selling concept can be a challenging task. There are numerous types of marketing concepts out there, all of which serve somewhat similar purposes. In addition, various theories exist with regard to how different marketing concepts work. As a result, marketers often find themselves torn between various competing theories, sometimes making it difficult to make an informed decision regarding which marketing concept will serve their particular purposes best. Nevertheless, the key to success in integrating different marketing concepts into one overall selling campaign lies in effective implementation of the various concepts through an effective implementation strategy.
The bottom line is that marketing strategies must be developed in a manner consistent with the specific goals that you wish to accomplish through such marketing efforts. This means that you should identify your target consumers and find a marketing concept or marketing approach that is consistent with the ultimate goals you have in mind. In addition, you should employ consistent strategies across all marketing disciplines, including design, sales, service, and customer contact. Once you have a clearly defined marketing strategy in place, you can rest assured that you are effectively communicating to your target consumers on a regular basis about your company’s offerings.