Marketing in 2011 and in the second decade of the 21st century is changing. It is no longer enough to have products and services focused on customer needs, there is now the additional issue of being totally aligned with the product and service needs of customers. The product and service is almost a ‘given’ with other elements of the marketing mix being ‘decision makers’ or ‘decision breakers’ in the business – brand, image, customer service, ease of interaction, proactive account management etc. For businesses that are totally aligned with the objectives of their various customer groups, this leads to: –
- Increased opportunities with new customers
- Retained opportunities with existing business, often at increased margin
These outcomes require the ability to understand the new communication options and how they resonate with todays and the future consumer and business to business buyer in both private and public sector. However, the start point of this process is a clarity of thinking required to segment markets and understand the customer process within each segment.