Marketing - It's Not a Department!

Author : Dianne Perrett
Why is it that most companies really only think about marketing when their backs are against the wall? Driven by declining sales or slow growth, changing patterns in their (or their customer's) buying behaviours and /or increasing competition, suddenly the penny drops! Marketing – oh yes maybe I should try that!I know we all mean well but as human beings we are not good at consistently driving for stretch or continuous improvement. We all know what we should have been doing but somehow there just wasn't enough time in the day. And the days turned into weeks, which somehow, turned into months!Marketing is not a department within the business and, I believe, it is also not so much about what we do as it is about "how we consistently do it!"I've come to the conclusion that the old adage "a rolling stone gathers no moss" is as true in business as it is in life generally. Somewhere in our genetic make-up we are all pre-programmed to strive for that day when we can pull back and relax having "made it". There are many examples we can find by looking around us of companies which, having thought they had "made it", suddenly have been thrown into hot water through changing markets, changing economic scenarios and changing business structures. These are all marketing issues that need to be constantly monitored.What can we do to ensure that in the good times we are using our energy to prepare for the rocky road that is sure to be just over the horizon? And, for those of you who are currently within the mounting storm, what can you do to minimize your risk?I think there are a few fundamental blocks that need to be core to any organization:1. If you are the captain (of the company, the dept or the team) you must be up on the bridge and not constantly in the engine room. If you are down shoveling the coal you cannot be checking for the icebergs!2. Open your mind! It is not "their" problem, your future is not in "their" hands and it is not "their" fault! Start by looking inward in order to ensure your personal marketing is in order!3. Create time to check for operational excellence. No amount of marketing can cover for poor products/services, slow turnaround time, procrastination, inefficiency or lack of care by the service delivery team.4. Surround yourself with people who love challenge, push the limits and think outside the box. They are few and far between and, when you find one, ensure you really look after them. If your organization doesn't have them internally, make sure you are networking with people who will play devil's advocate and challenge your thinking. These people should be helping you scan the radar from a holistic market perspective to establish "where to next" - constantly pushing for stretch.As mentioned earlier Marketing is not a department and it's definitely not advertising! It's about challenging the status quo, checking the perceptions and needs of the customers constantly and working with the management team to adjust as necessary to build towards the ultimate business objective – sustainability!If your stone's not rolling it's gathering moss and the moss creates drag, clouds vision and stifles action –things we have all experienced to a greater or lesser extent at some time. Give your stone a kick and get it rolling today – then you'll really have something worth marketing!Happy Marketing!
DianneDianne Perrett has been an international marketing consultant for over 15 years. She has worked at both corporate and entrepreneurial level on 3 continents with hundreds of clients in a diverse range of industries. Few have as much experience with different cultures, industries, countries and marketing challenges.She regularly contributes to marketing forums, business publications and, through her own free marketing newsletter, to hundreds of marketing individuals globally.Dianne can be contacted through http://www.themarketingmanual.com.
Keyword : Marketing responsibility,Operational excellence,Marketing problems,Marketing challenge,Slow growth