Matthews on Marketing

Matthews on Marketing

Chapter 4 –Marketing Planning

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Creativity is a trait most people would include in the psychographic profile of a marketer.  After all, we are the ones responsible for slick advertising, eye-catching graphics, and clever promotions.  However, there are other traits that successful marketers need to possess.  For example, marketers need excellent planning and communication skills.  In addition, they are increasingly being pushed to be more strategic.  As a result, marketing plans have become more important than ever.  Marketing … [Read more...]

Chapter 3 – Market Sizing and Segmentation

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There is a common sin that marketers frequently commit.  In their rush to build a web site or create an attractive logo, they forget something very important: Who is the buyer?   These marketers are firing without aiming.  They are being tactical and not strategic.  Sometimes they are simply shooting to make it seem as if they are doing something. To build an effective marketing plan, you need to understand who will be buying your product.  This means, among other things, that you need to … [Read more...]

Chapter 2 – Positioning and the Brand

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When people hear your company name, what images or ideas come to their mind?  More importantly, are these images the ones you want people to have?  What people think about your company is perhaps the most important element not just in marketing, but in business in general. Positioning and its close cousin — brand — are the two of the most important assets your organization owns.  Positioning is the place (or position) your product, service or company holds in the mind of a customer.  Brand is … [Read more...]

Chapter 1 – Drucker, Levitt, the Four Ps and the Chasm

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Think of the most successful and widely recognized brands – Coke, Walmart, Microsoft, Nike.   In any field, they likely have one thing in common: great marketing.  These companies prosper and expand by combining a few fundamental business concepts and practices:An acute understanding of customer needs,An astute awareness of their markets,The right price,Great salespeople and partners, andSuccessful introduction of new products. Not coincidentally, all of these features are essential elements of … [Read more...]