Marketing problems can be frustrating and costly, especially if you don't know the root cause behind them. Whether it's low conversions, high bounce rates, poor customer feedback, or declining sales, you need to find out what's really going on and how to fix it. In this article, we'll show you how to identify the root cause of a marketing problem using a simple and effective method.
The first step is to define the problem clearly and specifically. What is the outcome you want to achieve and what is the gap between the current and desired situation? How do you measure the problem and how big is it? Who is affected by the problem and how? By defining the problem, you can narrow down the scope of your analysis and focus on the most relevant aspects.
DEFINE the problem and align with stakeholders - this stage is CRUCIAL and requires investing time. For instance, stakeholders may identify low product profitability as the problem, necessitating a cross-functional plan involving sales, marketing, production, and technical aspects. Alternatively, marketing team may identify the core problem as a lack of high brand value perception to justify a price increase without compromising sales. These are different starting points, right?
Definining or identifying the problem is indeed a very difficult task quite often, due to preconceived notions. Abdec vitamin drops for infants wasn't growing in units. All the field personnel and the market survey reports were suggesting that the company's efforts should be increased at the Pediatrician's level. For some, not so noble reasons, it was transferred to me. I had a much longer experience in field sales and knew very well that Pediatricians ask the patients to stop using the Vitamin drops. At the same time I had observed that infants were prescribed to use Vitamins after the last feed of the day. I shifted the focus to Gynecologists and achieved 82% GROWTH in a year. Solve the right problem !!
Assess the turnover situation of a specific product in comparison to other comparable markets in a specific region or target groups. If there are considerable differences which cannot be explained by natural factors, there might be an underlying marketing issue
The next step is to ask why the problem exists and keep digging deeper until you reach the root cause. A common technique for this is the 5 Whys, which involves asking why five times or until you find a satisfactory answer. For instance, if your issue is low conversions on your landing page, you could ask: why are conversions low? The answer may be because visitors don't find the offer compelling enough. You can then ask why don't they find the offer compelling enough? The response could be because the value proposition is not clear or relevant to them. Asking further questions such as why is the copy vague, generic, or confusing? Could lead to understanding that it was not written with the target audience in mind. This will eventually reveal the root cause of the problem, which is lack of research or segmentation. Thus it's important to understand your target audience better and tailor your offer and copy to their needs, preferences, and pain points.
As you ask “why” to get to the root cause, keep the customer profile in the center of your questioning. A marketing problem ultimately exists when there’s a disconnect between the marketing and the customer. For media problems, message problems, frequency problems, pricing problems, accessibility problems, strategy problems… think like the customer thinks and you’ll probably find solutions more quickly.
Analyse the marketing approach with regard to target groups and expectations of the market. Depending on particular local situations these might not be comparable to other markets. Asking questions at this stage won't be of any help because the people whom you might ask won't be of any help here. They will only repeat what they consider to be the responses of the market.
The third step is to validate your assumptions and test your hypotheses. Asking why can help you generate possible causes, but you also need to verify them with data and evidence. For example, you could use analytics tools, surveys, interviews, feedback forms, or experiments to collect and analyze information that supports or refutes your assumptions. By validating your assumptions, you can avoid jumping to conclusions or wasting time and resources on solving the wrong problem.
We presumed a particular messaging strategy would resonate well with a younger demographic. We conducted A/B tests, leveraging social media analytics and surveys to gauge sentiment. Surprisingly, the data revealed a different preference on visual content over textual narratives. Another effective method involves customer journey mapping combined with hypothesis testing. By mapping touchpoints and analyzing user behavior, we formed hypotheses about potential friction points. We conducted user interviews and usability tests, debunking assumptions and uncovering nuanced insights. This approach not only fine-tuned our strategies but also preemptively resolved issues, enhancing overall customer experience.
Validation of assumption?? No, not necessarily. You need first to get down to the real problem, the underlying root cause which might have a number of different reasons not being visible to the local responsible stakeholders. In order to get to this point, you yourself with an open minded approach needs to make your own assessment of the market, talk to as many customers as possible and try to pinpoint the cause of the problem, which may not be openly visible but might be revealed only as a combined analysis of various, not always connected factors. If you come to a conclusion, go out again to visit your customer target group and present your ideas. If valid, you will get the right answers.
The final step is to implement and monitor solutions based on your findings. Once you have identified and validated the root cause of the problem, you can design and execute a plan to address it. For example, you could rewrite your landing page copy, test different versions, and measure the impact on conversions. You should also monitor the results and track the progress of your solutions over time. By implementing and monitoring solutions, you can ensure that you are solving the problem effectively and sustainably.
Identifying the root cause of a marketing problem can help you improve your performance, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. By following these four steps, you can apply a systematic and logical approach to problem-solving that will help you achieve your marketing goals.
One crucial instance that altered my marketing orientation was the realization of the power of data. One campaign we ran was not generating the expected conversions. we found that our target audience was more active during a different time slot than when we were running our ads. Simply adjusting our ad schedule yielded a 30% increase in conversion rates, from a testament to data-driven decisions.
Once you have reached this stage, develop your marketing strategy according to your new insights on the needs of your customers. If correct, your product turnover will soar. (it goes without saying that I have gone personally through all these stages for a particular product and have proven this concept in various countries in Asia and South America personally with tremendous success).
Most marketing problems are the direct result of poor strategy. The business fails to nail the basics of research, segmentation, targeting, and positioning. So, they end up executing random acts of marketing that have little effect on their bottom line. To get to the root of the problem, the business must go back to the core foundations of marketing. - Gather research on the market. - Identify and map out segments with the data. - Understand the jobs they hire the business for. - Select a valid target to go after. - Position the offering to that target based on their perceived value. If you’re not doing this, then it’s 100% guesswork. And those problems are not going away any time soon.
Identifying the root cause of a marketing problem involves thorough analysis, examining data, feedback, and performance metrics. Utilize tools like surveys, customer feedback, and team discussions to pinpoint underlying issues.
Don't develop your marketing strategies in your office at your nice desks in front of your screens, especially if you want to sell your products globally. Go out into "your" markets, talk to those people whom you want to sell your products and listen carefully to their expectations. Don't assume anything unless you have confirmed it personally. Note: local sales or marketing people in big organisations are usually biased and are not necessarily reliant when it comes to assessing marketing potentials correctly.