People shop and learn in a whole new way compared to just a few years ago, so marketers need to adapt or risk extinction. — Brian Halligan, co-author of Inbound Marketing.

A retailer was dismayed when a competitor, selling the same type of product, opened next door to him, displaying a large sign proclaiming “Best Deals”. .

Not long after, he was horrified to find yet another competitor move in next door, on the other side of his store. It’s large sign was even more disturbing — “Lowest Prices”.

After his initial panic and concern that he would be driven out of business, he looked for a way to turn the situation to his marketing advantage. Finally, an idea came to him. Next day, he proudly unveiled a new and huge sign over his front door. It read, “Main Entrance”! — www.webmarketingezine.com/marketing-jokes/marketing-jokes1)

At least that is now a far way from the now archaic view expressed by Ralph Emerson way back in the nineteenth century: “If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon or make a better mouse trap than his neighbours, though he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.” This now famous statement has been proven to be false umpteen times. By now it should be a given, based on experience, that if you make a product that is the best among its peers (or competitor products) it does not mean that it will sell the most, or be the most popular.HP – Mini Marketing CaseDuring the 2000s, computer vendors were competing viciously on costs. Margins were low, and by then Dell had been leading the market with low prices and a superior supply chain set-up. According to Edwards in his article ‘Bradley Turns PCs to Gold for Hewlett-Packard’ in the December 11, 2008One good thing Hewlett Packard (HP) did back then was to hire Todd Bradley to run the PC division. Soon, Bradley realised that the computer had become a commodity and the vendors were just trying to outdo each other on price. Bradley then did something amazing. He got his marketing expert and they hammered out a strategy.The result? According to Edwards, even during the global recession at the time, HP was handsomely beating Wall Street’s expectations, to the point where HP overtook Dell as number one in computer sales. How did Bradley do it? As I indicated, he got his marketing guru and they hammered out a strategy to make the computer “cool” again. He hired a clothing fashion designer to design laptops, and he had hip-hop star Jay-Z and tennis star Serena Williams talk about how HP computers could be used to watch TV, review photos and edit music. They re-invented the computer and then significantly increased the margins on their products. Super-marketing to the rescue!Okay, so what is marketing? Let us start off with what marketing is NOT, and we will get some help from Cohen in her article ‘What Marketing is NOT’ in the April 8, 2011 edition ofTo actually close a sale, or to actually effect the exchange of money for the product or service is the job of the salesperson — not the marketer. The marketer may provide the environment to attract prospects, and even prepare and make available the supporting materials, and may even develop or help develop some sales leads, but marketing is not sales. So even though marketing may seem to be very closely related to sales, according to Cohen, “While marketing drives and supports sales, it is usually someone else’s job to close the deal.”According to Cohen, “customer service and marketing have a strong working relationship since agents must understand the ins and outs of every promotion and be able to close and upsell prospects”. Even though the customer service agent is the customer-facing person who responds to, and solves the customer’s various needs, that is not the core job of the marketer.Many senior managers and executives use the organisation’s marketing resources as their own personal publicity machinery. In some cases, the marketing strategy may use an executive as the core of its marketing strategy, as Dave Thomas did for his Wendy’s stores. It is different, though, when executives are in it just to boost their own image. Cohen, in her article, advised that in such cases the executive “should hire their own publicity agents”!For good measure, let us expand on our knowledge of what marketing is not, by borrowing two more from Levinson onSo you want to increase sales, build a website! Sorry, that alone will not work. Remember that there are now gazillions of websites online. Why do you think yours will be known, and found by others? According to Levinson, “if you don’t know marketing in the first place, you’re going to lose a lot of money online. The web helps with the job, but it’s not the whole job”.Finally, again according to Levinson, “More money has been wasted by expecting miracles than by any other misconception of marketing. Marketing is the best investment you can make if you do it right, and doing it right requires patience and planning.”Next week we look at what is marketing.

