Continued from page 1
Social – anything from buying because of ‘acceptance’ to meet peer pressure etc
Self-realisation – full personal development,
want to own a business etc
Maslow’s system is easy to perceive as different products relate to single needs easily.
The Marketing Environment
Responsibilities and Customers
Any product or service that is provided to market must meet certain standards of quality. Some of these standards are set up by law, some are industry standards and others by businesses.
Before 1960’s, customers had little protection under law, and this seems to have transferred to internet, where there are few laws nor manpower to police this vast matrix of computers.
Most buyers are forced to use their own common sense when deciding if something is a scam or not. The Latin expression caveat emptor – “let buyer beware” – applies much these days.
The UK legal system exists and is supposed to provide a means of settling disputes – but I feel they have their work cut out for them regarding internet.
What kind of disputes do we look out for?
Goods not matching descriptions. Goods not matching descriptions in advertisements or on packaging, and is illegal and comes under The Trades Descriptions Act
The product description forms part of contract that a buyer has with seller. So any description HAS to be accurate by UK law. Terms like shrinkproof, IF USED, must be Genuine, and MUST do what it claims to do…….
And that’s Law.
So if a info product makes claim in writing on a web page (which is a publication), that if you follow directions stated, you will get 1 million visitors to your website without paying a dime in advertisement – if you follow this advice, and it doesn’t give you your visitors, then you should be able to sue for a refund.
Which brings us on to another type of dispute – Misleading Offers
Consumers can easily be misled by offers, bargains and rights concerning sales products. This interestingly, also concerns Breach of Contract, if supplier fails to deliver in some way.
This is common of internet info products area, and is an issue that isn’t going to be resolved for a long time – I feel.
Onwards and Upwards……….
Market Segmentation
Instead of trying to serve everyone (too big a market to take on) most marketers focus their efforts on different needs or wants of consumers.
Within this market-place it is possible to split people into groups (market segments) so different marketing strategies, forms of advertising etc – can be used. If you try to market a single product to entire population – you just aren’t going to satisfy everybody. The product will be wrong for most people being targeted. And can be a massive waste of ad costs as well.
Marketing to all, is known as ‘Marketing by blunderbuss’. Firing shots that will spread out towards whole market place, will just hit everyone – and you don’t want that, when you need to be selective! Being selective with your advertising, will produce best savings and get attention of correct customer.
A rifle with an accurate (targeted) sight will hit target (consumer) more efficiently, without wasting ammunition (ad budget).
Now, we’ll take a look at Marketing Mix.
*Marketing Mix *
You should be using this method – if you want to plan what you are doing, and if you want to be successful.
The ‘mix’ is just your marketing strategy – that’s all. It should be made up of these parts though:
oProduct
oPrice
oPlace
oPROMOTION
But let us deal with promotion, as that’s probably what you want to know about.
Today exchange of information takes place through media, people search for this information, so advertisers place theirs on carefully selected websites etc. The web is such a network., and network of communication is essential for promotions. And that is what you should be focussing on.
Highly popular websites.
Advertisements
You have a product, you now need to advertise it – and get it in front of an audience. This is done through proper advertising methods.
Advertisements are simply messages designed to inform, and influence certain groups (remember segments?) and this will give you best chance of selling it to them.
A space is paid for in a publication, for a limited period of time (3 months etc), and message is made up of words, colour, use of images and sound – to attract potential buyers.
* please note that it’s ‘ad space’ you are paying for – not results! But it’s in interests of publisher to make their medium popular, so that you get some kind of result. And type of Medium you choose will determine QUALITY and quantity of your result.
But you need to have advertising or people will not necessarily find you…..
At heart of advertising lies clues of where interests of consumers lie, and how they will respond to different messages. Good copywriting is important, and believe it or not, customers actually like being sold to.
Christopher is owner of an ad company offline
