The conversation used to go like this. “Build it and they will come”. The thought being that quality of product or service spoke for itself. Reputation of creating something extraordinary led to wider acceptance and this was how brands were built.
In today’s world, is the same thing true? Does a superior product gain the same wide acceptance and dominate the market based solely on it being better? If only it were true. Seth Godin speaks of Wasted Kindling. In his blog, he says that we rely too much on the hype of marketing and do not focus ourselves on building a better product. Of course we need to market products, how else will the masses know that that product exists today? However, if all we do is rely on that marketing to sustain growth, then we are truly in trouble.
The purpose of marketing is to build awareness and stimulate interest in a brand. If that messaging leads people to a product or service that is inferior in it’s offering, then all the marketing in the world cannot save it. That is a point lost on many people. A bad product is a bad product and marketing that tries to cover the flaws will eventually fail.
Consumers are too smart for this. They want to be spoken to honestly and be able to establish the value for themselves. Use your marketing to stimulate the conversation, build brand champions, help find the flaws in your product and do what it takes to make the product better.
In the end, I cannot think of a better way to Get YOU Noticed!
