Thoughts on Marketing
Why Should Anyone Care?
[Originally published as The Marketing Mix newsletter]
The right message, to the right people, at the right time. To me, that’s the core of marketing. And it centers around nailing your Positioning.
April Dunford, author of “Obviously Awesome” defines positioning as “How your product is a leader at delivering something that a well-defined set of customers cares a lot about“.
One of the obstacles you’ll face is the fear of limiting your potential customer base. If you “ignore” a certain segment of your market, then it feels like you’re turning your back on potential revenue.
But the reality is, you’ll be much more attractive to the people most likely to buy if you speak directly to them, in language that resonates. And that’s only possible if you really define who they are; and how you make their lives easier.
Sharon Scott – The Why & The Who
Positioning was the subject of my Marketing Mix conversation with Sharon Scott, an experienced marketing strategist and the founder of OtterScope.
As Sharon rightly pointed out, “I think the reason a lot of founder-led or startup businesses…don’t think about positioning is because they feel that they intuitively know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.“
But the reality is, positioning isn’t just about what you think your brand is; it’s about how your audience perceives it. Sharon defines it as “The why of your product, with the who of your audience.” And she goes on to talk about the importance of bringing emotion into the equation.
“How do we want our customers to feel? If the product is the brain and the brand is the heart, you have to have both. There’s so many great products out there. And to differentiate and stand out among the crowd… you have to make people care and feel something.”
We also talk about breaking down the barriers between Product, Marketing and Sales. And share some ideas on how ChatGPT can help in the early stages of building your messaging.
Listen on Apple and Spotify. Or click here.
Where Do I Start?
If thinking about positioning for your company seems scary, think again.
Sure, you could go back to basics and do a deep branding strategy project. But in many cases, you can have a pretty good stab at it in just a couple of thoughtful sessions. Talking through your “Why” of the product and the “Who” of the audience.
If you’re intrigued, try reading Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind – by Al Ries and Jack Trout; and Obviously Awesome by April Dunford
Want to talk about positioning? Need some pointers? Let’s chat!
Drink of the Week: Whiskey Sour
I rarely order a whiskey sour when I’m out. But I was tempted a couple of weeks ago in a “I’ll have what she’s having” moment, when one of these was put up on the bar at Kitty Fisher’s in Mayfair. Which just goes to show that presentation is a key part of the cocktail experience.
Their particular recipe used Green Dot Irish whiskey. So with St Patrick’s Day coming up, it’s also a nice way of having an Irish drink that’s not green.☘
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Cheers!
Steve