Marketing

COLIN GORDON

marketing expert

Details make a profit

While it’s natural that the ‘big’ issues or tasks demand our attention, a successful marketer must keep a compound eye trained on the business and never ignore the details, writes Colin Gordon

Marketers sit in the core junction of a multi-lane superhighway, whereby all that the market needs or wants comes through the lens of marketing, writes Colin Gordon

So often we get blinded and caught up by the ‘big’ things that face us each day. The planned new line extension, the new comms programme, a competitive move that we need to understand or respond to, an action by the trade (for the company’s benefit, or otherwise!), the artwork on the promotional literature, the timing of ad spots not going to plan. These and so many other things are like a dog spotting a squirrel; everything else gets dropped or downgraded because a ‘squirrel’ is seen out of the corner of your eye. There’s an old or at least very relevant adage to consider here: how do we distinguish between what is important and what is urgent?

Multi-lane superhighway

The issue of squirrels and urgencies and ‘big’ issues applies right across business and all its functions and operations. What makes it relevant to this column - that is to marketing - is the recognition that we as marketers sit in the core junction of a multi-lane superhighway. If we don’t recognise this, then it’s a fundamental miscue and a reductionist approach to how the leading business thinkers have viewed marketing for several decades.

All that the market needs or wants comes through the lens of marketing and all that the company designs to satisfy the market likewise transits through the marketing department. When I refer to coming through and transits, it does not have to be taken literally.

Sales physically take orders for products or services on sale; the customer service or delivery teams take it out to customers. However, marketing is the way the need is identified and satisfied. So, it’s only fitting that marketing sits in the middle of this dynamic traffic flow. It’s a constant flow and there are always traffic snarl-ups, minor and major road incidences.

A bit like driving in the real world, the driver (marketing) must have a compound eye and take account of how many things directly and indirectly impact on how smooth a ride there will be. The driver can’t decide to only focus on certain parts of their job. The same attitude would apply to an airline pilot. Yes! Challenges arise and have to be dealt with. But (a gear shift here as we go back to business!) marketing has a responsibility to keep an eye and have

“The marketer has to equally manage the ‘big’ issues as well as the finer, less red flagged issues. It’s a case of continuously trimming the sails, of moving items up and down the priority list, of ensuring each interconnected point is properly fine-tuned.”