Warning: This blog promotes gambling.
So once again the issue of ‘marketising’ is about to be tackled. Most would argue that there is not really a difference between the mighty M and the abundant A but as you read on you will discover that in fact there is a difference. So is this going to be a story of chalk and cheese or cheese and fromage… place your bets and all will be revealed.
I think a good starting point would be to adorn these two sides with a definition, it’s not really fair to send them into battle unprepared now is it?
So when it comes to clarity I have chosen to call upon a well known guru – The Oxford Dictionary, and the definitions, and therefore our contender’s ‘battle colours’ are as follow:
Marketing: the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising
Advertising: the activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services:
Hmm, we are already starting to see a difference, so I shall move swiftly on.
One of the first and most fundamental lesson you are taught in marketing is the 4Ps. Note there is no mention of A here and that’s because it is masquerading as a component of the 4P model. So what are these 4Ps I speak of? I Invite you to see below.
1. Product 2. Pricing 3. Place 4. Promotion
1. Product
When we talk about ‘the product’ in marketing we are referring to the specifics of the service or goods being offered. This includes what benefits it will have to the consumer and any ‘extras’ like guarantees or warranties, these are also called USPs (Unique Selling Points).
2. Pricing
…or cost including promotional discounts. This does not necessarily mean a monetary value. When people say “what is this going to cost me” they can also be referring to their time, knowledge or energy. If people still paid in cattle then it would refer to that too – it really is what you exchange for the product or service.
3. Place
This is quite a broad one but in a nutshell can be ‘translated’ as distribution. It’s all about how the product and buyer meet…aw, it’s a love story in the making… and also refers to the channel used i.e. retail, wholesale or online.
4. Promotion
The bit you have all been waiting for. This is where advertising comes into its own but it still has to share the limelight with sales promotion, direct marketing, PR, social media and all other forms of publicity.
Now that we have looked at each P in a little more depth we have a better handle on where advertising and marketing differ but ultimately join forces, thus taking this story down the cheese – fromage path. (Well done if your money was on the dairy products by the way).
So you see, marketing is like the big brother to advertising, always helping it out, which is why it is important to have a plan. (I could throw in another P acronym here, Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance, but I think you have had enough Ps for today?!) Début Marketing strongly suggest you to seek advice before ‘marketising’ and feel that most of the time it is easier to outsource this part of process.
And finally the summary. Marketing is the one that squirrels away doing market research, formulating plans, strategies and analysis and advertising comes in, says its bit and leaves. Separately they have their own objectives but one wouldn’t work without the other.
In hindsight, I feel it would have been more appropriate to call this a fable as the moral of the story is …eat cheese not chalk. Only kidding, the moral is there is no I in team.