Marketing Insights

Based on Marketing Warfare by Al Ries and Jack Trout

Out of a thousand men who are remarkable, some for mind, others for boldness or strength of will, perhaps not one will combine in himself all those qualities which are required to raise a man above mediocrity in the career of a general!

Karl Von Clausewitz

The Four Types of Marketing Warfare

Defensive:
Only for the leader. Attack yourself is the best way. Block strong competitor moves.

The Four Types of Marketing Warfare

Offensive:
Only for and also-ran. Find a weakness in the leaders strength. E.g.: Long queue.

Flanking:
Uncontested area.

The Four Types of Marketing Warfare

Guerilla:
Find a segment in the market small enough to defend. Never act like the leader. Develop Allies. Be prepared to bug out at a moments notice.

Marketing Wisdom

Theres no such thing as good marketing strategy in the abstract. Good strategy is bad. And bad strategy is good. It all depends on who is going to use it. The business world is evolving to being competitor-driven rather than customerdriven. Ask yourself what position you occupy in the market place before you apply a strategy. The position is set by the customer: Customer-mind map!

Marketing Wisdom

Unkept promises undermine morale. The truth will out!

Marketing Wisdom
Without pursuit, no victory can have a great effect: The pour-it-on principle. Success breeds success.

Marketing Wisdom
When you own the pie, you should try to enlarge the pie, rather than try to increase the size of your slice.

Marketing Wisdom
The statesman who, seeing war inevitable, hesitates to strike first is guilty of a crime against his country: Karl von Clausewitz.

Strategy Development

Ways to develop strategy:

As form follows function, strategy should follow tactics. The use of advertising at the tactical level is CRUCIAL!

The ivory-tower think-tank approach Get-away-from-the-phones, get-away-from-itall approach BOTH ARE WRONG!

Strategy Development
At any given point in time, ONE objective should dominate a companys strategic plans.

Strategy Development

Attack and counterattack: For every action, states a law of physics, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Many marketing commanders draw up battle plans as if the enemy will make no response. NOTHING is FURTHER from the TRUTH! Expect the COUNTERATTACK!

Is Marketing Really War?

Marketing is like a football match. You cant run straight to score the goal (make more sales!) War belongs to the province of business competition, which is also a conflict of human interests and activities: Karl von Clausewitz. War without bloodshed? Ethical Considerations in Marketing

The AMA Code of Ethics

Could Egyptian Marketing Professionals Agree on a List of Rules, Perhaps Similar to This? The IMI Journal. Members of the AMA are committed to Ethical Professional Conduct

Responsibilities of the Marketer

Marketers must accept responsibility for the consequences of their activities and make every effort to ensure that that their decisions, recommendations and actions function to identify, serve and satisfy all relevant publics: Customers, organizations, and society.

Responsibilities of the Marketer

Marketers Professional Conduct must be guided by:

The basic rule of professional ethics: Not knowingly to do harm; The adherence to all applicable laws and regulations; The accurate representation of their education, training, and experience; and The active support, practice, and promotion of this Code of Ethics.

Honesty and Fairness

Marketers shall uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and dignity of the marketing profession by:

Being honest in serving customers, clients, employees, suppliers, distributors, and the public; Not knowingly participating in conflict of interest without prior notice to all parties involved; and Establishing equitable fee schedules including the payment or receipt of usual, customary and/or legal compensation for marketing exchanges.

Rights and Duties of Parties in the Marketing Exchange Process

Participants in the marketing exchange process should be able to expect that:

Products and services offered are safe and fit for their intended uses; Communications about offered products and services are not deceptive; All parties intend to discharge their obligations, financial and otherwise, in good faith; and Appropriate internal methods exist for equitable adjustment and/or redress of grievances concerning purchases.

In the Area of Product Development and Management

Disclosure of all substantial risks associate with product or service usage; Identification of any product component substitution that might materially change the product or impact on the buyers purchase decision; Identification of extra cost-added features.

In the Area of Promotions

Avoidance of false and misleading advertising; Rejection of high-pressure manipulations, or misleading sales tactics; Avoidance of sales promotions that use deception or manipulation.

In the Area of Distribution

Not manipulating the availability of a product for the purpose of exploitation; Not using coercion in the marketing channel; Not exerting undue influence over the resellers choice to handle a product.

In the Area of Pricing

Not engaging in price fixing; Not practicing predatory pricing; disclosing the full price associated with any purchase.

In the Area of Marketing Research

Prohibiting selling or fundraising under the guise of conducting research; Maintaining research integrity by avoiding misrepresentation and omission of pertinent research data; Treating outside clients and suppliers fairly.

Organizational Relationships
Marketers should be aware of how their behavior may influence or impact the behavior of others in organizational relationships. They should not demand, encourage, or apply coercion to obtain unethical behavior in their relationships with others, such as employees, suppliers, or customers.

Organizational Relationships
Apply confidentiality and anonymity in professional relationships with regard to privileged information; Meet their obligations and responsibilities in contracts and mutual agreements in a timely manner; Avoid taking the work of others, in whole or in part, and representing this work as their own or directly benefiting from it without compensation or consent of the originator or owner; Avoid manipulation to take advantage of situations to maximize personal welfare in a way that unfairly deprives or damages the organization of others.

AMA Code for MRKT on the Internet

PRIVACY: Info collected from customers should be confidential and used only for expressed purposes. Data should be safeguarded against unauthorized access. OWNERSHIP: Info obtained from Internet sources should be properly authorized and documented. ACCESS: Marketers should treat access to accounts, passwords, and other info as confidential, and ONLY examine or disclose content when authorized by a responsible party. The integrity of others information systems should be respected with regard to placement of information, advertising or messages.

Moral Judgment vs. Moral Awareness

Any AMA members found to be in violation of any provision of this Code of Ethics may have his or her Association membership suspended or revoked