It’s a Marketing War

It would seem that we are quoting the obvious, but today we can’t take anything for granted. We can look at various sectors of our government, industrial, social and religious organizations to find that many of these are not aware of or acknowledge that they are in a war for their very existence.

In Marketing Warfare, Al Ries and Jack Trout (marketing experts) argue that marketing is war and that the marketing concept’s customer-oriented philosophy is inadequate. Rather, firms would do better by becoming competitor-oriented. If the key to success were to introduce products closest to those wanted by customers, then the market leader simply would be the firm that performed the best market research. Clearly, much more is required.

There is much that marketers can learn from military strategy. Ries and Trout tell the story of several famous battles in history that illustrate lessons of warfare. These battles range from Marathon in 490 B.C. when the Greeks used the phalanx to defeat the more numerous Persian invaders, to the Normandy invasion of the Second World War.

The lessons from these famous battles illustrate the strategies of planning, maneuvering, and overpowering the opposing side. These principles are relevant not only to warfare, but also to marketing.

Considering this concept, there are valuable lessons, tactics and decisions that can help business owners weather the economic battlefield they are now facing.

What do many great leaders do when they realize they are going to war, or already in one? First, they determine to fight or flight. Then, if they fight, they have to make some hard decisions. Here are just a few strategic considerations and determinations:

Decide who will be the leader
(Or leaders)

Identify the enemy (or target)
(Have you correctly identified who, what and where they are)

Before you make the commitment…be sure you have counted the cost
(“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it”)

Decide if you will you go it alone or build a team (or an army)
(“There is wisdom in many counselors”)

Distinguish that the objective is either a game or a war
(One is for sport…the other is for keeps)

Consider if you will you seek guidance and/or help
(“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble”)

Establish and communicate written strategic plans (including the SWOT exam)
(The emphasis here is “strategic [offense-defense]” with the goal to win)

Include: Responsibilities-Accountabilities-Actions-Contingencies

In summary, (back to Ries and Trout) they believe in having relatively few people involved in the strategic process. They believe the organization needs a strong marketing “general” to formulate the strategy from the tactical realities. An effective marketing general should have the following characteristics:

Flexibility: To adjust the strategy to the situation
Courage: To make a decision and stand by it
Boldness: To act without hesitation when the time is right
Know the facts: In order to formulate strategy from the ground up
Know the rules: But internalizing them so they can be forgotten

ZDT Question: Is it better to know you are in a war, and plan to win, or to take an “a-kicking” and never realize you were ever in one?