MARKETING has been donned with a superman cloak and is viewed by many organisations as the route to selling off all their products. The marketer is seen as the guru that can work some magic and turn around the fortunes of failing product sales and have customers beating a path to the door.

At least that is now a far way from the now archaic view expressed by Ralph Emerson way back in the nineteenth century:

“If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon or make a better mouse trap than his neighbours, though he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.”

This now famous statement has been proven to be false umpteen times. By now it should be a given, based on experience, that if you make a product that is the best among its peers (or competitor products) it does not mean that it will sell the most, or be the most popular.

HP – Mini Marketing Case

During the 2000s, computer vendors were competing viciously on costs. Margins were low, and by then Dell had been leading the market with low prices and a superior supply chain set-up.

According to Edwards in his article ‘Bradley Turns PCs to Gold for Hewlett-Packard’ in the December 11, 2008

Business Week, “Bradley believed from the start that HP had to change its PC business. If it kept trying to sell boring boxes at the lowest cost, it would be locked in a brutal struggle with Dell.”

One good thing Hewlett Packard (HP) did back then was to hire Todd Bradley to run the PC division. Soon, Bradley realised that the computer had become a commodity and the vendors were just trying to outdo each other on price. Bradley then did something amazing. He got his marketing expert and they hammered out a strategy.

The result? According to Edwards, even during the global recession at the time, HP was handsomely beating Wall Street’s expectations, to the point where HP overtook Dell as number one in computer sales.

How did Bradley do it? As I indicated, he got his marketing guru and they hammered out a strategy to make the computer “cool” again. He hired a clothing fashion designer to design laptops, and he had hip-hop star Jay-Z and tennis star Serena Williams talk about how HP computers could be used to watch TV, review photos and edit music.

They re-invented the computer and then significantly increased the margins on their products. Super-marketing to the rescue!

Okay, so what is marketing? Let us start off with what marketing is NOT, and we will get some help from Cohen in her article ‘What Marketing is NOT’ in the April 8, 2011 edition of

Actionable Marketing Guide.

Marketing is not Sales

To actually close a sale, or to actually effect the exchange of money for the product or service is the job of the salesperson — not the marketer. The marketer may provide the environment to attract prospects, and even prepare and make available the supporting materials, and may even develop or help develop some sales leads, but marketing is not sales.

So even though marketing may seem to be very closely related to sales, according to Cohen, “While marketing drives and supports sales, it is usually someone else’s job to close the deal.”

Marketing is not Customer Service

According to Cohen, “customer service and marketing have a strong working relationship since agents must understand the ins and outs of every promotion and be able to close and upsell prospects”. Even though the customer service agent is the customer-facing person who responds to, and solves the customer’s various needs, that is not the core job of the marketer.

Marketing is not senior management’s personal

Many senior managers and executives use the organisation’s marketing resources as their own personal publicity machinery. In some cases, the marketing strategy may use an executive as the core of its marketing strategy, as Dave Thomas did for his Wendy’s stores. It is different, though, when executives are in it just to boost their own image. Cohen, in her article, advised that in such cases the executive “should hire their own publicity agents”!

For good measure, let us expand on our knowledge of what marketing is not, by borrowing two more from Levinson on

entrepreneur.com.

Marketing is not a website

So you want to increase sales, build a website! Sorry, that alone will not work. Remember that there are now gazillions of websites online. Why do you think yours will be known, and found by others? According to Levinson, “if you don’t know marketing in the first place, you’re going to lose a lot of money online. The web helps with the job, but it’s not the whole job”.

Marketing is not a miracle worker.

Finally, again according to Levinson, “More money has been wasted by expecting miracles than by any other misconception of marketing. Marketing is the best investment you can make if you do it right, and doing it right requires patience and planning.”

Next week we look at what is marketing.

Dr Kenroy Wedderburn is an MBA part-time lecturer. Send your e-mails to drkwedderburn@gmail.com.