When has marketing ever been responsible for sales?
Never!
Marketing (digital, traditional, or 360) has never been and will never be responsible for sales. There's always a gray area when it comes to the responsibilities of marketing, and it's not just a straight path to a sale. Marketing is tasked with influencing the consumer's thoughts and choices, thereby bringing them closer to the sale. It's about creating impressions (brand essence, brand image, top of mind), driving traffic to online or offline destinations, increasing brand reputation, communicating messages and emotions, and much more. Let's start from the beginning to understand how a sale is made. Remember the classic 4 Ps?
Now there are 9.
✔️ Product
✔️ Price
✔️ Promotion
✔️ Place
✔️ Psychology
✔️ People
✔️ Process
✔️ Physical evidence (social proof of business)
✔️ Positioning
With these 9 Ps, finely tuned to each other and correctly placed in the coveted Sales Funnel
✔️ Awareness
✔️ Consideration
✔️ Evaluation
✔️ Intent
✔️ Purchase
✔️ Loyalty
and ALSO in the consumer's Touchpoints
✔️ Online Ads
✔️ Social
✔️ TV
✔️ Radio
✔️ Email
✔️ Reviews
✔️ Website etc.
👉 a brand achieves the coveted sale! Difficult, isn't it? And wait until you see the implementation of all these in combination! Also, when we talk about 'sale', we're not necessarily talking about items but also about Brand philosophy. In the case of Apple, you first bought into 'Dream Big' and then the products.
These coveted 9 Ps must also work 'like clockwork' in relation to
A. The advertised brand,
B. The competitive landscape, and more than ever with
C. The social factors that affect Psychology
—in other words, when we're going through a natural, political, or health crisis, all the Ps malfunction or collapse.
Even more difficult, right?
Also, the sales Process may work 'by the book' and correctly, but if the competitor has a better process, more modern, seamless, etc., then the P doesn't have the competitive advantage. We, the digital marketers, can— always under certain conditions —define and influence 1. Promotion, 2. Process (online only), 3. Positioning, and 4. The online Physical evidence. But with these alone, sales are not made, though they do create favorable conditions for a sale to occur.
Without marketing, sales can't happen, but marketing is not sales. Marketing is the journey that prepares the consumer for the final destination—the sale. It's the journey to Ithaca!
At di360°, we understand this journey intimately. Our array of services is designed to cover every aspect of this multifaceted process. From crafting compelling narratives in our Content Creation to sculpting a robust online presence with Web Development and E-commerce Solutions, we embrace the nuances of digital storytelling. Our Performance Marketing ensures that your brand's essence translates into tangible results, while our Strategic Planning aligns your brand's core values with the modern consumer's evolving needs.
Visit us at di360° to discover how we can bring your digital strategy to life.
Enjoy the journey, be creative, invest, and stop complaining.