Bish Muir Marketing

Everyone knows what marketing is, everyone knows what is meant by marketing objectives and everyone has been the target of a marketing campaign, be it for chocolate bars or holidays.  But everyone also knows what Chemistry is, they know why they are taught Chemistry and have, without doubt, sat through Chemistry lessons at school. 

That doesn't mean they know how to be a Chemistry teacher.  And I don't know about you but I certainly wouldn't be the one to stand up in a meeting and start telling the Chemistry teacher how to teach Chemistry.

You get my drift.

The fact is that, marketing is a science, like Chemistry and, like Chemistry, it should be undertaken by those who know what they are doing and know what to look for.   Marketing is almost entirely data-driven.  We are lucky in that, since the dawning of the digital age, data is easier and easier to obtain, giving us marketeers some really juicy facts and insights through some innovative and ever-improving software.  This data will then be used in a number of ways:

• increase ROI (return on investment) - always a winner when presenting to the Board!
• drive further marketing activity
• give insightful information on your target audience: what are their preferences and influences, what drives them to/away from your service or product, what are their spend limits? etc etc

So, I hear you say, if the software is so easy to use, then anyone can get the data. Yes, they can.  But do they know what to do with that data?  A good marketing manager will have the end goal in their sights and work backwards: is the end goal market penetration (selling more to your existing customers), market development (extending into new markets) or market diversification (introducing new products to a new audience)?

Whichever one of these it is will then help you identify your key strategic aims and then, finally, your marketing plan.  Once you have your marketing plan, with time-frames and KPIs, not only do you have a clear pathway for the year ahead but also gives you a tangible reference point.

So when the boss tells you that the best way to get brand awareness is to carve the brand logo into a field overlooking a main road, you can say, "Sorry, I can't see that in my marketing plan.........".

My point?  There are some really talented marketing experts out there and they are best placed to provide you with cost-effective, engaging and targeted marketing solutions.