Why “Cookie-Cutters” Don’t Work in Marketing
Copyright   Kevin W. Brown, M.B.A.

A Rainbow of Options — Which to Choose?
Strategic marketing planning should combine the unique effectiveness of different marketing methods.  This is absolutely crucial.  Marketing is the most diverse business discipline, and as such, there is an extremely wide array of techniques to utilize.

Non-marketing professionals are often surprised to hear me point out that some marketing tools are more effective than others for specific goals.  Thus, selecting the wrong marketing tool for a specific goal will not bring the desired results.  For example, investing only in advertising for the sole purpose of generating sales leads may be a waste of resources.

It is important to realize that there is no such thing as an effective “canned marketing program” for all businesses; a successful business will have a strategic marketing plan written specifically for its unique parameters.  It will utilize methods that are designed to achieve the business’s objectives.  These methods might include professional management of advertising programs, effectively designed publicity programs, business development training, well-coordinated corporate image materials, and a variety of other marketing tools.

So how do you select one method over the other?  Many business owners do this by either listening to a sales pitch or asking a colleague what “works” for them, which is generally a big mistake.  Instead, realize that there are many components to an effective marketing program and you need to make the right choices in selection.  There is no one approach that works best!  Why?  Because each business is unique — different markets, services, pricing, personnel, culture, etc.

How Will Your Business Benefit From a Marketing Plan?
What will you gain from strategic marketing planning?  There are numerous potential benefits of using Marketing Plans, including:

– Identify your most profitable markets
– Establish realistic goals
– Select appropriate marketing techniques
– Create strategies that bring results
– Make the best use of various marketing tools
– Streamline costs
– Maximize your efforts for the time expended

Getting Started
A professionally-designed marketing program is founded upon a systematic approach to developing short and long-term strategy. Qualified marketing professionals are an imperative to the success of this process, so contact KB Business Marketing when you are ready to start.

About the author: Kevin W. Brown, M.B.A., is president of KB Business Marketing, a full-service marketing firm specializing in small to mid-sized businesses in Southern California.  He has published dozens of articles and is a frequent speaker to various business organizations. Phone: (714) 965-1556.