1. What exactly is Marketing?
Gemma Paisley, Rotherham.
There is often a lot of confusion surrounding the concept of Marketing and, often, activities that would come under Advertising or PR are often misleadingly classed as 'Marketing'. According to the Chartered Institute of Marketing, 'Marketing is the management process which identifies, anticipates, and supplies customer requirements efficiently and profitably'. Quite simply, the concept of Marketing is a process whereby you find out what customers want, and then finding a way to meet those wants and needs in a cost-effective manner. Marketing is very much customer led.
2. What is the difference between Marketing, Advertising and PR?
Martin Pearce, Huddersfield
It is sometimes quite difficult to work out the difference between these three activities because they do seem so similar. They are quite different concepts. Marketing, however, will include certain elements of advertising and PR within its remit. So, Marketing is about finding out what people want to buy: how they will buy it, why they will buy it, what price they will pay etc and meeting those customer requirements. We are all familiar with the different types of advertising that we see and hear every day. What each type attempts to do is to emphasise to its target audience the clear benefits of its product or service, in the most cost-effective way. So, marketing finds out what people want and how it can be achieved, and advertising persuades the customers why they want to buy the products or services. PR or Public Relations, according to the Institute of Public Relations is 'the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public.' PR, therefore, is about influencing the ways in which a company is seen by other individuals and organisations. Its 'public' can include the local community, shareholders, the employers within the organisation etc. So, whilst each of these activities has a clearly defined role, the three are often interlinked.
3. I work in the creative sector but I want to change the focus of my business. How do I write a Marketing Plan?
Tim Jones, Sheffield
A Marketing Plan is designed to help you make some key decisions and choices about your business. It will clarify for you a plan of action, help you to decide what tools and methods you should use and it will enable you to decide on the allocation of your time and resources.
You should aim to include:
- a description of the product, including what it is and who it is aimed at
- the USPs (Unique Selling Points) of the product and why it will appeal to people
- the 'profile' of your potential customers/attendees
- the price. Think about what you will need to charge in order to hit your own income targets, and aim to strike a healthy balance between this and what your customers will see as 'good value'
- targets for attendance figures or sales
- the tools and methods you will use to market yourself, your product or your event
- your Marketing budget
- people – any additional help you will need, for example a PR representative
- how you will monitor and evaluate the outcomes of your marketing campaign, including all successes and failures.
- A detailed timetable of tasks indicating who will do what and when – this will help you keep to deadlines
There are courses you can attend to help you with things like this. For example, CIDA often runs courses on marketing. Please contact Melanie Mclaughlin at melanie@cida.org for more details.
4. What is the Marketing Mix?
Karen Turner, Tadcaster
The Marketing Mix encompasses what is commonly called 'the 4 Ps'. These are Product, Price, Promotion and Place.
Product – think carefully about what you are presenting. Does the product suit the people, is it the right time to present it etc. It is important to get the right 'fit' between the product, its market, and how and where you promote it. It is important to always be aware of your competition – are you offering something innovative?, or, are you in danger of missing your markets?
Price – It is very important to set the right price. If it is too high, some will be put off. If it is too low, you run the risk of devaluing the product/event. It is important to emphasise that the price offers good values for money.
Promotion – This can cover a wide range of activities but the most important thing to remember is to produce relevant information in an appropriate style, with your target market/audience in mind.
Place – How and where you 'place' your product is vital to attracting and sustaining your audience. It can refer to an actual location of an event, for example, the physical environment you offer, the time it takes place, and even how you 'position' it within your target market. Remember, a product or event that is publicised in a visual style and language that is inappropriate or uninspiring to those it wishes to attract, will miss its market.
Just remember the 4Ps: product, price, place and promotion, and remember to address each within your marketing plan.
5. I am interested in getting into a career in Marketing. Do I need to have a Marketing degree?
Sarah King, Huddersfield
Whilst most recruiters are looking for graduates, or equivalent, to fill their vacancies, it is not always necessary to have a degree in Marketing. Even if you are not a graduate, this does not mean you cannot enjoy a career in marketing. People go into marketing careers with degrees in English, History, French, Pitman typing qualifications, doctorates, A levels, HNDs in design, sandwich degrees in business and a lot more. Most recruiters would agree that it is you as a person, plus your experience, which counts. Most people in the business would advise you to continue on to higher education if you possibly can. Some recruiters will look for certain subjects at degree level, whereas others will look for your degree class.
If you do not have a degree qualification, you can still get into the business. BTEcs and GNVQs are an option and I would advise contacting your local careers office or college to find out more information. It is also possible to transfer across to a marketing job once you are already in another type of job, often through taking one or more of the professional qualifications in your spare time. Contact the Chartered Institute of Marketing about their professional qualifications and courses.
6. What is the difference between Marketing and Sales?
Ruth Johnson, Barnsley
Whereas marketing is designed to find out what customers want and then determines the means to satisfy those customer requirements, sales is often more focused on trying to persuade the customer to buy 'a good deal'.
7. I've heard people refer to 'Direct Marketing'....what does this mean?
Mike Evans, Shelley
Direct Marketing is an advertising method which is aimed at creating a direct relationship between a 'company' and the potential customer/client. The advertising materials are delivered either individually or in mass to the target customer/client using techniques such as telemarketing, targeted mail that comes through the door, magazine adverts and brochures. The important thing to remember is that Direct Marketing is always targeted (even though some people think of bits of it as junk mail). The advent of email & the internet has revolutionised direct marketing.
8. Do most companies and organisations today have Marketing departments?
Simon McGowan, Bradford
Many organisations have people within their company (in-house) to carry out marketing for the business. Organisations decide how much they do in-house and how much out-of-house for various reasons, including the quality of the specialists available, the type of work they want done, the budget, and the regularity of the work. Many large companies use a combination of both in-house and out-of-house experts, with the marketing manager being responsible for appointing and monitoring the work of the professional agency.
9. I've heard people talk about B2B Marketing and B2C Marketing....what do these stand for?
Carol Sandford, Sheffield
B2B stands for Business-to-Business as in businesses doing business with other businesses. It refers to the marketing of goods and services by one organisation to another. B2C stands for Business-to-Consumer. This type of communication is directed at individuals or the general public, rather than to other businesses.
10. I am a photographer and would like to set up my own business. Can Marketing help me?
John Taylor, York
The short answer is yes. Marketing will help any business, new or established. The important thing to remember is that marketing is a vital part of any organisation, but it doesn’t have to be wildly expensive. It must, however, be controlled – marketing cannot take care of itself. Marketing is about how to build a relationship between customers and products so you must inform people about your product and encourage them to buy. Perhaps one of the best marketing devices you can employ is to have a website for your company. Have a look at Carmen Cheetham's previous Ask the Expert on 'How to set up your own website' for more information. A website provides a vital link between you and your market and is a good way for them to contact you. If you do receive emails from customers, it is always best to respond to them promptly and efficiently. I would suggest attending a course or seminar on marketing which will give you specific information on what you should do next. CIDA do run such courses from time to time so contact Melanie McLaughlin at melanie@cida.org to find out more information.
Ask the Expert: Marketing