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Bad Marketing is noisy and too visible

We experience a gradual shift from constant-140-decibels marketing to more subtle forms and platforms. The paradigm shift is not easy, and the majority of marketers still tend to blast their message into these platforms, just to be rebuked very quickly. Some learn from the experience and change their behavior. Others retreat and return to the jet-noise marketing model. But they can feel the aversion of their customers towards their loud broadcast and, even more painful, it costs them a pretty buck to get any attention in a tone-deaf marketplace.

There’s a third way: Integrating marketing into your product/service

Visible Marketing has a systems problem: It starts its work once the product/service has been developed. This relegates marketing to a pure sales function.

Invisible Marketing requires companies to integrate marketing into the R&D phase of product/service development. Marketing people can help R&D folks in developin triggers and features that make the new product/service something people want to talk about. You needed to show your new iPhone to all your friends. Not so much the Blackberry. Invisible Marketing allows brands to develop products/services that are different, that disrupt people’s attention in a positive way. Unlike Visible Marketing, where marketing needs to disrupt attention by focusing on funny commercials, cool logos and some quirky campaign idea.

Invisible Marketing doesn’t need marketing

When I share with friends how much I enjoyed the experience on Virgin Atlantic, how my iPad is the most beloved toy of my kid, how the Acura MDX still has the best navigation system out there, nobody paid me. And I don’t get anything in return. I just want to help people and share my experiences. It might help them next time they have money to fly to Europe or contemplate the purchase of a laptop or Ipad. I’m being honest, I share real stories and expect nothing in return. That’s more valuable than any commercial message you saw in the last few months. That’s what the original marketplace was all about: Delivering something that people will talk about. And make them and others return for more of the same.

When marketing focuses more on delivering value through the product/service, it becomes a powerful tool. One you might never see.