Seattle Brand Strategy: Marketing As A Value-Added Service

Your product or service is not the only way that you can create value for your customers. Marketing is emerging with an expanded role to include value creation itself. Seattle, this is a great new brand strategy for your business.

Written Jun 12, 2008, read 450 times since then.

Marketing has historically been a series of actions that are undertaken to exert influence over consumer preference and choice. However, the trap is to think about marketing as a means to talk about your company versus solving a prospect’s unmet need. Solving this unmet need can start before a single purchase has ever been made. Marketing itself can deliver against your brand promise.

An emerging model is to think of marketing not as a force of influence, but a valued resource that is utilized at the discretion of the customer. Can marketing be a source of value itself? More than 50% of business-to-business marketing professionals in a recent survey planned on using webinars as a lead generation tool in 2008. Biznik is a great example of valued collaboration within efforts to market your company.

Other ideas include blogs, networking sites, newsletters, tips, alerts, seminars, education, bundled services and more as areas of great opportunity for marketing to extend value.

Here are some specific examples:

1. A world-class rodeo roper and instructor just added a yahoo community to his site to help novice ropers collaborate (with his help) as a means to promote his schools.

2. While attending a women’s expo, a marriage counselor handed out a pamphlet with 10 great exercises for couples to explore over dinner.

3. A bed & breakfast mailed out CDs with the sounds of nature to attract more vacationers to their Napa Valley location.

4. A dog trainer hired teens to hand out branded baggies to pet owners at parks, trails and events.

5. A local gym emailed out a simple calorie counter to all existing members that quickly spread to friends and family.

6. A local band offered one of their latest songs as a free download off their website.

7. A local bakery offered a recipe for a gourmet cookie or pastry every month.

This doesn’t mean that we are doing away with advertising, direct mail or websites. But it does mean that we have to start thinking differently about how we create value for customers beyond the product or service itself. As business owners, we need to think in terms of creating long-term value that leads to satisfaction and referrals. Large or small, if companies need to support a value proposition over the long term, then what is marketing’s role in that value creation? What value can marketing provide in addition to the product or service itself?

The Internet has enabled value-based marketing in tremendously scalable and affordable ways. Knowledge is value if packaged correctly and assembled for your customers. Google is a shining example of the value of information, aggregated into relevant, consumable portions.

Value-based marketing has the potential to change the way that consumers perceive your company, more as an advocate than marketer. The definition of an advocate is “A person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc.” An advocate is seen as an ally, a helper, a resource and is usually in a better position to gain trust. The end result is a translation into increased sales and loyalty.

Learn more about the author, Steve MacDonald.

Comment on this article

Posted by Nancy Juetten, Bellevue, Washington | Jun 12, 2008

Steve,

Your insights are going to be welcome at BizNik. Keep on sharing articles so we can all benefit from your sage advice!
Posted by Pamela Ziemann, Bellevue, Washington | Jun 12, 2008

Thanks for sharing your slant on this Steve. The last paragraph says so much about how our world is shifting.

Funny paradox how old advertising emphasized what's in it for the customer but really had their own interest in mind. Now if we actually tell our clients why it's important to us we're able to give more.

Thanks again Steve, great article.

Energetic Speaking Coach in Bellevue & Seattle
Posted by Steve MacDonald, Seattle, Washington | Jun 12, 2008

Thanks for the comments so far. It is just so easy to talk about ourselves in our marketing, and really, marketing should be the first stage of how to start helping our business's customers and prospects. It is a shift in mentality.

THanks.

Steve

Taking the cost & complexity out of marketing
Posted by Noreen Wedman, M.S., Seattle, Washington | Jun 12, 2008

Great tips and a great concept. I find that spent time up front with potential clients increases the percentage of inquirers scheduling first time sessions. The time I spend before I meet potential clients in person always includes useful information and it lets them know that I care about them as an individual.

Thanks for the article.
Posted by Trina Bol, Mount Vernon, Washington | Jun 12, 2008

I think that Pamela is right - telling our clients why they should use us is important but the key is understanding that for ourselves. (What really sets us apart for our competition in the market)

Marketing can be confusing and the most difficult part of being a small business and too many of us get trapped trying to be everything to everyone instead of spending the time to discover the thing we excel at and honing in on it for marketing.

We can do everything in our specific industry but what is it that we love doing and do exceptionally? That is the key to long term marketing results.

destinations, incentives, event production
Posted by Chris Haddad, Seattle, Washington | Jun 12, 2008

Hey Steve,

Good article. There's actually an old direct marketing concept called "Make your advertising itself useful."

