There are 5 marketing mistakes that show up over and over in small and medium-sized companies. We started discussing them last week and we’ll finish up this Friday on the John Adam Show, 9am on KFNN 1510, or by podcast at www.thejohnadamshow.com.

1. Marketing without clearly defining the target. Marketing includes attracting people who don’t know you or your company today. So how can you market to someone you don’t know? Identify them as part of a ‘segment’, AND never lose sight that everyone in that segment is a REAL PERSON. When you define key segments to target for your business – for example, “small business owners with retail businesses that have 10 employees or less located in the Phoenix metropolitan area…” – always identify someone you know in that group and think about how that person would react to whatever marketing campaign you think might work. Ask yourself, ‘How would Joe react?’ Too many times marketing (and sales) campaigns are designed for a group with a general approach that seems to make sense, but when it comes to a specific person’s reaction, it never gets traction. So define your targets and then be specific about aligning the campaigns with specific people who fall in the target.

Negative example: General Motors has done this over and over, and it was the demise of Oldsmobile – a car without a large enough target.

Positive example: The Mini. Zig, zag, zug! Magical to their target!

2. Becoming too enamored with your product or service. Within just a couple months of working with a product or service, you lose your objectivity. It’s natural! You start drinking from your own bottle and it tastes mighty fine to you. Who wouldn’t want this great stuff? That’s a problem! Use surveys and outsiders to continually give you feedback on the reality.

Negative example: Microsoft introduced Vista before it was ready. They figured everyone would find a way to use it. Hey, I did – and it’s less then ideal. They’ve become the butt of jokes by Apple and they’ve been too late to counter it.

Positive example: Apple. Wow – these guys reinvent themselves and their product with a clear view of what their target wants and needs.

3. Doing too little due diligence. Market research is a good thing. Going with your gut is good, too, but it’s risky. Studying and testing is a prudent way of lowering risk and tailoring your offering precisely to the target market prior to big investments of time and dollars. It’s often worth the up-front expense to test.

Negative example: Pizza Hut's new calzone P’Zone was marketed in Mexico, too. Unfortunately P'Zone translates from English as ‘nipple’. Oops – should have checked that first ;-)

Positive example: Pei Wei by P.F. Chang’s. They tested it, started small and expanded as they got the formula right. The same company blew it when they developed a Japanese tavern concept called Taneko. Oh, it was bad! It probably suffered more from #1, and at least they didn’t open a bunch of them all at once.

4. Creating marketing that is inconsistent with itself or the product/service. The good news is that this type of marketing at least draws attention to the product or service. The bad news is that it either scares away the ideal target, or when the target tries the product/service, they are disappointed because it doesn’t live up to the expectation set by the marketing.

Negative example: John McCain marketing himself as “the bipartisan candidate”. Marketing reality: attack ads come off mean-spirited and less than bipartisan. In the second presidential debate McCain’s campaign made a big deal about Obama saying 8 times ‘I agree with John McCain’. Guess what? Actions speak louder than words, and Obama won the bipartisan argument with the target that matters: independent voters.

Positive example: Ronald Reagan broke down issues in simple terms that people could understand. He showed himself steady and capable leading up to his election in 1980 with Jimmy Carter. Carter led by 1% coming in to the election, but lost to Reagan by 10%. His marketing matched the perception of the man, and people voted accordingly.

5. Not aligning marketing with the sales process. The best growth campaigns are perfectly aligned with the sales team like a well-coordinated sports team. With the right target, offering, differentiation and message across marketing, sales and operations, it’s poetry in motion. When it happens, companies need to stick to it – and give prospects the time they need to absorb the message and come a knockin’. When there’s good coordination: give it a chance. When there’s bad coordination: don’t start it! Always keep good cross-functional metrics.

Negative example: The Tampa Rays have done a poor job this year of attracting people to watch their team. Of course until this year they haven’t had much to watch! Yes there’s a lot to do in Tampa, but the marketing and sales coordination hasn’t worked to attract targeted customers to a great product.

Positive example: The Utah Jazz have one of the smallest markets in the NBA and yet they sell out every game. They have a marketing and sales machine that works effortlessly to attract their targeted customers, and they put butts in seats, putting money in the pocket of owner Larry H. Miller.

All the best, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
www.growthnation.com  
Scottsdale, AZ USA