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Previous Marketing Topics
TOPIC: The Product Will Sell Itself - Who Needs Marketing?
We hear it all the time...
"It will be so cool, everyone will want it!"
"Of course customers will want it!"
"Yea sure, I talked to customers before I built it"
But the reality quickly hits when the product gets out there and the phones don't ring, the Web site remains dormant. What is the role of marketing? What can marketing do to prevent doomed products from hitting the streets? Do you know what to do? Watch this video to find out:
Topic: Damage Control: Responding to Public Relations Crises
Whether you get your information from the nightly news or your favorite blog, it's impossible to avoid hearing about the latest crisis in corporate America. Mattel and other toy makers recalling Chinese-made toys tainted with lead paint. U.S. Airlines and other carriers frustrating travelers with record flight delays and cancellations. Whole Foods' CEO blogging under the disguise of an analyst, allegedly to drive down the stock price of its acquisition target, Wild Harvest. Communications professionals in marketing and public relations know that a crisis can rear its ugly head at any time. How you prepare for crises and how you respond can protect your company's reputation - or damage it irreparably.
When a company discovers a major problem internally, who should decide how and when to respond: the communications team or the legal department?
Who is the real primary audience when addressing a disaster: the media, investors or the public? Who should respond to the crisis: the CEO or a designated spokesperson?
Does your company prepare you and other employees how to respond to a crisis, even if it isn't your job to address the media?
TOPIC: Has Apple blown it with iPhone?
Apple has done it before. When they released the iPod, they had problems and complaints. Then they changed pricing, added features, replaced batteries and everybody loved them for it.
Now they have problems with the new iPhone. They do not work as well as they had promised. They take a long time to set up. The batteries die quickly. Customers are frustrated - they are complaining. They patched everything up fine with iPod so they can do it again, right?
Unlike the iPod, our mobile phones and email are personal. Customers require 100% reliability. It has to be as reliable as turning on a light switch. Has Apple stuck their necks out too far with the iPhone? Will the price cut boost sales enough to sell 9 million more in less than a year? Will a cheaper iPhone with the same problems make it okay? Was the apology and credit to existing customers handled correctly?
TOPIC: The Truth behind "Good Deed" Marketing
Every year, companies contribute hundreds of millions to charities, start foundations and encourage employees to volunteer in their communities. Many of these good deeds are well-documented and produce a "halo effect" for their sponsors: McDonald's and the Ronald McDonald House, The Boston Red Sox and the Jimmy Fund, Starbucks and Fair Trade Certified Coffee, to name a few.
So why do companies pour their time and money into performing good deeds?
Are they just looking for tax deductions and public relations gambits, or are they sincerely committing themselves to improving our world?
Do customers really care - and do they demonstrate more loyalty to socially responsible companies?
TOPIC: Sales vs. Marketing
The relationship between Sales and Marketing has traditionally been challenging in most organizations. Those challenges often relate to the knowledge of the market and the prospects. Both have strong opinions supported by their own research or anecdotal experience. But in the end:
Who has the best point of view?
Who takes the lead when making decisions about customers?
Who should senior management be listening to?
Simply put, who knows the customer better, sales or marketing?
TOPIC: Competitive Edge
Competitive advantage comes down to differentiating one business over another. It might be a new product, better service, being easier to work with, offering a longer warranty, or any number of aspects of a business that can set them apart.
But where does competitive advantage come from?
Can companies really set themselves apart, or is it just hype?
Is competitive advantage truly sustainable, or at the speed of business today, is it gone before your customers even know you had it?
TOPIC: Growing the Business: Peril or Profit?
Most marketers have been with companies during "growth periods." Sometimes those companies see dramatic growth. Other times, they do not.
So, why do some companies succeed, where others fail?
What does it take to grow a company?
Who decides when it is time to grow?
Who makes it happen?