The idea is that if your "Ad" actually provides some value, people will be a lot more likely to keep it around and to eventually put money in your pocket.

Now, that's not to say that you don't have to go for the pitch at some point (or actually lay the offer out on the line and explain why it's a good one) but giving away the "good stuff" is a great way to build up a relationship with your customers, gain trust and develop credibility.

It's also fun.
Posted by Howard Howell, Seattle, Washington | Jun 12, 2008

Steve... Not only was it a pleasure to meet you today at our Biznik Lunch, it is a joy to read your well written and informative article.

Your ideas remind me of a recent book I've read and would suggest to anyone wanting some enjoyable inspiration on this same subject.

Many indies are definitely "go-getters" while they would be better served by becoming "go-givers". The book is by Bob Burg and is titled: the Go-Giver.

It is a quick read and very inspirational. ...Howard

Expert Sales and Profit Trainer - That Sales Guy
Posted by Jack Fecker, Seattle, Washington | Jun 13, 2008

It was a pleasure meeting you today at lunch. I'm not much for advertising but once I put and ad in the Seattle Times giving away a loaf of bread if they brought the ad to my restaurant and had dinner. It was called THE BREADLINE RESTAURANT so it was a great selling tool and taught me a wonderful lesson. That was to give every customer that came to my business something that they didn't expect. Iv'e been doing this ever since 1974. I love promotins so I guess this would be considerd a marketing promotion.....Jack
Posted by Howard Howell, Seattle, Washington | Jun 13, 2008

Jack inspired me to share this tidbit.

Back in the 1980's I started a fast-food franchise called Chick'n Spuds and part of each unit marketing operations procedures included the local managers walking the streets in a one-mile radius at least 2 mornings a week giving local businesses Chick'n Bucks worth $1 each in trade at the local unit.

This created value and good will because we were giving away something with no strings attached. Based on store traffic results and net cost, it was some of the best 'advertising' that we did. ...Howard

Expert Sales and Profit Trainer - That Sales Guy
Posted by Leta Laborde, DC, Bothell, Washington | Jun 13, 2008

Hey, You don't mess around do you? 24 hours in Biznik and you wrote a fantastic article and attended three events! Yowser! Great to have met you over ice breakers and Energizers today - Welcome aboard... -Leta

Stress-less Strategies for Businesses & Individuals
Posted by Steve MacDonald, Seattle, Washington | Jun 13, 2008

Thanks Leta. I guess that's part of the beauty of the network is the more we use it, the better it gets. In my Past Corporate Life, I have never felt as much genuine cooperation as I have in just 24 hours here. I'm glad to be a part of the network.

Taking the cost & complexity out of marketing
Posted by Dan McComb, Seattle, Washington | Jun 13, 2008

Great meeting you last night, Steve. I love what you just wrote - that's a fantastic quote that I'd like to use on the website here as a testimonial, beginning with "In my past..." May I quote you?

Biznik Business Networking
Posted by Bob Reynolds, Redmond, Washington | Jun 14, 2008

Steve,

These are great ideas. It is refreshing to hear from people who understand that marketing is more than traditional advertising.

Giving something away to encourage business particularly repeat business is a great idea, but too many people fail to grasp the concept of providing something for something. And too many business owners discount the value of rewarding your most valuable customers - those who continue to do business with you.

Look at the number of businesses that offer a discount for "new customers' only" while ignoring the value of repeat buyers.

Why is a new customer more important than a repeat customer? Common sense and cost of acquisition tell a different story, but business give-a-ways frequently ignore the profitable to court the most expensive.

I'd like to see you address promotions that reward your most profitable customer to remind them how valuable their business is.

Great article! Keep them coming.

Bob

website developer
Posted by Steve MacDonald, Seattle, Washington | Jun 16, 2008

Thanks for the post Bob. There is the notion that it is five times easier to monetize an existing customer than it is to find and sell a new customer. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is an area that is incredibly undervalued by most businesses, even though it can provide the largest returns.

We should all be thinking each day about how we are extending value to existing customer relationships. Part of the benefit is that happy customers recommend us to new customers. And referral business is always the best. I would much rather answer the phone from somebody who was pre-disposed to use my services than to try and sell somebody cold.

However you look at it, a focus on the customers you already have just makes great sense.

Thanks for the input.

Steve

Taking the cost & complexity out of marketing