Why do you advertise? It doesn’t create any impact these days. Most people are literate enough to read between lines. Your consumers know your product better than you do. Your dealers have more knowledge about market than you have. Why then you spend so much money on advertising? Did any customer join just on the basis of advertisement? Did you provide any information that customers didn’t have through advertising?
You are boasting and none is keen to pay attention to your vanity. You are damaging your own company. your employees and sales staff start carrying arrogance and brag before the customer, who silently turns away. Most customers murmur silently "what do these people consider themselves?". By the time the companies understand the mistakes of the marketing executives, they are histories. The self praise and brag of marketing executives is sweet poison for the companies, however, most CEOs get tempted and fall prey.
Advertising and marketing are approaches to reach to your customers and serve them well. They are not the tools to sell, but tools to connect. They are approaches to reconsider customers as the ultimate beneficiaries. If you carry this approach, you will also understand that it is in-appropriate to bombard your customers with advertisement in the modern era of information overload. People simple hate listening to pure advertisements. Unsolicited telephone calls are creating headaches for common people. Forget the marketing or advertising that was applicable in 80s or 90s. Today it’s a different world. Applying the tools of 80s or 90s is neither appropriate not justified. Most marketing executives are proving to be a burdens for companies. They are creating cost centres without any tangible benefits. They are themselves not able to understand the consumers of the present times, because they have studied marketing in late 80s or 90s and continue to carry that same stuff in their mind.
There is a need to revisit the market to understand marketing of the present times. There are hardly any appreciations for the present day advertisements. During 70s, 80s and 90s people used to sing the advertisements of companies and they used to appreciate the creative advertisements of companies. Then came the era of information overload. Today is the era of supremacy of consumer, who is also gifted with tools to browse and select right information. The consumer of today is remarkably different from that of 80s, unfortunately the marketing executive is still trying to push through the tools of 80s.
Have you given a great experience to any consumer? Or has your product transformed the life of any consumer? This is the big question of today. Find those who have benefitted from you, your products or your services. Find those who endorse your services. Find those who appreciate the values that you hold. Advertise them and their success. Marketing and advertising need re-caliberation. New tools of marketing and advertising are needed. Social media and movements like iU eMagazine can play a vital role in shaping the marketing of tomorrow. I will use an example to clarify my points. Look at the recent advertisement of Hyundai – it presents those consumers, who have been using its products for over 20 years. The advertisement is engaging, enriching, and true endorsement. This advertisement is able to stand apart. It is certainly not a wastage of money and worth watching. Why shouldn’t companies re-charge their marketing departments with fresh ideas and fresh thinkers?

Piggyback marketing is the idea of marketing on the basis of endorsements from the beneficiaries, well-wishers, supporters and the ultimate purpose is to create a network of those who are able to get some direct or indirect benefit. The company invites its beneficiaries and other network members to join together to create and design communication strategies. The company remains in the background and the beneficiaries and the benefit comes to the forefront. The idea is to open the space of marketing communication in such a way that in all future operations the benefits become more important than the name of the company itself. This percolates down among all the employees and network associate in their knowledge, attitude and behaviours. They also start giving due recognition to the spirit of service to the customer.
This is the new dimension of marketing and will dominate the future.It’s better that finally the consumer and the idea of serving the consumer is getting more importance than the company. Unfortunately most companies still live in vainglorious notions and wish to highlight themselves or their achievements, are you one among these? Take care.