Over at Ageless Marketing, David Wolfe writes persuasively about how some corporations are starting to understand the importance of caring about your customers.
He cites several reports and articles to support this idea. He even mentions a naysayer who thinks this concept is bunk (and then he refutes him).
What I really like about David's post is how he ties this important idea to the value of marketing a company. And he points out that old school marketing becomes less effective and less necessary the more companies care about their customers.
"Interestingly, few of the companies we cited as exemplars in Firms of Endearment have much of an advertising budget. They are masters at creating buzz on a low cost basis. "
and...
"Harley-Davidson, Whole Foods, Patagonia and others we identify as exemplars of CSR hold a special place in the hearts of a large segment of their consumer constituencies."
This concept goes by different names like CSR (corporate social responsibility) and SRM (stakeholder relationship management).
I just call it good business.
If you manage your business simply to make money or to meet a budget, then everything you do will be focused on your goals and your needs. People aren't dumb. They get this. All the advertising and marketing in the world will not fool them.
But, if you run your business to serve your customers, then everything you do will focus on how you can best serve their needs.
They'll figure this out too.
And you'll find, like the companies mentioned above, you probably can spend less on advertising and traditional marketing. Because you won't need to cram phony, self-serving message down your customer's throats.
When you focus on taking care of your customers, your message comes through loud and clear. People will hear it. They will respond to it. And they'll pass it on.
Then your marketing and communications effort becomes easy. Just keep doing what you're doing. Your actions and your customers will deliver the best message you can send.
Comment Preview