Why 1300 + marketing professionals can't agree...

David Berkoff Business Club member tells us why 1,300 plus marketing professional can’t agree… :

What is marketing? This was the question placed on the Marketing Communication Group social networking site on Linkedin and the responses that came in made for some very enlightening and interesting reading.

The person who posted this question, Mr John C in Philadelphia, must have a very full in tray of emails, but when I asked the question to the group “Surely with over 1,200 replies Mr C should have an idea of the answer by now...” I had a response from Dr. Brian M in Melbourne, Australia, (the self promoted spokes person and commentator of this question), that Mr C has long since left the building, but the discussion continues…”

Long left the building indeed. Maybe he’s gone down to the job centre to look for another career?

We had the simplistic answers like Michelle E in Bristol UK who says “Marketing is Life” err yes, why don’t you get one.

What about Nacy S from LA who says 'Effective' Marketing is creating the flame of desire by inspiring your potential customers to want to buy what you are selling and implementing it in such a way that is never invasive or hard sell and so much so that they are so excited about having it they can't wait to buy it!

Then there was Tim E from Cincinnati who had this intillectual banter with the Doctor that left me wondering what is this all about? Modern Centric Marketing, the old 4 P’s, the Gen-Ys and Zers marketing?

I think what they are trying to promote is a modern way of marketing. It’s where companies are now listening and engaging with their customers and then delivering what they want.

Ok, but isn’t that what market research companies have being doing for the last 50 years or more?

To me marketing is a mixture and calls for different strategies depending on what you are selling.

Take the guy selling fruit and veg on a busy street market. He’s in the right location to sell. He will get on his soap box and shout out at the top of his voice; “Luv-er-ly bananas, luv-erl-y bananas, I’m giving ‘em away… Two bunches for price of one… BOG OFF you lucky people!.”

Alternatively, if he took the Centric or “Modern” marketing approach – he would probably say, in a quite softly spoken voice, “Excuse me, I hope you don’t mind if I ask you, but what fruit you would like me to sell?

Now if you take the car sales person selling Porches in that same street market. Yes, wrong location. And if he adopts the same selling techinque as the Fuit and veg man of getting on his soap box what do you think will happen?

Do you get my point?

Carly S a Marketing assistant from Chicago starts to make sese to me when she said, “Maybe the question should be what is marketing. Marketing is everywhere, in so many forms, types, languages, places, symbols, advertisements, slogans, campaigns, etc. I really do not think there is a wrong answer, that's why it’s such a interesting topic and always will be due to constant changing environments”.

But Dr Brian had to reply and said to Carly - marketing is about exchanges. If there isn't an exchange - such as I give you a gift because it is say Christmas, that is not marketing. Whatever…

So at the end of a the day my advise to you is; Be careful what questions you ask on these groups because you may have opened a can of worms. Or then again, maybe you like cans of worms?

David Berkoff

For more insites into the marketing world visit my blog site at www.berkoffdesign.co.uk/blog and meet me at The Business Club North London! www.businessnetworklondon.co.uk