There are a thousand different ideas around how to market and what’s most effective. However when the results aren’t what we’d like, we tend to jump to the next interesting thing as opposed to evaluating what we’re already doing. Why? It’s easier for some entrepreneurs to throw a strategy into the its-not-working-pile than to take some time to figure out why and what isn’t working.
On a Sunday afternoon I walked into one of the city’s newest plazas and was completely taken by the atmosphere. It was modern and hip, open and artsy and I loved it. One of the first things I noticed immediately was a little restaurant off to the right with a line that seemed to spin around the corner.
My First thought: This place must be really good.
Since then, I’ve visited two or three more times. And every time I’ve visited I’ve noticed this same restaurant with a line. Needless to say I had to give it a try. To my disappointment, the food wasn’t that good. I wondered if I had hit the restaurant on a bad day, what all the buzz about, were my taste buds that different from everyone else’s and why was this little place getting so much attention.
On my next trip back, I decided to go deeper inside the plaza. In doing so, I noticed several other eateries and one caught my attention. The manager was outside passing out menus so I decided to give it a try. There were people in line but nothing like the other place so I started to wonder what made the difference.
Upon leaving the eatery, I said to the manager, “You really should go around the corner. That’s where the traffic is” At which point he stated he didn’t realize people were coming in from the other side of the building. Ahhh.
This made me think about the 4 P’s of marketing: Product, Placement, Promotion, Price. Indeed the other eatery had a much better placement, but in my opinion certainly not a better product. While this could easily be a discussion around promotion the broader idea for me was the idea of how small shifts can make a significant difference in our outcomes.
Considering this example, here are a few small shifts (another set of P’s to add to the marketing mix) that can make a difference in your business:
- Perception – The concept of perception is so huge it needs a separate article, but the bottom line is this. Perception is the way we think or understand something to be. I saw a line and I perceived a great eating experience. I didn’t have that. When you consider your marketing you can not ignore perception. How are others perceiving your brand? Positioning is how you distinguish yourself from your competition in the mind of the consumer. Create a great perception and follow up with a great experience.
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— - Parameters – Are you like the manager waiting for people to show up in front of your door and then enticing them with how great you are? Don’t build parameters that limit you. Make a shift. See beyond what’s right in front of you.
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——————— - Preview – If someone knows nothing about you or your company and they’re trying to make a decision, you have to give them a preview. Samples anyone? Let your audience know what’s coming and what they can expect so they can get really excited about buying from you.
Biz Practitioner
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