When Did Marketing Get So Complicated? Going back to basics and finding marketing’s true purpose – and value

MARKETING IS A BIG WORD. Not in terms of the word itself, it’s only eight letters long, but in its meaning. It has a multitude of definitions nowadays, and rightly so. What I started to see more than 20 years ago, when I took on the task of teaching to post-grad design students, was that it seemed virtually impossible to nail down one simple yet overarching meaning to address all the things marketing can be to any and all businesses. Plainly put, marketing is many things to many people, both on the personal and business side. And with that, those who aren’t particularly well versed on the essentials of marketing, can find it to be overwhelming. Especially when we put pressure on ourselves and our businesses to spend money on it in order to reap the promised benefits.

When asked the seemingly simple question, “What do you think marketing is?” many of my students, clients and peers will provide a variety of answers:

• It’s how you promote your brand
• It’s the communication that happens between a company and consumers
• It’s advertising
• It’s how you get the word out there about your product or service

Or sometimes I will get those who like to cut to the chase and provide examples of what marketing is in their eyes. Tactical examples like:

• a Facebook page for your business
• An Instagram (page) that allows you to post examples of your work, or invites fan customers to share their experience with your product with others
• or more traditional examples like flyers, websites, and email…

And I’m only scratching the surface here.

My answer: All of the above and then some.

No wonder it’s so complicated, right? I absolutely agree, and as a small business owner I often find myself getting caught up in all the options myself. And I get paid for this stuff! Seriously, there’s a reason to feel overwhelmed. I’m feeling stress just writing this sentence.

Ok, let’s pause here, take a breath, as I step back and address the original title question:

Q: When did marketing get so complicated?

My Answer: Although marketing has been in play for centuries, the ‘complication’ curve truly began in in the post-war 1950’s boom and has increased exponentially ever since.

There’s no question, the art and science of marketing brands, products and services, is economy driven. Hence my reason for starting with the Baby Boom, a time when spending was at an all-time high and lifestyle and status became something the rapid-growing middle class could buy. This meant that, for the first time, having a quality product and a good reputation was no longer enough for the companies who sold them. As typically happens during a high-demand economy, the marketplace floods with competitors all offering and promoting pretty much the same thing. From hand soap to fancy cars, soda pop to home furnishings, and even the homes themselves, the competition within each product category becomes fierce, and the only way businesses can succeed and sustain is by getting in front of consumers with a clear and compelling message. And THAT, people, is where ‘modern marketing’ as I see it, really took shape.

Big companies like P&G, Unilever, and General Foods developed the practice of ‘brand management’ which is still in full force today, and advertising and the ‘Agency’ model à la Mad Men was born.

From that point on, ‘mass’ marketing in all its modern forms truly took off. TV and radio commercials, newspaper and magazine ads, Billboards and transit… I could go into detail, but not today, let’s leave you with the mental image of Don Draper and his cronies smoking like fiends around the boardroom table. It’s more fun that way.

Suffice it to say, in directly addressing the question, that from the 50’s onward, traditional marketing evolved at a rapid pace for many reasons through many economic and cultural milestones over the following 4-5 decades.

And then technology happened (in the 90’s) and the aptly termed “Digital Disruption” started to shake up this perfect world (ha!) of marketing in all its forms. And things really started getting complicated – for marketers and agencies alike.

Fast forward to 2020, and the options and ‘solutions’ available to the masses – businesses of all sizes from global corporations to one-person shops – are countless, with each one hailed as the elixir to your marketing needs. From creative campaigns to automated deployments, from big data and performance measurement to optimized customer experiences, these solutions seem too good to be true, confuse us and scare the crap out of us. Yes? Yes.

Yet the pressure to do something ‘or else’ is ever-present and growing to the point of keeping us up at night.

So, what are you supposed to do? My suggestion: Before you do anything, before you spend one more dollar, start getting informed. Start asking yourself the simplest and most basic questions that only you can answer.

• Do I understand what Marketing or branding even is?
• Is it even something I should even consider at this time?
• Do I have the time and money to invest wisely?
• If not, what are alternatives?
• If so, how much and to what benefit?
• What does marketing success look like to me:
• More customers?
• More sales?
• More profits?

Believe it or not there are clear and specific answers to all the questions above. What you need to understand first and above all else is that marketing must a particular purpose in how it contributes to your overall business success. The tricky part is what exactly that purpose as it relates specifically to your business and where you want it to take you. It’s as uncomplicated as that. Needs and objectives first, then it all flows from there.

My recommendation is a basic one: First, you need to pause and turn off all that marketing ‘noise’ around you. Then, focus on prioritizing the most practical and logical ways you think marketing can help you.

Note: If you can’t justify your logic behind an idea like creating a facebook page for your real estate business, there’s a very good chance it doesn’t exist.

Trust your business gut, and remember the Wiseguy motto:

I'm here if you need me!

SPWiseguy out!