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What is marketing? 
Introductory marketing in 10 minutes

● Introductory course on marketing

Welcome to S & T's free marketing basic course! At first let's keep the basics firmly.

　What do you imagine as "marketing"?

The word "marketing" causes many misunderstandings. When you ask for the image of "marketing", you get this answer.

・ Market research (market research?) 
・ Creating advertising (part of marketing but not all ) ・ Creating 
POP and catalog (same as above)

Etc. It's a matter of definition, so it doesn't matter if it is defined as "marketing is like that," but Strategy & Tactics thinks like this.

What is marketing?

Marketing means "providing value for money and getting money." It's simple. There are no difficult words. Only this. However, as this is lacking in concreteness, let's explain what it means.

There are not so many words and concepts that you need to know in marketing.

Basic terms of marketing 
　1) Benefits 
　2) Differentiation and strengths 
　3) Segmentation and targeting 
　4) 4P

It will be almost all right if we hold down such a word. Each word is not difficult at all. If you can only explain the meaning of each word that is common to the exam, you can do it in 10 minutes. Many people know each word individually. If you've done marketing, you know first. However, I think that there are very few people who are related and understood. All four concepts are actually connected.

Let's explain the basic terms.

● Basic Term 1: Benefits

It is not for the customer to buy your product that you want the product itself. The good thing that the product brings to our customers is buying it.

I want a hole, not a drill, to buy a drill

Drinking coffee is not a black and bitter liquid but I want relaxation and sleepiness

It is not a 1-t precision machine to buy a luxury car, I want to look good

New pitches for golf clubs do not want metal rods, but want distance and good scores

What do you want customers to do?

Customers do not want your product, but want something good for you. It is a matter of course, but it is easy to forget.

In other words, this is the "providing value" part of "Providing value and making money" as I mentioned earlier.

"Hair," "relax," "look," and "score" are all worthwhile.

Let's go to the next basic term!

● Basic Term 2: Differentiation and Strengths

It doesn't really matter if you offer value to customers and you can get them. You are not alone in offering that value. There is a conflict. You need to give your product higher value than its competitors and convince your customers. LG Samsung 

If it is exactly the same as the competitor product, you will buy the cheaper one. If you are a cost leader you may still be fine, but this is a tough story. It is great to have price competitiveness, but if you only compete with price, you will end up with strength. Even McDonald's McDonald's, the price alone does not play. The share top of the English conversation class, NOVA was not able to do it only by the low price, and raised the price.

You need to appeal to your customers why you buy your product, not the competitive product, and the differences with the competitive product.

In the case of a retail store, the product being handled may be the same as a competitor. Still, you need to be convinced why you buy from your store. Otherwise, it will be a price competition in the mud, and if you lose, you will leave and those who bought will be full of wounds.

Then, use what you mean by differentiating, and use the strengths of your company. Usually, there is no weakness or differentiation, so it will be "differentiation point = your strength". If you don't try to differentiate yourself from competitors, you just lose and catch up.

What to do if you do not have strengths

There are also many cases where there is no strength, but the answer to that is simple.

・ Let's search. If not, let's search again. 
·Let's make it. Let's make efforts by putting more effort into effort than competition

It will be said.

It depends on your strategy what kind of strength you want to create. It depends on what kind of value we want to provide to our customers, what we are good at.

Customers are honest. It is bought from those who are more convenient for customers, those who are more useful, those who can provide more information, those who are easy to see, those who are more friendly. Each is an example of strengths.

There is no such thing as lack of strength. There must be something.

It is good to think about the strength in three directions.

1) Handy axis: Lower price, more convenient to buy 
2) Commodity axis: Latest technology products, providing the best service 
3) Closeness axis: Knowing customers well, wishing and selfish

Usually, you will be differentiating with one of these three.

For example, in the case of a hairdresser

1) Easy axis

Cheap and fast barber shop. For example, QB house of 10 minutes 1000 yen

2) Product axis

Charisma beautician who makes full use of the latest technology and fashion. It is in downtown area such as Omotesando.

3) Tight shaft

Know your customers well, talk well, if you say "I always the same" I will cut as usual

It will be a differentiation strategy such as. This is happening in almost every industry and business category, whether for individual or corporate customers.

By the way, the word positioning is daringly avoided. It is a word that is easy to mislead. Although the meaning is somewhat different, positioning in marketing is almost the same as "differentiation", so let's use the word "differentiation" that is not easily misunderstood.

Let's go to the next basic term!

● Basic terms # 3: Segmentation and targeting

Once you know your strength or if it is decided, find out who is the customer who can evaluate it.

It is difficult to maintain a long-term customer who does not evaluate your strengths. Of course, even if you do not evaluate it, it is fine if you can buy it, but if you rely on it, sales will not be stable. It is easily lost to the customer who provides the strength that they value.

If your strength is a granular service, define a customer who can evaluate it.

Segmentation is about separating customers.brand

Targeting is to focus on one of the customers you have divided.

The reason is why you have to squeeze, because if you do not squeeze you will lose competition. Let's say I provide consulting for all companies. Once the competitor's consultants provide consulting for the manufacturer, the manufacturer will go there. If another consultant offers consulting for the retail industry, the retailer will go there. If you try to get a lot of customers without narrowing your customers, you will lose the competition that you have narrowed down.

It is fine if you monopolize a certain market, but usually there is competition (including competition in a broad sense). So I narrow it down.

Segmentation and targeting are always a set. There is no need to separate (segmentation) if you can not narrow or aim, and you need to divide in order to aim. So, segmentation and targeting are always a set.

There are many ways to do this,

The nature of segmentation is divided because the needs are different

about it. Classification methods, statistics, etc. are just the means. Marketing professionals tend to overlook this essence.

Let's go to the next basic term!