MARKETING TERMS
- By Peter Spellman
- Published 01/1/2007
- The Business
- Unrated
Advertising. Marketing. Sales. Promotions. What are the differences? The following story has circulated the marketing world for decades and offers some good answers for what's what in the field of marketing communications:
If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying "Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday," that's ADVERTISING.
If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's PROMOTION.
If the elephant walks through the mayor's flowerbed, that's PUBLICITY.
And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that's PUBLIC RELATIONS.
If the town's citizens go to the circus, and you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they'll have spending money there, and answer questions, ultimately, if they spend a lot of money at the circus, that's SALES.
Because marketing involves way more than marketing communications, here's how the circus story might continue if it went on to show where research, product development, and the rest of the components of the marketing process fit in:
If, before painting the sign that says "Circus coming to the Fairground Saturday," you check community calendars to see whether
conflicting events are scheduled, study who typically attends the circus, and figure out how much they're willing to pay and what kinds of services and activities they prefer, that's MARKET RESEARCH.
If you invent elephant ears for people to eat while they're waiting for elephant rides, that's PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.
If you create an offer that combines a circus ticket, an elephant ear, and
elephant ride, and a memory-book elephant photo, that's PACKAGING.
If you get a restaurant named Elephants to sell your elephant package, that's DISTRIBUTION.
If you ask everyone who took an elephant ride to participate in a survey, that's CUSTOMER RESEARCH.
If you follow up by sending each survey participant a thank-you not along with a two-for-one coupon to next year's circus, that's CUSTOMER SERVICE.
And if you use the survey responses to develop new products, revise pricing, and enhance distribution, then you've started the marketing process all over again
TAKE YOUR MUSIC MARKETING TO NEW HEIGHTS!!!
with INDIE MARKETING POWER: THE RESOURCE GUIDE FOR MAXIMIZING YOUR MUSIC MARKETING by Peter Spellman
If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying "Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday," that's ADVERTISING.
If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's PROMOTION.
If the elephant walks through the mayor's flowerbed, that's PUBLICITY.
And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that's PUBLIC RELATIONS.
If the town's citizens go to the circus, and you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they'll have spending money there, and answer questions, ultimately, if they spend a lot of money at the circus, that's SALES.
Because marketing involves way more than marketing communications, here's how the circus story might continue if it went on to show where research, product development, and the rest of the components of the marketing process fit in:
If, before painting the sign that says "Circus coming to the Fairground Saturday," you check community calendars to see whether
If you invent elephant ears for people to eat while they're waiting for elephant rides, that's PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.
If you create an offer that combines a circus ticket, an elephant ear, and
elephant ride, and a memory-book elephant photo, that's PACKAGING.
If you get a restaurant named Elephants to sell your elephant package, that's DISTRIBUTION.
If you ask everyone who took an elephant ride to participate in a survey, that's CUSTOMER RESEARCH.
If you follow up by sending each survey participant a thank-you not along with a two-for-one coupon to next year's circus, that's CUSTOMER SERVICE.
And if you use the survey responses to develop new products, revise pricing, and enhance distribution, then you've started the marketing process all over again
TAKE YOUR MUSIC MARKETING TO NEW HEIGHTS!!!
with INDIE MARKETING POWER: THE RESOURCE GUIDE FOR MAXIMIZING YOUR MUSIC MARKETING by Peter Spellman
Peter Spellman
Peter Spellman is director of career development at Berklee College of Music, Boston, and founder of Music Business Solutions, a training resource for music entrepreneurs. He is the author of "The Self-Promoting Musician," "Indie Power," and several other music career guides.
View all articles by Peter Spellman