Marketing is like making a fine whiskey . . .
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It would be trite to just say in response that “It takes timeâ€. Time is only one factor that contributes to marketing success.
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Good corn whiskey comes from an amalgam of things all boiled together: corn, sugar, rye, water, amylase, yeast all mixed together, undifferentiated.
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That’s your general public audience in marketing.
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Then, you let the yeast convert the sugars into alcohols, a few different types, actually, still mixed together but grouped more tightly. That’s your target audience in marketing.
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Then you apply heat and pressure, to raise and separate those different but similar compounds, and take them off the mix one at a time. That’s your funnel in marketing.
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Some of the alcohols are not fit to imbibe, and in fact are poisonous and you discard them. That’s the segment of the audience that will never buy from you, they just like to read your content.
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About 20% of the total volume is the “good†stuff, what you want to keep for drinking. That’s the audience segment that are a good fit as likely prospects, will buy at some point, those that will close when they fall out of the funnel.
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Now you have to age that clear 20% in something to add flavor and color, fill in the holes to build a fine spirit. That’s the nurturing process for your audience.
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Over time, you need to agitate and turn the barrel to expose the contents to new portions of the wooden barrel. That’s the new content you feed the target segment.
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After a few years, you’re able to pull the bung on the barrel and sample the contents to see if they’re ready for bottling. That’s the trial close.
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If the whiskey is now whiskey, it’s ready to be packaged. Wrapped in a fine crystal bottle or decanter, it’s time to enjoy. That’s the SLA or close and onboarding.
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All that for one barrel. But there are older barrels before it, and younger barrels after it, all of which are moving through the process, consistently over time, blended to make a consistent product over the long haul. That’s your marketing program, constantly tested to optimize the flavor, blended with branding to create a stronger whole.
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It took time, yes, but it also took consistent process, winnowing down and weeding out the good from the bad, building anticipation and need until it’s ready to enjoy. And the returns are just as generous, 100% in yields 20% alcohol out, $20 in ingredients in, $1000 in final product yielded.
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Next time your CEO says “Where are my results you promised?†tell them, it’s in the barrel, waiting to be perfect and ready to enjoy!
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If you’re new to campaign strategy, I can help you drastically improve your marketing, message me, and we can have an honest conversation.
Working at the final level with post-MBA methods to optimise organisational decision-making and managerial efficiency advancing corporate marketing governance, strategy, and planning results.
1 å¹´Dave, I always enjoy your posts... On this occasion a don't like the analogy... its a product-oriented approach and you, of all people, know better (that we start with what the customer wants and work to satisfy those wants). Regardless, I impatiently await the day when you can mentor and educate me in the consumption of good American whiskey! ??