By
Ilobi Austin
Marketing is all
business-related activities that is
geared towards the determination of the needs of the consumer( the market) with
the ultimate objective of satisfying the consumer ( the market) in a manner
that is beneficial to the target consumer( market( and profitable to the
risk-taker or underwriter.
This marketing concept runs
against the traditionally received wisdom in business, of selling: the use of
persuasive skills in influencing the target consumer( market ) into accepting a
product or service, irrespective of its (market) needs.
The critical path in marketing
otherwise referred to as the marketing mix includes, product, price, place and
promotion. Whereas, these four stages or component parts in marketing are
necessary towards satisfying the expectations of all the interest parties in
the market , they by no means ensure success for the risk under-taker, in the
market place. Effectively combined, they can only guarantee impact, and never
success, in the market domain.
This is as a result of the
unstable nature of the market, as it constantly adjust itself to new realities
occasioned by new information relating to its needs satisfaction. Therefore, a
derivative of the marketing mix could still have its performance way below it
computed break-even point, as a consequence of the activities of competition
who might have altered, to the detriment of the firm, one of the marketing mix
in it product: improved their product, reviewed their price, improved its
distribution mechanism or have embarked on an aggressive campaign—either de-marketing
of the other firms product or centered
on creating more visibility and acceptability for it product.
The overall efficiency of any
system is directly related to the contribution of its under-performing
component. So, if a product is not
superior to the offer from it competition to the market, neither the price, distribution
or promotions would do it much good, in the long run.
For long term success,
organizations need to pay attention to the educational value of the messages
that goes out, into the market place, as advertisement. It is almost an industry standard, save for a few, in the
telecom subsector to hide the true cost implications of both their basic and
ancillary services from subscribers under the phrase “terms and conditions
applies.”
Every organization that is desirous of keeping
it existing clients and expanding it through them, in the form of personal
selling as satisfied clients must make full disclosure, both of the cost and
benefit of its products or services. And this is not to be attempted in a one
minute commercial on television or radio nor in a smiling face bill boards and
posters; but in a full blown article ( which would detail every processes
associated with each product and cost) to be distributed both offline and
online.
Some product and services would
have succeeded beyond the target of its promoters if only comprehensive information
had been readily made available. Example is MTN’s prolink, fastlink, etc. till
date, this writer still cannot mark the
distinction between amongst these otherwise good services. And I am an
active seeker of information. Consequently, I did not bother with any of them.
Neither the fast television commercials nor that included in the account
balance page was of much help in understanding the benefit derivable from each
and based on experience, one could not take the advert nor the claimed cost of the
services on face value.
Such organizations must guard
its integrity jealously. Information from such organization should be such that
leaves no room for doubt, in the market. If a company has cables stretched from
beneath the ocean beds from Africa to Europe and the rest of the world. The
company should be free to advertise the
potentials and capabilities of such a
project upon completion. This way, interest participants in the market
might immediately start patronizing the existing products and services from
such a company while hoping to benefit from a superior services ,as promised,
in the nearest future.
But where upon a purported completion,
quality of services or products nose-dives it calls to question the claims
already made. And when statements are further made by knowledgeable parties to
the effect that there is a function cable that is yet to be operational in
spite of a so-called launch, the market starts getting the feeling of having
being defrauded.
No serious organization must
allow to be created in the minds of it target audience the idea that o business
relationship with it is nothing more
than a lottery in which they are frequently the loser. Such firms or
organization risk stagnation if not a roll back in clients base/ market shares. This should be
of particular interest to Globacom.
Unsolicited words of mouth is all an
organization need to be successful in the market place. This is more of an
endorsement but without the incentive that is normally attached to that from
celebrities. For this to become the lot
of an organization, it must ensure that
enough percentage of it target audience has adequate information about it
product or service and has experienced full satisfaction using it.
Whereas products or services
users, according to Philip Kotler, in his Internationally acclaimed text,
Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning and Control, did classify them into:
Innovators who are largely
associates, and friends of the promoters of such services or products. They are well heeled members of the society
and consequently very influential in moulding opinions in certain quarters. for
all they are worth, they only constitute, according to Philip, just 2.5% of the
target market.
A combination of the personnel marketing role of the above
group and the promotional mix of the company produces an additional 13.5% of
the target market known as the early adopters. And this groups is the more
important being of the middle class are respected, free mixers in their social
environment and therefore, transmits the message to a larger audience than the
innovators. The early majority accounts for 34% of the target audience. A
combination of the promotions, early adopters produces them
While the late majority or adopters
are reluctant due to the limited resources at their disposal to try out new
products. They wait to be almost 100% convinced through words from those who
have tried such product or services and are relatively close to them before
making the decision. They will jump ship at the first notice of any adverse
variance between the words and actions. They are of the same 34% as the early
adopters
Then there is the laggard who
are at the lower rung of the economic ladder and therefore not given to testing
the waters with any feet. They wait for every thing that can go wrong to have
been corrected before tasking a plunge. Thought they make up just 16% of the
target, any dissatisfaction from a service or product to which they have
invested their hard earned money is bitterly publicized by the to other
potential target.
The lose of the loyalty of the
above groups start from the last to the first. And is fastest at the bottom. it
behoves a company then to fulfil the promises that are conveyed to the public. if
a company had laid cables and has, through the media, promoted the idea of a
reduction of tariff upon commencement of operation of the new facilities, then
it should endeavour to keep its promises and not continue to operate like
nothing has changed about it operations unless it has all along being nothing
but propaganda. And neither should a firm engage in dubious promos in which
they claim to have reduced the cost of their services only for one to later
learn that upon leaving a particular state where such reduction is operational
that you are reverted to pre-price war tariff. They ought to let the public
know that the service is not available nationwide. This is what infinito is all
about. And Glo should let the consumers know this.
knowing the need and
desires of the consumer should not end in their being defrauded or short
changed. the information is meant to lead to a mutually beneficial relationship
to all interest group. Etisalat and Airtel are the best networks in
Nigeria when it comes to consumers education about products and services. Starcomm
has got the best data service in the country; Glo, the worst. I know because I
am an active consum