The Goal of Marketing is to motivate transaction behavior to achieve profitable growth.
Marketing is the central discipline that connects a product or service to a target audience. Marketing encompasses both the creation and communication of relevant, motivating differentiation.
Marketing Communications is a subset of marketing. A great product will trump a bad ad, but a great ad won't save a bad product. more
A Brand is neither an end in itself, nor a means to an end, but a result of consistent delivery against a motivating, relevant benefit. more
Differentiation – a motivating, relevant benefit – is the tangible reason to choose a product or service over its competition, and/or to pay a premium for it. more
Conventional Branding operates on the premise that what holds true for image-driven categories applies across the board: i.e. that intangibles can substitute for tangible differentiators. But image-driven categories are the exception, not the rule. In most cases, consumers evaluate products based on tangible benefits. more
Conventional Marketing Communications assumes that advertising can influence consumers to pay a premium for a commodity product – i.e., to act against their own economic best interests.
The only justification for a Marketing Theory, Investment, or Activity is the expectation of a financial return. Enhancing image, for example, is not a legitimate business purpose.
There is no such thing as a Silver Bullet in marketing. Every marketing problem is unique and requires a customized, objective approach. Marketers care about real, proprietary results, not an elusive "proprietary process".
Objectivity is a key to strategy development. The alternative is a strategy developed to meet an agenda. Accordingly, an objective strategic advisor has to be conflict-free. To live up to this standard, strategic, research and execution resources should be financially independent from one another.
Confidentiality must be assured, because a client's business is no one else's business. Marketing problems, and their solutions, should be treated as a trade secret.
Privacy matters. A client's decision to seek outside advice and counsel is a private matter. Names of clients should not be revealed to third parties, nor should client case histories be used to solicit new business.