The long pandemic has made the needs of marketers and marketing organizations more and more, and to some extent complex, if we compare them with what could be called traditional, in addition to the way many managers consider marketing. The analyzes clearly show that there are fields of action for which marketing people require greater skill and preparation, given the circumstances we live in today, a reality that has led to criticism for those who guide what is done in order to generate and to keep the markets stronger and stronger, having even reduced and even eliminated marketing areas.
The famous article by Theodore Levitt on Marketing Myopia takes effect once again, and the doors are opened for internal marketing, as has been demonstrated during this pandemic period. For several years it has been insisted that marketers must meet characteristics and be framed within clear profiles, and it has been emphasized that marketing and sales are not synonymous, which led Peter Drucker to affirm that they were even antagonistic in many cases. Needs can be viewed from various angles, positive and negative, as preferred.
The analysis of the environments, especially those that refer to the effectiveness of what is done and the behavior of the markets is palpable, since there are great deficiencies in this field, being then a latent need the preparation for it, that is to say , to know how to analyze results against expectations of effectiveness, especially financial and investment returns (ROI), as well as what the markets expect and consumer behavior. A high percentage of the administrations consider that the analytical skills of the marketing people are neither adequate nor suitable for what is needed and expected in circumstances such as the ones we are experiencing.
The confusion generated by the content of the messages and the selected media, clearly showing the shallow depth of analysis, are very common errors, perhaps due to the immediacy and what the competition does, they are causing serious errors to be made in the processes of segmentation of markets, selection of media and agencies, and, of course, of the personnel in charge of this in the organizations. The need for marketers who know how to develop messages and select media that are truly effective is very noticeable,
Another reality that appears as one of the greatest needs of marketing and its people is the one that refers to innovation, which makes there a field of opportunities to be successful; and it is not only related to what is offered but also, and strongly, to processes that occur within the logistics of marketing. The novelty in the distribution channels, in the promotional activities, in the management of sensory stimulation and the way in which the work of attraction, training, maintenance and customer loyalty is carried out, relations with the environment and suppliers, etc. , are some of the fields in which it is imperative to change and innovate.
And be careful, the lack of integration between marketing and the other areas, as well as internal marketing, are as important as they are urgent. To think seriously!
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