Marketing is a funny word. To most people it means advertising. And for many businesses, traditional advertising is not a wise investment. Therefore, MARKETING is not a wise investment. Nothing could be further from the truth.

But the truth is: advertising is not as effective as it once was. And it is more expensive and less effective than ever to advertise your way to consumer’s hearts.

 The effectiveness of traditional advertising and direct marketing tactics is declining because:

• Consumers are sick and tired of the volume and irrelevance of ads. Competition for consumer mindshare is increasing. But turning up the volume of messages won't work.
• Mass advertising encourages churn, not loyalty. Slogans like "Switch today!" or "What's in your wallet?" simply serve to accelerate churn and further commoditize markets.
• Consumers general lack of trust. Most consumers are hearing the same messages from all the suppliers of products and services so they tend to believe no one.
• All products and services appear to be the same. When everything appears the same, the consumer will default to the only thing they really understand – PRICE!.

Though consumers are avoiding Ads like never before, they still want and need marketing.

What’s the difference between Marketing and Advertising? In its simplest terms, advertising is a component of marketing.

“Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives."
 - Contemporary Marketing Wired (1998) by Boone and Kurtz. Dryden Press.

The key words in that definition are: create and maintain relationships. That is what marketing is supposed to do. Marketing’s job is to educate and help facilitate the decision to purchase a specific product or service and differentiate the suppliers. Advertising should be targeted at those people who are ready to buy your product or service right now.

Marketing’s job is to help people who are just starting to think about your products or services and move them along the buying process (The Educational Spectrum) until they are ready to purchase and when that time arrives, that they choose your product or service because you have "educated them" about how to buy what you sell. Simple laws of reciprocity at work - provide something of value and without asking for anything in return, obligates the recipient to return the favor.

 Let Vantage Point Direct be your Silent Salesforce^TM.