5 Goals for a Marketer

I think most of us can agree that marketing has always been seen as a very shady set of practices and activities that lead to selling stuff. However, that only comes from shady marketers that decide to take the easy way out into the profitable path. For this months b5medias’ business channel monthly theme I will be listing and explaining some of the goals every marketer should have in their minds for this year (and further down the road) to become a more honest and respectable marketer, without losing the ability to be profitable.

Let’s give it a go:

1. Know your Consumer. Once and for all, invest resources (time, money, and brain neurons) in getting to fully understand your consumers wants and needs. If you are able to create a “perfect picture” of what your model consumer would look like, or several personas in case you have separate segments, you will be able to come up with better marketing strategies that will touch them rationally and emotionally, hence bringing them closer in to a sale.
   
2. Be Honest with Them. Your consumers should be your life. Decades ago consumers might have been easily fooled into buying stuff they didn’t need, by mere silly advertising. But today? Oh boy how things have changed. Recognize the growing abilities and capabilities consumers have to research brand and product information and to comment on it. If you say a lie, they will immediately radar it and will block your brand off their shopping-list. Not only that, but they will go online and talk about it, talk talk talk… that’s what the new consumer does.
   
3. Niche Away. The times of global markets where only one global consumer prototype existed for an industry or brand is long gone. Profits are shrinking (or dividing, better yet) in most businesses, in practically every industry. With the rise of millions of new businesses worldwide and the opening of foreign markets (both politically, and through the internet) the competition is on the rise. If your goal is to keep selling to ALL, you will keep on selling to NONE. By learning who your consumer is (Goal #1), you will be able to identify certain niche markets that are more involved with your brand and business than others.
   
4. Differentiate and Innovate. Most products and most brands are in the process of becoming commodities. If you want your product to really stand out (both in the store shelves and in your audiences mind’s) you need to create differentiation strategies. The best way to do this is to create a branding strategy that acts accordingly. Brand positioning, brand character, brand emotion, brand lifestyle, brand image, brand pr, brand advertising…. utilize brand practices that other companies have used to be innovative through their brands.
   
5. Keep your Toes dipped in Trendy Waters. As a marketer it is of utter importance to keep up to date with marketing and consumer trends. This means we must keep current on news, global events, magazine articles, blogosphere, hi-tech products, etc.. This doesn’t mean you should dress and act like an 18 year old. This means you will be interested in what’s going on in your consumers context. Trendy does not equal Teen. Trends are everywhere, from baby carriages to internet usage, to baby boomer lifestyles. Remember, once the “trend” is out on Time Magazine, or other mainstream medias, the wave has probably washed the shore. Being able to ride a trend wave means identifying the trend before it gets to the shore.

Well, there you go. Those are the five goals every marketer should have this year (and further down the line). I hope you enjoy them, but most of all, I -really- hope you apply them to your business.

See you soon,

Ron.

Technorati : 2007, b5media, goals, marketing