We live in a time where all leading and successful companies have a well-developed marketing through which they present the company’s activities to the public in a way that they arouse certain emotions in people that will ultimately produce the desired user action. Well-designed marketing brings additional value, and although it is already well known, marketing is still not enough spread in all areas of the world and in all companies. One of the main reasons behind it is the belief that marketing involves only advertising or marketing identification with the last, outer circle of marketing
If you’re wondering now which circles we’re talking about, go back to the cover photo of this blog.
Seth Godin has written a great article dealing with the topic of misunderstanding marketing by distinguishing it into several circles of marketing. He painted the circles dark blue, light blue, yellow and green.
Each color includes certain marketing activities:
- Dark blue circle: Marketing begins with the realization and development of a product or service that is worth or will be worth talking about;
- Light blue circle: Facilitate the usability of the product / service to make the transition from commodity to experience as easy as possible;
- Yellow circle: Tell a story that resonates with a tribe (it should be understandable and harmonized);
- Green circle: If you have taken the first steps correctly, the need for advertising (“shouting” about your product) will be limited because as this will largely take care of itself.
So, with the green circle, you should close, not start the marketing process, and when we clarify the roles of each circle, you will no longer ask yourself “why is that so”:
Marketing = advertising. Or not at all. The purpose of marketing in this last, green, circle is to promote and “shout” about what the factory, company, system or boss is serving you. These activities are most often identified with marketing because they are “loudest”, most visible, “tangible and characteristic for the activities of charities, politicians, insurance companies, and increasingly for activities of domestic and foreign influencers. Advertisements and commercials are at every step, in every corner, and if you look around yourself, you will, for sure, be able to notice at least few of them.
Next, the yellow circle has much more impact than the green one. Stories are created and told in this circle. It is an act of achieving harmony, understanding and acceptance of different worldviews and raising the “strange”. Smart retailers in this circle recognize, but also admit that their products / services are not intended for everyone, but they are sure that a certain group of people will fall in love with them, would like to have them and reach for them.
Products and services will only be “goods” if you present them as such. Therefore, the next circle is an act of changing what surrounds a potential product or service, adding and emphasizing additional usability and support. The best example, known to all, is Ikea. In addition to selling furniture, Ikea has included its assembly and delivery in its offer. And that’s what people are talking about!
The last, but in the fact the first circle is the product or service itself. When the product or service you sell tells a story for itself; when it is impressive and worth recommending and talking about, when it imposes its own rules on the market – marketing seems to be a lot easier.
So, if you are in doubt and worry about why your marketing activities do not have good results – enter the first circle. In order to save money and avoid problems with “shouting” about the product / service, make sure that the product or service you are selling is marketing designed.
And finally, we would add the fifth round: Operando help!
By providing a wide range of services, and thus mastering all “marketing circles”, Operando is at your service to find your “place under the stars” or strengthen the foundations of business in the region.
