Marketing: Is it done to people or for people?

Do you believe that Marketing is a bad thing done to people?

According to Seth Godin author of This is Marketing, “Marketing is about spreading ideas, and spreading ideas is the single most important output of our civilization.”

In my personal opinion and based upon what I have read in Godin’s book, we are all marketers, and we all are inclined to make change. Marketing isn’t just about the cold calls anymore, it is about providing a change in a person’s life. It isn’t about selling a product, but more about telling a story of how a product may change a person’s life. “Marketing isn’t just selling soap”(Seth Godin).

Now when it comes to telling that story, everyone becomes their own marketer. When you tell a joke to a friend, ask for a raise from your boss, or fundraise for something, you are telling a story about those particular events. To make your product even better, Godin says, “Marketers make things better by making change happen. Sharing your path to better is called marketing.” So a marketer’s job is to simply put into perspective the need that a person has for their product (when asking for a raise, you are marketing your skills for the raise), and how that particular product is going to solve that need. The best way to do that, is to present a change for the audience that a marketer presents to.

While I only have significant experience on the sales side of marketing, I would like to say it creates an understanding of the principles that Godin presents in his book. With my sales experience, I have worked for a company for the past three years in the roles of representative, assistant manager, and branch manager. Through that time, it has always been a focus of mine to preach things like telling your story and the value that a product presents to a customer. If the value is presented as higher than the price, then that is truly a fulfilled job by a marketer. If your customer can attach themself to the story and the value that the product brings, then there is no telling what can happen moving forward. That person might not only be a customer of the company, but soon will be a brand advocate as well. And that itself is our goal as marketers, to not only make the sale, but to also create a lifelong partner in each of our customers from day one to the end of time.

With this information, people can now truly understand that marketers are not doing something to people, but they are doing something for other people. Their ideas, products, and then stories truly create an atmosphere that presents a positive future outlook in the minds of their customers.

This Is Marketing Citation:

Godin, Seth. This Is Marketing. Penerbit PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2018.