Get Customer Intimate
- Stuart Devoil
- Nov 12, 2015
- 2 min read
I have a question for you... Have you ever eaten a McDonalds ‘Arch Deluxe’ Burger? ...Nope, me neither. Do you remember the taste of ‘New Coke’? I think I may have tried it, but certainly couldn’t recall it. Have you ever listened to the 'Songs of Innocence' album by U2? Nope, although I did spend an age trying to work out how to delete it from iTunes.
Brands don’t come much bigger that those, do they? How come I’ve never ‘enjoyed the experience’ of these amazing product launches? Quite simply, these major brands spent millions on product development, branding, positioning and advertising but each one had to hold up their hands and admit that they'd gotten it very wrong. Why? Quite simply, because they didn't listen to their customers.
Thousands of products are launched every year, hundreds of companies start up every week. How many of them are aimed specifically at fulfilling a requirement that their customer has specifically told them they have? So many products and services are born because the business owner ‘thinks it’s a good idea’ or because their mates said ‘I’d definitely buy one if you did that’, but in reality, very few others agree.
We all have dreams and I would positively encourage anybody with theirs, but unless you’re going to do some serious research and testing, there’s every chance you’re going to miss the mark.
People often see marketing as brand image, packaging design and advertising, but in reality it’s much less visual than that. Strategic marketing is the dirty secret of the advertising and branding world, but it’s in that dark and grubby corner where you get to find out the real nitty-gritty. Every pound or hour spent in this dull (yet enlightening) little corner is amplified two, three or even five-fold when your product is launched. Conversely, if you don't invest here, you’re more likely to be pouring your pounds into a bottomless pit, never to see them again.
Strategic Marketing doesn’t need to be difficult. Joyofmarketing.com defines it as “the process of pleasing customers by discovering what they want and making sure you meet their needs”. I define it as “Providing customers with a product they like, with the features they want, and the performance they need, with benefits they value, at a price they’re willing to pay”.
At Shout, understanding customers is fundamental to what we do. We will coach you in the techniques, or undertake the work for you. It’s entirely up to you, but we’d implore you to do one or the other. After all, we don’t want you to waste your money, and who the hell wants to listen to U2?
COME BACK SOON TO DISCOVER OUR TOP SIX TIPS FOR STRATEGIC MARKETING.
Stuart Devoil is an award winning strategic marketer, with numerous successful product launches to his name in industries ranging from Space Exploration to Mailing labels, High-Tech Electronics to Property Management companies.
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