My favorite question as a marketer that I’ve ever received is “what’s the marketing magic bullet?” This question automatically implied the following thoughts to me:
- What’s the one ad we can run or product we can develop that will increase sales and solve all of our problems?
- What’s the shortcut to success?
- What’s the one magical thing I can do that will solve all of my business problems?
- I want a tactic that I can implement that just magically prints money.
Fundamentally, the marketing magic bullet simply does not exist. If you really want to know the truth – just like marketing – an integrated strategy addressing multiple areas of your business will be your path to success, i.e. the ‘experience’. The magic bullet really is WOWING your customers with every facet and touchpoint of your brand.
I believe the WOW experience is a combination of Vision + Strategic Planning + Execution (Alignment and integration of All Departmental Activities (Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Account Services, Customer Service, IT, and Operations), + Product Experience (both before, during and after the purchase).
There is no single strategy, product, operational process or marketing tactic that will change the game on its own or bring the type of loyalty that brands like Amazon, Southwest, and Apple achieve. If you are looking to build a brand and not just sales, every customer touch point (from the marketing message to the product experience) must be carefully orchestrated to align with and exceed the expectations of the customer!
If you haven’t lately, I highly recommend you go through your own customer experience like you were a customer of your company. Notice, how it makes you feel? Were you wowed? What are your opportunities for improvement?
Business consultant, brand and marketing expert 