Bones thinks it is. I agree with Bones that far too much emphasis is placed on image and not enough is given to substance. We’ve become more interested in the sizzle than in the steak.
My Quick Service Restaurant career showed me very clearly that customer experience was the single biggest factor, by far, in influencing customer loyalty. And isn’t that what we are all after? Don’t we as marketers spend every waking day trying to figure out how to get more customers, how to keep them and how to turn them into our disciples?
Too many marketing managers (and their bosses) I have encountered spend too much of their time defining marketing as advertising. These are really communications managers. If they want to earn the marketing title they need to start influencing the “product” including how it is served, priced and distributed. And with word of mouth on steroids, aka social media, they must also stay close to the conversation.
I would hire a service training manager before I hire an advertising manager. I make no bones about that.
PS: I don’t agree with Bones’ illustration above. There are promotions parts to branding (advertising, PR, direct mail, sponsorships/events and online) but there are also pricing, product, distribution and word of mouth elements. Marketing is the whole cow.
