Nine Myths of Marketing (Part 2 of 3)

In Part One of this series, we discussed the first three myths: marketing is only done before clearance sales and the holidays, marketing only affects sales and marketing is the job of the marketing department. In this segment, we'll discuss three more myths of marketing.

Myth #4: Marketing is the job of the overly friendly, sales-oriented person.

Marketing is a much more scientific process than many people believe. Successful marketing campaigns involve more than a rah-rah personality. Now an important part of the entire company, marketing involves research, strategic planning and design, even prior to the development or introduction of a new product or service into the marketplace. Marketing is a serious part of any lucrative business and is instrumental in new product development. It has little to do with personality.

Myth #5: In tough times, the marketing department should be the first to go.

Sounds pretty good, huh? More money for operations and development. But who is going to evaluate the potential sales of a new product, sell it once it hits the market, send a consistent message of quality to consumers and boost your image? Reducing your marketing staff may seem tempting, but think twice. Marketing professionals are specialists and can be difficult to replace. If you do need to redistribute some of your budget and can't afford an in-house staff, consider hiring outside firms. By all means, don't dismiss your marketing altogether - you will only compound your problems.

Myth #6: Marketing is for big companies.

Sure, large companies frequently have their own marketing department or liasons with well-known firms. If you want your company to become one of those big companies someday, incorporate a marketing campaign as a focus of your day. (See Myth #1 in Part One of this series.) The bottom line is that no matter how large or small your company is, marketing needs to be addressed on a regualar basis.

Marketing can be a confusing and difficult topic due to it's sometimes unquantifiable results. Suffice it to say, any company that is serious about it's growth is also serious about marketing. Check back next month for the final installment in this three-part series.

Go To Page: 1

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic