Of course, what your answer to this question is probably depends on what you mean by "marketing" in the first place.  All too often, business owners think of "marketing" purely in terms of promotional activity rather than as a vital part of their business strategy.

I was extremely disappointed during an otherwise very productive event last week to hear a Business Link representative complaining that "the marketers" had wanted him to include some tortured analogy about Battenburg cake (of all things) in his presentation.  Granted, it wasn't a good analogy at all and it added nothing to the audience's understanding but the strong implication was that this is the sort of thing marketers do - noodle around with half-baked (sorry) efforts to entertain and amuse, rather than add value to an organisation and its communications.

It's the sort of attitude that is very common amongst the business owners whose perspective on marketing is such that they believe their biggest marketing question is whether they should have A4 or A5 flyers printed (yes, I have had to turn that conversation to a more productive track) but should that view be propounded by someone from an organisation that supports businesses.  I'd say that's just encouraging those businesses to miss a trick.

So, if you don't want to be missing that trick, how should you be thinking about marketing?

Marketing is strategic.  What does this mean for your business?

Let's think back from that question about the size of a flyer and ask some of the questions we should be asking before we get to that one...

• Should I have A4 or A5 flyers printed?
• What mix of media should I use to communicate with my customers?
• How will be promotional plan fit with the other elements of the marketing mix (product, price, place, people, processes and physical evidence)?
• What are the key marketing messages that my business needs to convey?
• Does my marketing plan include a good understanding of the marketing environment and my competitive position?
• Have I clearly determined my brand values? Can I be confident that they will be communicated through everything the business does?
• Have I defined what makes my product or service distinctive and valued by my customers?
• Do I understand who my customers are and how they behave?

Without asking the strategically important questions, those fundamental to your business, the question about what size of flyer to get printed it a bit beside the point.  As is the development of unhelpful analogies and metaphors!  There's much more to marketing than that.

If you'd like to know more about how to ask the right questions about your marketing issues, contact Clarity Marketing.