I like to use analogies in explaining marketing.
For instance, marketing is like:
Gardening: We’re planting seeds and then feeding and watering them to grow. New Growth After Adversity
A Marathon: Strategic Marketing is a marathon…
Fishing: We we use different tools (the offer) and try to catch different types of fish (customers/consumers) from ponds or lakes (the markets) with different tools (the rod, reel, or net). Fishing for Customers? Use the Right Bait!
Job Hunting: The resume (marketing materials), the cover letter (direct mail) and interview (sales presentation) The Brand Called You: Don’t Overlook Personal Branding!
A Freight Train: The Power of Marketing: A Freight Train Analogy
A Bridge: Relationship Marketing helps Build Bridges
Making Popcorn: Marketing is like Popcorn…
Those are a few of mine. What analogies do you use for branding and marketing? …Or am I the only one who thinks in analogies?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Marketing is like cooking. Properly mixed and seasoned, your individual ingredients will come together for a much more pleasing result.
I dont think so, marketing and actuaries seem a bit diametric. I hate maths to the point that it makes me sick, so my brother suggested, while still sticking to the commerce line of work, that I do marketing, as its for the ‘westernised asians’ who prefer english. Like yeah actuaries and financiers enter banks and make sh*tloads, but I dont think they would need marketing as a second major
James:
Actually marketing and numbers go together like peas and carrots… or bread and butter… or milk and cookies. (Okay enough analogies! Once started, I can’t stop!!)
Marketing as a second major gives someone the one – two punch when it comes to business. At least that’s my opinion.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Chris
Actually, this analogy is pretty conclusive: “If a young man tells his date she’s intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he’s saying the right things to the right person and that’s marketing. If the young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is — that’s advertising. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is — that’s public relations.”
There are some excellent analogies here for marketing (I especially liked the fishing analogy) and I would like to share my own as well. My analogy to branding is to look at it like the structure of a shamrock from leaves to roots. My full blog post about it can be found here: http://blog.jrob.me/?p=93
Cheers,
– Jason