What comes to mind when you see this photo? It could scream marketing genius or marketing fail. It could make us think differently about marketing, what it entails and what if anything is off limits. Of course, what we perceive can shift depending on who we are and what we think about marketing.
Marketing is defined as: Marketing encompasses every part of a plan to turn a prospective consumer into a happy and satisfied customer. It includes everything from market research to advertising. The goal of marketing is to convince a person that your product is worth investing in, establish brand loyalty and increase overall sales.
Believe it or not, we are marketed to multiple times a day. From food, workout gyms, music streaming services, hair products or even concert tickets, we see a ton of people telling us what to do. The key to marketing is understanding your audience and the language they use. For instance, you will offend or miss your audience if you use marketing buzz words they don’t like or identify with. A recent example of marketing mishaps goes a little like this:
Recently, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture in Houston, Texas, has taken a shocking approach to marketing. Via social media, he released two videos where he imitates Southern rap culture, particularly the “chopped and screwed” hip hop tracks that originated in Houston. While some may view it as a throwback or even an honor, it is not the best way to market a business. Instead, he could create an opportunity to highlight artist or fund an after-school program.
Marketing should be about connecting to your audience. It is about tapping into something they already love or can love and focus on that. Truly, the best marketing strategy are those we don’t even view as marketing but rather a way of life. Marketing
