Marketing

COLIN GORDON

marketing expert

M a k i n g a m a r k e t i n g N e w Y e a r ’ s r e s o l u t i o n

As we embark on a fresh new year, a revolutionary approach to marketing could pay dividends, writes Colin Gordon

As we start a fresh new year, “It’s almost impossible not to think of something that couldn’t be improved,” writes Colin Gordon

Anew year with new promises and new resolutions, targets and commitments, almost organisation deciding at the one time to do everything differently. That would lead to chaos. But marketing is how marketing can best work with others in the overall value chain to ensure all the points of difference (all always personalised and very ‘health’ oriented. Most of us have, or at least most know friends or family or associates who have weight loss, fitness, smoking, drinking resolutions. Or promises to learn a language or finally get to finish that patio or any number of other personal (or maybe family) objectives. But how many of us would think of adopting or seeking business new year objectives? There’s no reason why a new beginning or new resolutions can’t be adopted for your professional life, or even your business.

Organisational health targets

A new approach to how we go about our work, how we organise and behave in our professional life. I’m not talking here about everyone throughout the not ‘everyone’. Marketing sits between the customer (and the consumer) on the ‘outside’ of the company and the operational system of the company on the inside. It is uniquely placed to see how it, and the company is best organised for success. So, it has the opportunity to set organisational ‘health targets’, and why not in January? I’m not talking about market share objectives, or click-through rates, or net margin achieved. I’m certainly not thinking about the dreaded annual plan! I’m looking as to the points that make selling easier – or not) are met.

Ideas from different fields

Let me back up a bit. I was doing a bit of reading over the holiday period, some magazines (I recommend the FT Weekend for so many good insights on how people are behaving), and several books that I’ve been accumulating over the last few months (one to look out for is Mark Henry’s In Fact – An Optimist’s Guide to Ireland At 100 for a

If enough people buy into the idea of improvement and the need to reassess and ask why something is being done, or not being done, then something magical could come out of it.

very illuminating view on Ireland’s progress and how we as consumers have changed). I’m a strong believer in how marketing is part social science, part behavioural experimentation, part art, part business and part intuition, but it’s this mix that allows you to pick up ideas from a number of different fields. And I find reading from a wide range of areas or topics helps give a broader view as to what we as marketers are trying to achieve.

Social solidarity

In this vein, I was reading a piece recently about social solidarity. I was probably bothered by the lack of solidarity we seem to be experiencing in such places as America and post-Brexit UK, and in so many parts of the world, notwithstanding the pandemic, but it was a timely and very thoughtful piece. It was based on work done by an American philosopher, John Rawls, some fifty years or so ago and since refined in the late 90s. It was he who initiated the thinking around the so-called ‘veil of ignorance’. The objective here is to set out how a society should or could be structured based on solidarity, if the people setting out that structure did not have a bias as to where they will end up if everyone was aiming to achieve the maximum for (in this case) society’s benefit. And that got me thinking. Why not apply such a revolutionary approach to business?

It’s a bit like Jack Welch’s provoking idea (using my words): if tomorrow you don’t like where you are today, then what are you going to do about it today! Don’t suffer on knowing it could be different. The ‘it’ here doesn’t have to be the whole cartload of the business. It could be the way the sales function and marketing could work better, or how information is presented, or how to deal better with customer service issues. Or, it could indeed be the whole shebang! Why not? It’s almost impossible not to think of something that couldn’t be improved. And if enough people buy into the idea of improvement and the need to reassess and ask why something is being done, or not being done, then something magical could come out of it.

January is a natural time to start new things and to start anew. What better time to look at the role of marketing in the business ■

‘Marketing is in trouble: How we got here and

10 steps to get us out’ by Colin Gordon is now available to purchase, published by Orpen Press. To get your hands on a copy, visit the following:

www.orpenpress.com UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08M9XY6HF US: www.amazon.com/dp/B08M9XY6HF

Ireland: Marketing is in trouble eBook by Colin Gordon - 9781786051127. Rakuten Kobo Ireland - www.kobo.com/ie/en/ ebook/marketing-is-in-trouble.

INTERVIEW 20

QUICK WITH QUESTIONS IRENE founder QUEALLY and managing director of Irish company, Pipin Pear

Irene Queally 1. Best place for coffee?

Carters Choclate Café here in Waterford – Illy coffee with a free chocolate, what’s not to like!

2. Favourite movie?

The Princess Bride.

3. Top book recommendation?

Mythosby Stephen Fry. The Greek myths beautifully retold.

4. Which social media platform do you use most?

Tik Tok, I love the wild, varied and less filtered content.

5. Best ad on telly?

The Woodies ad with Mrs Higgins, it would melt your heart!

6. Worst ad on telly?

VHI Tik Tok ad.

7. Favourite grocery shop?

Ardkeen Quality Foodstores, a beautiful independent store giving a platform to quality Irish artisan food brands.

8. What would you cook if you were to compete in ‘Come Dine With Me’ and would you win?

The 200th prawn cocktail to be served on the show. I would win on personality alone!

9. First thing you would do if you were

Taoiseach?

Address the homelessness crisis, everyone should have the right to shelter and a place to call home

10. If you had to live in another country, where would you choose?

Iceland for its rugged beauty, its cold snowy winter and very cool people.

11. Greatest achievement to date?

Winning my 3rd class egg and spoon race. No seriously, creating Pipin Pear from an idea I had when weaning my daughter. I wanted to create the best quality meals and snacks for children without compromise and I’m so proud that we have. 12. Best website? www.omfgdogs.com. 13. Most annoying public figure? Dustin.

14. Best piece of advice you ever received?

My dad always says: “Find love in your heart, you never know what anyone’s going through”.

15. Biggest fear?

Being one of eight, when I was little my biggest fear was being last to the table. 16. City or beach break? Beach.

17. Top restaurant recommendation?

Las Tapas De Lola on Wexford St, Dublin, a real hustle bustle, atmospheric restaurant serving quality Spanish food.

18. Pop or rock?

Pop – I wanted to take Madonna as my confirmation name but my mother was having none of it.

19. Favourite time of the day?

When I collapse on the couch after my day is done, bliss!

20. Last compliment you received?

Hmm… “Mommy this dinner is delicious, you make the best Mac & Cheese in the world.” Easily pleased my son! ■

Pipin Pear baby and toddler food products are found in the chilled aisle of supermarkets nationwide, and its latest healthy snack range, Freggie Bites, are in the baby aisle.