| We have all learned about the 4P's of | | | | transform boring reminders into interesting, |
| marketing in undergrad: Product, Place, Price | | | | entertaining marketing communications. Nike |
| and Promotion. If not, you can open up one of | | | | is proof. Several commercials in a Nike |
| your old marketing text books, blow off the | | | | campaign never mention the company name or |
| dust and read about it there. The 6 C's, | | | | even spelled it out on the screen. Each |
| however, is a not a concept that replaces the | | | | communication told a story. And, the only |
| 4'Ps; rather, it just expands on the | | | | on-screen cue identifying the sponsor was a |
| promotion element and provides a more | | | | single "swoosh" logo inscribed on the final |
| granular look at consumer marketing. | | | | scene. |
| | | | |
| CUSTOMER | | | | CULTURE |
| | | | |
| In this day and age, a company's marketing | | | | All marketing communications needs |
| strategy needs to be customer focused. It's | | | | cross-cultural research to be able to |
| about understanding the target consumer; | | | | succeed. It's simple to see things from your |
| their wants, needs and motivations. Not as | | | | own perspective, assuming that everyone else |
| demographics, psychographics or any other | | | | in the world thinks exactly like you and |
| graphics, but as real people. Its | | | | should understand what's so great about your |
| understanding why customers do what they do | | | | product or service. Just reading about all |
| (or don't do),when they do it and why they do | | | | the mistakes made by large corporations |
| it. Such knowledge is critical in marketing | | | | proves that even the most sizable and |
| since having a strong understanding of buyer | | | | experienced marketers have made errors time |
| behavior will help shed light on what is | | | | and again. |
| important to the customer. It's about | | | | |
| focusing on the target customer first and | | | | One of the most famous examples is Coca Cola |
| then working back to the brand. It's | | | | translating the name into Chinese without |
| imperative that companies have mindshare | | | | back-translating it ("bite the wax tadpole"), |
| before focusing on market share. | | | | ultimately resulting in a horrible response |
| | | | from an insulted society. Marketing books are |
| CONSISTENCY | | | | full of examples like these. As David Ogilvy, |
| | | | known as the Father of Advertising, states, |
| Companies need to maintain consistency in | | | | "If you are trying to persuade people to do |
| their message; a practice called integrated | | | | something, or buy something, it seems to me |
| marketing communications, from packaging and | | | | you should use their language, the language |
| advertising to sales promotion and publicity. | | | | in which they think". |
| This will maintain and reinforce a brand's | | | | |
| personality and image in a real life context | | | | COMMUNICATION |
| and avoid doing something brainless like | | | | |
| changing the distinctive color of the UPS | | | | This one is basic. Consumers don't want to be |
| truck to orange. I am sure it's been talked | | | | "marketed to". Rather, they want to be |
| about. | | | | "communicated with". Good marketing |
| | | | communication creates value with target |
| CREATIVITY | | | | customers, speaks in their language and tells |
| | | | your story. It's about building long term, |
| Creativity is imperative to attract attention | | | | trustworthy, and profitable relationships |
| in a world cluttered with thousands of | | | | with your customers. As Seth Godin states, |
| messages. Creativity means laying aside the | | | | it's about reinforcing the lies that |
| rules, and engages in out-of-box thinking so | | | | consumers tell themselves everyday (i.e. I |
| that marketers can reach beyond logic and | | | | look much better in these jeans from |
| structure and tap into their imaginations. | | | | Abercrombie; they make me look sexy). |
| | | | |
| Creativity Informs - Marketing's | | | | CHANGE |
| responsibility to inform is greatly enhanced | | | | |
| by creativity. Creativity makes marketing | | | | Marketing is not just a business function, |
| more vivid, and many researchers believe | | | | but a process. There is a beginning, middle, |
| vividness attracts attention, maintains | | | | but there is never an end. Marketers must |
| interest, and stimulates consumers' thinking. | | | | constantly CHANGE as society changes. They |
| | | | should never be afraid to try something new. |
| Creativity Persuades - The ancients Greeks | | | | Marketing today is not what it was 2 - 5 - or |
| created legends and myths about gods and | | | | even 20 years ago. Marketing needs to be an |
| heroes, symbols for humankind's instinctive | | | | evolving process that considers change in the |
| longings and fears, to influence human | | | | world, economy, market, consumers; as well as |
| behavior and thought. Today's marketers are | | | | internal change within the organization. |
| doing the same thing; they are creating new | | | | |
| myths, heroes and symbols like Ronald | | | | Conclusion (not the 7th C) |
| McDonald, the "Can You Hear Me Now" guy from | | | | |
| Verizon, and more recently the Gecko from | | | | So there it is; the 6 C's of marketing: |
| Geico Insurance. | | | | Customer, Consistency, Creativity, Culture, |
| | | | Communication and Change. I am sure that |
| Creativity Reminds - Imagine using the same | | | | these will be published in every text book in |
| invitation, without any creativity, to remind | | | | the country within the next ten years and I |
| people to try a particular product everyday | | | | will be a rich, well known author. Yeah |
| for a month. The invitation would become | | | | right! |
| stale very quickly. Only creativity can | | | | |