Sometimes the tools you’re using are not the problem, and you have to look in the mirror and face the cold hard facts.
In marketing, we talk about the “Four Ps”: product, price, place and promotion. Most people focus on the promotion side: Is our advertising ROI where it should be? Is our public relations strategy helping us gain recognition in the marketplace? These are worthy questions that need answering. But the fact is, you can have the best integrated campaign in the world. You can plan and execute and measure until you’re blue in the face. And your product could still not be a success.
At some point, you can no longer blame the mediums you’re using for promotion because promotion is really not the problem. You have to look at the other Ps. Is your price point competitive in the marketplace? Are your channels of distribution (if necessary) reaching your potential customers? If these questions can’t be answered correctly, you may want to examine whether or not your business model is even viable.
But the hardest self-examination to make is: is it your product’s fault? Meaning, when it all comes down to it, does what your selling really… well… suck? Is there even a market for it? This is a difficult question, but one that may save you time and money in the long run.
After all, who wants to spend their days promoting something no one wants?
Photo credit: tanjila
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