We’ve all done it. You make some marketing decisions based on your own behavior, media habits and brand values. Sure, sometimes your instincts are spot on. But this only accelerates bad habits. Just like how winning in Las Vegas on your first visit can establish a false perception of your gambling skill.
The digital marketing concept is the philosophy that firms should analyze the needs of their customers and then make decisions to satisfy those needs, better than the competition. Today, most firms have adopted the marketing concept, but there will always be “Bubble-Heads”.
“Bubble-heads” see themselves as representing the target audience and impose their own bias towards those they are trying to reach. “Bubble-Heads” say things like: “we’ve been around a long time, I’m sure they know us” or “I get a stack of magazines every month and I never read one.” They make marketing decisions as if the target audience is simply a reflection of themselves.
The true professional marketer will defend the need for objectivity with a passion and say things like “what I think doesn’t matter” or “let’s test and find out” and be willing to invest in ongoing intelligence gathering and bench marking results.
To avoid “Bubble-Head” thinking requires a simple commitment to objectivity. It takes willingness to step outside of yourself and to look at the market from the customer’s point of view. Besides conducting surveys and focus groups, there is published information about every market imaginable. Plus, social media tools can provide insight into what specific audiences are thinking.
Without research, it’s not really marketing. It’s just selling. And there is good reason they sometimes call it hard selling. People aren’t buying it.
Through the worship of marketing objectivity, you can put an end to “Bubble-Head” thinking.