Correct understanding of marketing concepts, set a separate marketing department, and in accordance with the methodology of marketing work is to ensure that enterprises can truly enter the "marketing state," an important starting point.
Marketing in the end is equal to what it where to start?Engaged in the marketing research people, perhaps this issue is too "insignificant", but for more than 90% of Chinese enterprises, this seemingly very simple question, has never seriously thought through, not to the enterpriseconsensus, so widespread misunderstanding of marketing.
For historical reasons, the vast majority of entrepreneurs in China are planned economy environment to grow up, they have not received a market economy and marketing system of education or training, can be said that so far the vast majority ofChinese companies also stay in the "marketing state" do not enter the real "marketing conditions."
Why?
First of all, we can see the fact that the Chinese market, product homogeneity is extremely serious, almost no differences between the various brands, even those well-known "brand" also was largely content, there is no orientation, by theopportunities is because of the rapid market growth, the results we can only rely on advertising and channel development to win.This business model in the consumer immature, market transparency is not high, market opportunity is still very big time no problem but when the opportunity of the growth rate lower than the competition's new opponent Jia Ru growth rate of the problem starts Chu Lai Le, Yin WeiWe used basically the same trick, by the spell "physical" approach, basically no competitive advantage.
Secondly, many people confuse marketing (Marketing) concept and sales (Sales) concept, and therefore responsible for sales in China have a lot of "marketing people", some people say about 6 million marketing people, marketing people say about 8 million people, which can in fact1% actually do the marketing people who work pretty good, mostly in sales.In the remaining 1% of that inside, most of the work they are engaged in marketing, because many companies understand the marketing for the marketing or, more narrow point that marketing is advertising.These two basic problems are not resolved, the sustainable development of Chinese enterprises will encounter obstacles, the internationalization of Chinese enterprises is even more difficult road to immense.
So, what is marketing in the end?What is not?
First of all, marketing is not equal sales, as sales are concerned about how to complete the year's sales tasks, to have produced the products sold, while marketing is concerned that companies can sell in the next two to three years what, what should be launchedproducts, how to stimulate the potential consumer demand.
Secondly, marketing is not equal to advertising, because the marketing is just one aspect of marketing, and advertising is one among many means of propaganda, so to say, advertising in the market share of marketing at best is 1 / 10.
Moreover, marketing does not mean that planning can be said that planning is based on the increase in advertising public relations, marketing terminal, the media, with soft paper and other factors, increased advertising than a simple level, a number of more thoughtful, butSince the vast majority of products come out after the plan is (or soon to be out of time) before starting, so this decision has its limitations, because many concepts have not changed, the product characteristics are basically fixed, and onlycan rack their brains to find a "selling point", the effect of natural discount.
Finally, marketing does not mean that integrated marketing communication, because the integrated marketing communication (Integrated Marketing Communication) is concerned about the marketing of this part, focus on how to effectively communicate with customers, but covers a wider, is the concept of combination of various forms of propaganda only.
What is that marketing in the end?We say that good marketing has four major tasks, namely, market segmentation is the prerequisite, product innovation is the core, strategic design is the main line, and tactical control is the key.
First of all, if there is no market segmentation, then companies do not know what some people for the services, products would not locate, only to what the market will do what best-selling products, company's destiny fate of natural and industries directly linked to onlyis "opportunism" of success.
Secondly, if an enterprise's complete product there was nothing new, it would rely on copying or imitation is only a few more choice for consumers only (of course, also make the market more competitive), these enterprises in fact and made no contribution tothe products are worthless products (of course, from a shortage economy to a buyer's market transition that time exception).
Third, the strategic design of marketing the main line of work is to achieve the overall objective of business services, and if a business is not clear marketing strategy, the department is likely to mind their own business, marketing work will be lost sense of direction, business goalsbecame the "ideas" or "dream" would not achieve the total.So the marketing department should assume the task of designing corporate strategy, marketing strategy is updated yearly to the core business strategy planning, thereby laying the marketing position in the heart of the enterprise.
Finally, the tactical execution is the key to any strategy is only broken down into a number of "tactical action" can be implemented, so the marketing department's job is to do the last decomposition of the strategy, design a set of easy operation, easy to monitor the implementation of the mechanism.
Marketing of the four focus clear, and then we talk about marketing, where to start.
Conceptual starting point
Where to start marketing the first thought is: Marketing is in the "research, production and marketing" before the beginning, this is "marketing" and "marketing" the most essential difference.
In the traditional "marketing" system, there is according to "research, production and sales," one-stop operation of such a process, enterprise research and development to lead the charge, the product developed, go to the productive sectors of production, the product produced after the transfersales department to sell.Marketing involvement is usually not initiated until after the product came out, such as market planning, marketing, advertising planning, sales support, channel support, and more.It can be said to date was that many companies still follow the standard process of the planned economy era, many issues are not marketing problems, as marketing efforts to begin this time it would have little meaning, at mostis to take the sales support role.
Why marketing must be "research, production and sales," before the start?Because marketing is the core of the work market (Product Marketing), several other functions are in line with its market work, such as market development, marketing, channel support, product market for innovative new products and old productslife cycle management, enterprises should develop what kind of product, not by the R & D departments have the final say, but by the market sector have the final say that, according to market demand and competition to determine what the next step the development of products.
