As Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia battle it out at the Christmas Box Office, I am given to thinking of just how much magic a solid marketing effort can conjure up.
Whenever I have presented on the topic of marketing at event trade exhibitions such as International Confex and Event UK, I am usually asked to focus on ‘budget marketing’ and how to get the most for your money. People are often anticipating some magical formula that will somehow enlighten them as to how to spend little or no money on marketing and yet magically achieve phenomenal results. The truth is that good marketing relies on some simple, basic rules and logic, sprinkled with some creative thinking and a good understanding of your given sector. So, at the risk of revealing the conjurers tricks, behold some enlightening truths about the magic art of marketing…
Many will have heard of the four Ps of marketing (seven if you want to be clever and use the extended mix for services) namely Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Yet for most businesses, marketing is simply the ‘promotion’, getting the message out there. Marketing departments and agencies across the land toil on, pushing messages and promotions that may be doomed to failure without the all-important correct mix of the other Ps. No matter how good you are at casting bewitching marketing spells, no amount of wand-waving will work if the core product is not tailored to market needs.
So as the end of the year draws nigh and we look to 2011, be inspired that marketing magic is most certainly achievable. However, it relies on careful planning, a balanced marketing mix and good old fashioned hard work rather than any wand waving. Have a magical festive season one and all!
Kursha Woodgate is MD of Mexia Communications, a PR, marketing and social media consultancy with a focus on the meetings and events sector. She can be contacted via James Barrett on jbarrett@mashmedia.net
