Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The "360° Organic Marketing" Mindset

Simply stated: "It's all and always about the customer!" What they want, need and how to be a customer solution. Keep that mindset, and you keep customers for life, PERIOD! It's not rocket science, we've just gone so far off track, we have actually come circle. Literally outsourcing the most important challenge every company has, the customer experience. Let's be clear, the customer experience, is an "in house" job!

Ad agencies survive making money off their clients. True? Absolutely! But countless ad campaigns do precious little to sell a product, connect with customers etc. and always come at a great expense. The cost of "not connecting with the customer", is in fact, far greater than the actual cost of running any campaign. That's blunt and ad agencies will hate me for stating it so clearly, but hey, I was in media for 30 years, I know this stuff!

What is "360° Organic Marketing"?

We have become experts in reaching customers and God awful at connecting with them! Organic Marketing is about growing every customer from the ground up or from inside your organization. That's why I call it an "in house" job, not to be outsourced! Every employee is customer driven. Every effort is made to grow the customer through "customer solutions" first. Meet regularly and discuss your "customer experience" game plan. Not how many coupons are we giving away? But how are we strategically & tactically "connecting" with customers, and then how are we "reconnecting". Remember, the customers for life mindset requires a continuity plan. Do that right, with continuity, and your business will stay healthy a good long time!

Why "360° Organic Marketing"?

Let's just cut to the chase here. The bean counter or CFO can no longer slash budgets and get that big bonus. Why? Because there is simply nothing left to slash and burn. Did I actually say that out loud? And the truth will set you free! I am sure you'll agree, the spirit of many companies has already been ripped out, just to save a dollar. An absolute tragedy! With sales plunging everywhere, no longer will the quick "one time" sale, be enough. It's imperative, that we establish a "customers for life" mindset. And that is a "vision statement"! CFO's don't and won't understand. Top sales people do! Sales folks eat and breath customers, CFO's eat spreadsheets all day! Organic Marketing, at it's core, makes everything about the customer experience the primary focus. We want them, and we want them coming back, over and over again!

If we hadn't messed up so badly by outsourcing everything, there would likely be no need to even discuss this. Facts are facts, and we are definitely now at a cross roads. Companies either get proactive and respond to the need for 360° Organic Marketing, or face the consequences.

Your "360° Organic Marketing" Call To Action

Start by subscribing to my newsletter. Understand what Organic Marketing is and is not! Then share what you think needs to be done to fix the problem, organically! What techniques would you put in place as soon as possible to serve "the customer experience".

We learn more through collaboration, so feel free to post your thoughts.

Don't Leave The Game Unplayed!

Mike Perras, RPM, P.Mgr

PS - I want to tell you about a university client experience. And how most post-secondary institutions really do engage the whole Organic Marketing strategy. The details are in my newsletter.

PPS - Peter Finch won an Oscar for his performance in the 1976 movie "Network". His explosive "I'm Mad As Hell & I'm Not Going To Take This Anymore" rant resonates especially well today, 30 + years later! An absolute classic every marketer needs to watch!