Many companies are talking about "market oriented", but the actual "market-oriented" business is not based only on what business they have capacity, technology and R & D departments have preferences, or to see what products sell well on the market onWhat product development, but by the competitive advantage, brand positioning and product development strategies to determine what products.Of course, for those still stuck in the "copy phase" of the enterprise, probably did not need R & D department, as long as there is a charge of "plagiarism" product technology department on the line, so these companies do not have to do marketing.
Where to start marketing a second thought is: Marketing is in the products sold to customers after the start.
Many companies are selling to customers even finished, as users who are, why they buy, where they are distributed, how to classify users and so on, no one pipes up.In fact, this approach to the most valuable client resources are wasted, is also the business user can not accumulate the key barriers to knowledge and information.As everyone knows, the best marketing effort, the most effective way is to start with from existing customers, through the mining of existing customer information, corporate which is easy to understand user needs and the most consistent features of our products; why they like our productsrather than competitors; give us 80% of the business of the most important is which of the three target market?Why do users buy these products, they are most concerned with the index parameters, etc., these qualitative issues of marketing is essential to the marketing people.
We say, market research, customer analysis, competitive analysis where the most likely to start?Of course, where to start from existing customers.Conducted market research know that most customers do not like strangers to call and bother, but they never refused to buy the product manufacturers have the care and after-sales service.So start from the perspective of customer service to carry out market research is achieved through things, not only find and solve user's problems, new product innovation for the future foundation.Can be said that almost all of the marketing information can be received from existing customers and existing customers from the authenticity of the information received the strongest, the most targeted, most accurate, lowest cost.
Understand that the two starting point, naturally, understand the difference between marketing and sales and relations, but also understand the relationship between marketing and R & D, so in theory there is a consensus, then we explore how organizational and methodsto protect the smooth progress of the work of marketing.
Starting point for the organization
Any strategies to be implemented, the security must be organized, rather than consciously, so as to avoid the talk, so a business wants to achieve "market oriented", we must first set up an independent department in the sales market, there arespecialized marketing director (or marketing manager) is responsible for marketing.
The marketing director or marketing manager is not the year the enterprise is responsible for sales targets, but rather with the long-term sustainable business development issues such as formulation of business next 3 to 5 years online marketing strategies, define the next several years of product development plans, to ensureplanned listing of new products; of course there is also a sales support functions, such as providing sales tools, providing sales training, organizational promotion activities.
These marketing efforts by sales director (or the name of the director of marketing) is impossible, because the task of carrying sales director of sales and efforts were not interested in the future of these relations based business work, they are always most concerned abouthow to complete the year's sales tasks, not today, how can the future.
Therefore, any order to the healthy development of an enterprise, we must walk on two legs, was responsible for completing the sale of the year mandate, was responsible for the future market development.With this organization, protection, marketing, work is really started.Director of Marketing and Sales Director is usually a flat level, are reported to the General Manager, if the marketing department on marketing the following, it is easy to distort the functions of marketing, making sales of the "coolie", all aroundSales turn, become more and more short-sighted.
Methodological starting point
I remember 19 years ago, when I first attend the training course of marketing, senior marketing told me the most important job is to market segmentation, as do the market segmentation, and marketing efforts to complete the half.At that time we do not understand the meaning of this sentence, on the lack of understanding of the importance of market segmentation, after four years of practical work, the only segment to realize the value of the market only began to become conscious market segmentsbehavior.
From the method of speaking, market segmentation is the starting point for all marketing, no market segmentation, it would not "market oriented", can the industry and the market can confuse the two concepts.Only the good market segmentation, and strategic design goal for only the basis of product positioning, new product definition have direction.
In addition to market segmentation, another very important means of "new product definition," according to flow to a target market for new product definition, otherwise companies can only continue with the old "research, production and marketing" one-stopvalue chain to go, marketing can easily become "sell" the product of this part of the subsidiary.
We say, marketing in the enterprise in the real value lies in "market" (Product Marketing), on which new product innovation and new product definition, so "market" is the core of marketing, which of Strategic Decisionssector, while the marketing and channel development are the "product market" continue the implementation of the guidance developed market listing, the two departments have not played too much free space.
Finally, the focus of marketing including market research, through market research, so that to know ourselves.Because as competition intensifies, companies have started to take market research, decision-making to do if another seat of your pants, so it is easy to determine "trouble", and in market research of the most important job is to three categories: The first ismarket analysis, market outlook, the future direction of making judgments and forecasts; second is the customer analysis, especially to find the source of innovation, found that consumer dissatisfaction with existing products, as well as potential obstacles to such consumers are not spending; third category is competitive analysis, the evolution pattern of competition, new competitors join the competition to make forward-looking analysis.
A market survey said many companies think of two points, one outside the market research company commissioned to do the second is focused on the needs of potential customers.In fact, market research has two key points: First, to gain first-hand information, that company's own market and customers at all levels of management to personally go there to investigate; second is the object of market research should focus on the enterprise's existingcustomers, because existing customers have the final say, and would like to see business success.