Will Social Media Help Marketing Find It's Way Back Home?

08/03/2009

Gps iphone Don Schultz's articles in the AMA Marketing Management are always thought provoking. This month was no exception.

Product. Price. Place. Promotion. The Marketing Four Ps: The nursery rhyme of most marketing 101 courses. The foundation of so many strategic plans.

  • The only problem is that the four Ps totally ignores customers. The concept assumes the marketer controls the system. Customers and consumers are simply pawns in the gigantic marketing system that the "marketing masters of the universe" have devised and now control. - Professor Schultz

On the other side of the equation is Peter Drucker's view of marketing and business.

  • We need to get back to what marketing was suppose to do in the beginning: Determine customer needs and wants, and fulfill them efficiently for Both sides.We need to revisit what Peter Drucker was saying in the 1950s: The only purpose of a company is to create and maintain customers. - Professor Schultz (Note: caps on the word Both are mine)

Could it be that social media will lead us back to our roots? To remembering that the customer experience is the heart of what marketing is all about? To dropping the facade of control? Who really believed that one? To understanding that strategy and customer relationships are not mutally exclusive? To creating  Corner Grocery Store Relationships?

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Comments

Toby, I'm so glad you are asking these questions! Our world is yearning for a return to corner grocery store relationships. Thank you!!

Posted by: C.B. Whittemore on Aug 3, 2009 10:03:54 PM

C.B. - the oxymoron is that technology is the catalyst to creating those warm, simple relationships. how odd, eh?

Posted by: Toby on Aug 6, 2009 2:07:02 PM

Toby,
I grew up in a Northern California town of less than 1000 people.
The corner store was the center of social networking. The man who owned the store knew what we all wanted, because he asked, and we told him.

As I visit with people in the modern social networks, many memories flood back into my mind of a simpler life and straight-forward conversations.

I can now see many mimics of the country store emerging in corporate marketing plans.

Posted by: Bruce Christensen on Aug 11, 2009 7:26:27 PM

Social media marketing can really help companies find out what customers wants and needs are through twitter and facebook. But it is a double edge sword because it can help or hurt their brand loyalty due to their responses (or non responses)to customers.

Posted by: Alethea on Sep 3, 2009 7:02:06 PM

Interesting perspective, however, I think the opposite will happen. The emergence of social media has opened the door to a whole method of marketing, I think the only way that it will bring marketing full circle is if marketers can figure out methods to tie the two together and build personal relationships using this medium that makes relationship building more impersonal.

Posted by: Promotional Products on Sep 24, 2009 5:31:57 PM

@promotional products (wish I knew your name) .. My belief is that this new medium .. social media .. does the opposite of your suggestion. I propose that it brings heart to developing personal relationships with people you might not ordinarily come into contact with.

Posted by: Tobv on Sep 24, 2009 11:47:40 PM

We have a much different perspective on social media. It's great for a "general" internet marketing campaign, however, for SEO, or boosting rankings on Google, the investment in social media is not justified for the ROI.

Posted by: Casey on Jun 25, 2010 1:42:38 PM

Pretty good post. I've also different aspects about social media marketing. Though it may seem costless, still the effort will be rewarded making sure that your business is visible when your potential clients are online. It will definitely make your business flourish.

Posted by: David Den on May 3, 2011 1:25:50 PM

i've never gotten into social media on a personal level but since i now need to promote my site i think i will start to sign up for all the social media sites. i've shied away forever and now i have no choice, lol

Posted by: List Your Sunny Isles Beach Condo For Sale on Nov 18, 2011 11:00:15 PM

The best benefit my company gets from using facebook is the interaction with our actual customers. they give us feedback and we try and respond and take their thoughts into future ideas. it really does help

Posted by: Wire Shelving Units on Nov 18, 2011 11:01:33 PM

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