Focus on the customer … focus on the customer. This juicy advisory morsel has been served unceasingly to brand marketers far and wide. It has been observed faithfully since the dawn of civilization. The reason for its prevalence is a matter of practicality – it works wonders for revenues. When it comes to boosting the bottom line, said customer is the prime mover, the master who decides – buy or bye-bye. Thus, brand marketers are compelled to lavish attention galore on this VIP.
Catering to customers, however, doesn’t mean ignoring your own backyard. Far from it. Successful brand marketing also depends on the maintenance and nurturing of effective internal processes. Among these processes is the marketing information system (MkIS).
In a nutshell, a marketing information system gathers, stores, and analyzes specific data for the purpose of optimizing marketing decisions. As digital information proliferates, such systems will play an increasingly important role in future marketing policies and strategies. In fact, they’ll be downright indispensable, if they aren’t already.
Sure, your computer bulges with the raw data you’ve unceasingly hunted down. But the mega-load’s value and efficiency will elude you unless properly organized and evaluated. A well-tuned marketing information system ensures the completeness, accuracy, timeliness, affordability, and user-friendliness of all accumulated data.
A Mission of Monumental Proportions
A marketing information system carries out its mission in distinct phases. The first of these is the inputting of data, generously supplied by customers, competing businesses eager for a slice of the pie, and internal operations.
Secondly, info must be properly stored and distributed, not mashed into an incomprehensible glob. Thus, it’s imperative that your info squad drop their gathered data into pre-designated locations for easy retrieval. Unless, of course, your company prefers lengthy sessions of hide’ n seek.
Next in line is the analysis process. Here’s where the appointed honchos chew and digest precious info-loads, summarizing and comparing as needed. Among the topics generally touched on at this stage are future budgets.
The fourth phase is the presentation of the analysis to decision makers — typically in the form of a riveting report and/or eye-catching graphics.
Finally comes the long awaiting decision, which, if the analysis is worthy of the name, will be made quickly, efficiently, and in time for the weekend.
If you have any questions or comments about marketing information management, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.