Refinement in Marketing

In recent times, marketing has been widely interpreted by organisations as a holistic process. The layman view is that marketing is mostly associated with the activity of selling and promotion. The truth is that marketing is more inclusive and has wider implications for corporates and for society as a whole.

It is a well-known fact that information in the 21st century is more accessible than ever before. This presents consumers and sellers with new problems. More specifically, those concerned with an overload of information. Take Netflix, for example. While there is an impressive selection of movies, TV shows, and other visual entertainment available on the platform, there are days when one discouraged due to the difficulty of choosing something to watch. Networking is more efficient than it ever has been in history, so information travels rapidly as well. A friend’s suggestion could go a long way in determining your purchase decision of a new computer.

It is for these reasons that there should be ‘refinement’ of information and the services of corporations to really understand needs on a grassroot level and supply value to the market. It may seem like something out of a textbook, but marketing does have far-reaching effects on the seller and the buyer. Marketing is one of the factors which could help make the difference between a high return on investment and a low one for a seller; which could have potential implications on the company’s reputation.

Let’s take a look at the future in marketing which could help determine the next generation of marketing (the previous one being ‘value marketing’).

THE 4 Es

Textbooks may have to be rewritten in a few years. While the 4 Ps of marketing provided a strong base when it came to the focus of marketers, they just couldn’t keep up with the age of computers and the Internet. The 4 Es are Engagement, Experience, Emotion, and Exclusivity. The point is to focus on the intangible elements which consumers actually crave, and not on the mundane, process-related ones. It may seem easy to imagine conceptually, but it’s a big step beyond traditional methods. An organisation must market an experience, something that makes their market feel happy, not simply the bare minimum contentment after a purchase. A corporate must dig deep and answer questions like ‘How do we really stand out as one of the ‘big ones’?’ Take Coca-Cola, for example. Their ‘Taste the Feeling’ campaign wasn’t simply a campaign; it was an emotion. They used some amazing music (written by Avicii and Conrad Sewell) to really market that one bottle of Coca-Cola which seemingly contained more than just a drink. When this message is communicated through popular media during busy seasons like festivals (The Christmas holidays, for example), the effect is compounding. There is a bond which the marketer develops with the audience and a healthy vibe radiates all around.

WHAT THE MARKETER MUST BE CAREFUL OF

The 4 Ps provided a base, and they needed to be updated to keep up with the times. In the process of communicating a sentiment, Coca-Cola mustn’t abandon quality control and aspects such as the design of a bottle. The aim is to adapt, not to forget the grassroots in the long-run.

BE REAL AND BE AWESOME

We’ve all groaned at advertisements at some point in our lives; the ones which are so repetitive that a viewer could actually recite the whole message, or the ones which seem flat, with an uninterested person droning on about the benefits of a water purifier. Organisations are adopting an approach that involves really connecting with a hand-picked audience, by communicating a relevant message. The harmony of these elements is essential to the success of a marketing program. For example, advertisements are shown in between overs of a test match broadcast. They’re normally about the products of the sponsors involved in the game, but have little relevance otherwise. An example of real marketing would be to talk about services which actual viewers of the match would enjoy, such as a delivery service which delivers snacks and other eatables for a viewer to enjoy while watching a game. Another aspect of real marketing is communicating messages which people can relate to. Music is becoming an increasingly popular medium, especially with millennials. A younger audience might be more interested in the story behind a song which they like (which might be used to communicate a message), than an insipid public message narrated by a person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rykmwn0SMWU

Google and Microsoft are two giants which come to mind when talking about this theme. It’s important to note here that these organisations don’t adopt heavy-duty marketing campaigns very often. Google’s Pixel phone was one of the few things that was marketed through various media (Youtube ads, TV ads, newspapers). Microsoft marketed their cloud capabilities and to an extent, their Windows 10 OS back in 2015-16. The music that was played in the advertisements really made me sit up and take notice. It was catchy, and fit perfectly within the framework of the message. For those interested, the Pixel ad song was “Closer” by Lemaitre, and the song used by Microsoft was “Bloodless”, by Dabin, featuring Sarah Lee. Not exactly pop music, but amazing all the same.

The point is, audiences enjoy stories and experiences about people. “Advertising” as a term may be interpreted by a lot of people as tacky and directed towards the seller. It’s time to change this perception and integrate the organisation as part of the society.

To conclude, effective marketing is about that campaign which makes you sit up and take notice, and about making a product which a consumer would genuinely enjoy. Simplicity in marketing might be the path to consider for the years to come.

Aahan Tulsan