by Marketing Dan | 20 Dec 2015 | Marketing Tips
Marketing Research for Small Business Marketing research should be an integral part of your marketing planning, whatever you are selling – ice cream, shoes, fishing tackle or burgers, it will pay you to know as much as possible about your target market. Many small business owners think they cannot afford to carry out marketing research, they have heard that large companies spend thousands of dollars carrying out marketing research and assume they have to do the same. Many large companies do indeed spend thousands of their marketing dollars on research, they set up research teams, carry out large surveys, have focus group meetings, arrange for testing panels to be set up and conduct extensive qualitative research into their new product or service. However for the smaller business there are ways to carry out marketing research and not spend a fortune doing it 1) you can survey your existing customers. 2) You can set up small focus groups 3) Research on line – search for reports, international trends and magazine articles about similar products or services 4) Check out what people are searching for on Google 5) Don’t rely on the opinions of your close friends and family often – their opinion will be swayed by your enthusiasm for your project. These will all take time if done properly but good market research can help you avoid the expensive mistake of launching a product or service that nobody wants. Lastly but probably most effective, – use a Marketing Company – Here at Assist Marketing we have our own market research databases and research panels that we can draw on to help...
by Marketing Dan | 7 Dec 2015 | Marketing Tips
What is Marketing?? a simple question put to me yesterday by a student leaving school next year. I have my definition of Marketing, – everything you do before and after a sale to ensure your client gets satisfaction from the sale. however there are many different answers to the What is Marketing question A quick Google search found at least 70 different answers to the question what is marketing, without even trying!! Wikipedia for example Marketing is about communicating the value of a product, service or brand to customers or consumers for the purpose of promoting or selling that product, service, or brand. The oldest – and perhaps simplest and most natural form of marketing – is ‘word of mouth’ (WOM) marketing, in which consumers convey their experiences of a product, service or brand in their day-to-day communications with others. These communications can of course be either positive or negative. I quite like this quote from Gini Dietrich the founder and CEO of an American Marketing company called Arment Dietrich Marketing is branding, naming, pricing, and the bridge between paid and earned media. It is NOT sales. This definition by Sam Fiorella from Sam Fiorella.com puts a sporting perspective on what is marketing Marketing is the business’ play-maker. As with successful hockey franchises, the most valuable player is not always the player who scores the most goals but the player who creates the play that allows others to score (think Gretzky, Crosby or Orr). A great marketing team assesses the brand’s playing field, quickly captures their competitor’s position, strengths and weaknesses, maps it against their team’s position, strengths and...
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