Unicorny
80. The Unicorny Marketing Manifesto: What marketing is
Listen on
Episode notes
In a slight shake-up from the usual, Dom goes solo and tackles the challenge of defining marketing and its significance within businesses today.
Drawing from over 80 podcast episodes and his own experiences, Dom outlines a manifesto for modern marketing. He urges marketers to rethink their definitions and approaches, stressing the need for a unified understanding to enhance their roles' credibility and effectiveness. This episode covers:
- Diverse definitions of marketing create confusion and distrust within businesses.
- The importance of having a clear, unified definition to boost marketing's credibility.
- The impact of jargon and misapplied metrics on the perception of marketing.
- Strategies for redefining and communicating the true purpose of marketing.
Listen in to learn how redefining marketing can elevate your business and align your team's efforts.
Links
LinkedIn: Dom Hawes
Website: Unicorny.co.uk
Sponsor: Selbey Anderson
Related Unicorny episodes:
60. Cut the Jargon: Simplifying brand strategy for better results
61. Unlock the secret to beating imposter syndrome in branding
Other items referenced in this episode:
Asos reduces reliance on promotions as ‘transformation’ continues by Niamh Carroll, MarketingWeek
68. The truth about demand creation? It’s a lie.
Definition of Marketing by The Chartered Institute of Marketing
Definition of Marketing by the American Marketing Association
56. How to change KPI chaos into customer bliss
Marketing Land by The Proper Marketing Club
62. Segmentation secrets: precision marketing in niche markets
63. Market share masterclass: blending organic growth and M&A
LinkedIn responses to ‘Define Marketing’:
Definition number one:
“Marketing is the activities of a business intended to create awareness of a company's product or services, cultivate authority in their niche and convert that recognition into purchase intent and commercial conversations.”
Definition number two:
“Marketing is gaining trust, showing value and guiding the decision to invest.”
Definition number three:
“Marketing is how you prepare for future, sustainable, growth. Sales is by nature short sighted, Marketing is strategic.”
Definition number four:
“Marketing is understanding, positively engaging, and aiding customers.”
Definition number five – it’s a short one:
“Marketing is generating demand.”
Definition number six:
“Marketing is the commercialisation and exploitation of innovation that answers a defined customer need.”
Chapter summaries
Introduction to the marketing conundrum
Dom Hawes begins by questioning the current understanding of marketing and its implications within businesses. He shares his findings from asking marketing professionals to define marketing, highlighting the lack of consensus and its consequences.
The problem with diverse definitions
Dom discusses the issues arising from marketers not having a unified definition of marketing. He explains how this inconsistency leads to a lack of respect and understanding from other business functions.
Misconceptions and jargon in marketing
Exploring the common misconceptions and jargon that plague the marketing profession, Dom emphasizes the need for clarity and simplicity. He critiques the overuse of digital marketing tools and the misinterpretation of marketing's role as merely a lead generation function.
The flawed metrics and ROI obsession
Dom critiques the prevalent focus on marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) and ROI as primary metrics. He explains how these metrics can mislead and narrow the scope of marketing's true impact, advocating for a broader perspective.
The four P's and beyond
Highlighting the traditional four P's (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), Dom underscores their relevance and the importance of integrating them into a cohesive strategy. He critiques the modern tendency to focus excessively on promotion at the expense of other critical aspects.
Professional bodies' definitions
Dom shares definitions of marketing from professional bodies like the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the American Marketing Association. He evaluates their definitions and discusses their implications for a unified understanding of marketing.
The importance of language in marketing
Emphasising the significance of precise language, Dom argues for a clear, consistent definition of marketing. He discusses how varied interpretations can lead to misaligned expectations and efforts within businesses.
Redefining the marketing department
Dom proposes a redefinition of the marketing department, suggesting names like "promotional marketing department" to reflect its true function. He argues for a broader recognition of marketing's role across different departments.
Marketing as a practice and profession
Dom elaborates on marketing as a practice involving knowledge, processes, and techniques. He also discusses the roles of untitled marketers and the need to recognize their contributions within organizations.
Dom’s end bit
Wrapping up, Dom reiterates the need for a clear and unified definition of marketing. He calls for re-education and a shift in how marketing is perceived and executed within businesses, aiming
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy