Data, data, everywhere is tons of data, but how much data do marketers actually need? Marketing is not really that complicated, but too many MBA marketers insist on analysis paralysis before doing anything and that’s the problem.
There are too many social media measurement tools available today and too many people are too busy trying to determine if they really need social media rather than accept the fact that all brands need social media as a way to listen to customers.
I have seen Power Point decks with over 75 pages of website analytics, which leads to weeks worth of meetings to determine “what to do”. This isn’t marketing it’s marketers who are afraid to make even minor decisions.
The Brand Promise
What is the brand promise for Haagen Dazs? Does it extend beyond making mouth watering ice cream and having it available where consumers shop? On the other hand, what is the brand promise for Trek Bikes? In all likelihood it extends beyond the purchase for many years based on ownership and performance. Smart marketers understand what they need to do to keep customers happy, clueless marketers over analyze and spend money on worthless things like a nice Facebook page or website when consumers don’t really care about an ice cream website.
Analytics and research can paint a good picture of your marketing as it relates to consumers, but when you’re overwhelmed with too much data it can constipate your marketing.
Don’t get distracted from solving a customer’s problem and measuring your marketing all the time. The best measurement is your sales. If your marketing is working they will go up, if not you will lose market share. Yeah, it’s that simple.
