Marketing is not one big move, but a series of small, precise steps

Marketing has always been a topic I wanted to share, but I hesitated for a long time. Why?

Because marketing is a field full of controversy. This field has many schools of thought. Each school has its own methodology.

It's hard to reach a consensus. So, with so many voices, who should we listen to?

I often receive questions from readers who are confused about marketing:

• "I'm new to the publishing industry. How should a newcomer approach book marketing? How do you promote a new book?"
• "Are there any marketing strategies worth sharing?"

These concerns are many, but the core question is: How should marketing be done?

Although I don’t claim to be a marketing expert, I hope that my modest insights can offer some help.

Today, I’ll take the plunge and share my understanding of marketing.

These are just my personal views, offered for your reference.

1. The Importance of Recognition

Let’s start with a simple example, like soy sauce. Suppose you want to launch a new soy sauce. How would you get people to buy it?

This question might seem a bit abstract, but we can think about it from a real-life shopping scenario.

When you go to the supermarket to buy soy sauce, what do you usually do? You might go directly to the condiment aisle, find the brand you usually buy, pick it up, put it in your cart, and then leave.

Most people have a habit of buying familiar brands.

But there is also a group of people who like to try new things. They seek to stand out. When they buy soy sauce, they might first scan the shelf and then pick a brand they haven’t tried before.

This group represents an opportunity for new products.

To make them aware of your product, you first need to ensure they can recognize it.

What is recognition? Recognition means making your product stand out among many others, becoming their first choice.

Only when it is recognized, can there be further possibilities.

For example, the success story of "EGGLAB" (Research Egg). This brand’s egg packaging is simple and high-end, using Hermès orange as the main color.

This design allows consumers to immediately recognize the brand, seeing it as different and worth buying.

Recognition isn’t just limited to product appearance. It also includes store design. For instance, Gu Ming Milk Tea uses a glowing sign in dimly lit streets, making the brand easy to spot even at night. Sometimes, these small details determine success or failure.

2. Simplifying Information and Enhancing Dissemination Efficiency

When it comes to dissemination, there are two key points: dissemination cost and dissemination efficiency.

First, how can we reduce dissemination costs?

The answer is: Simplify the information.

The simpler the information, the better the dissemination effect.

For example, when naming a brand, avoid choosing names that are difficult to pronounce.

Names like Lamborghini and Maserati, although recognizable, can be hard to pronounce for some people. These names are direct transliterations and don’t align with our natural speech patterns.

On the other hand, names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz are not only simple and easy to remember, but they also evoke the product itself.

The simpler the name, the lower the dissemination cost. For example, many internet companies use animal or plant names, like Tmall and Xiaomi.

These names are easy to remember and have no understanding cost.

The goal of dissemination is to make it easy for people to remember your brand.

Simplifying information and reducing dissemination costs are key to improving dissemination efficiency.

3. Delivering Value and Meeting Needs

The final question is: What value can you provide to consumers?

Marketing is not just about being recognized or remembered.

More importantly, it’s about meeting consumers’ needs and solving their problems.

For example, why do people buy Head & Shoulders? Because it promises to eliminate dandruff. Why do people buy Bawang shampoo?

Because it claims to prevent hair loss.

Identifying needs and creating a new product category is crucial to marketing success. For example, the ZULIJIAN brand designed shoes specifically for the elderly, addressing the issue of changing foot shapes. By meeting this specific need, ZULIJIAN successfully created a new category.

The ultimate goal of marketing is to occupy a position in the consumer's mind.

Recognition is the first step.

Next is improving dissemination efficiency.

Finally, it’s about delivering the value of your product and meeting the consumer's needs.

Conclusion

Marketing is not about making one big move.

It’s about achieving success through a series of small, correct steps.

If you focus on recognition, dissemination, and value, your product will be recognized, remembered, and purchased.

I hope these insights will help you on your journey to exploring marketing.

Wishing you success!