Philosophy of marketing | marketing explained

Are you about to start your business? If so, it's time to take a look at the philosophy of marketing, it's what will lead you to delight your target customer. 

Your business can't be focused on anything other than satisfying your customers.

With this approach you will be able to focus on finding the needs of your target audience to create the right practices to solve their problems. 

Let's say that if the company were a pyramid, the customers would be the base and the ones that would keep it standing. 

It's time to let go of some abstract concepts and focus on what does earn us money! 

What is the philosophy of marketing?

Philosophy of marketing is defined as a strategy in which we focus exclusively on the needs of the customer in order to maintain the profitability of the company. Everything that is not related to the target audience will be relegated to the background. 

Your day-to-day work will be to discover what the user's desires, dreams and pains are in order to transform them into products and services that meet their needs.

In this sense, many authors point out that the company's objectives will be met as long as the user's profile is known and strategies are employed to satisfy them within a given timeframe. 

Therefore, it's essential to be aware of competitors and market indicators in order to make the necessary adjustments before it's too late. 

Employees will constantly evaluate information and maintain a close relationship with the user to keep them delighted at all times.

5 Types of marketing philosophy

Marketing philosophy has been much discussed over the years, as each author has given it a different approach according to his or her knowledge and perspective. 

Currently, we have 5 different orientations that are usually applied in companies depending on the objectives that have been set. Take a look at them below:

1. Production

The first one we find is the production philosophy, one of the oldest of all.

Its basic premise is that customers prefer products that are easy to find and at a very low price. This way, entrepreneurs will focus on making their production process more efficient in order to reduce costs and sell in mass.

Many technology and commodity companies now apply this philosophy, which shows how effective it can be if used properly.

2. Product orientation

The second orientation is product orientation. 

The theory is that consumers prefer quality products with superior features to mid-range products. In addition, items that are highly innovative will also be preferred by users.

So, it's a completely different approach, as companies are not looking to cut costs no matter what, but dedicate their resources to creating quality products that will stand out in the market.

Once the product is created, it becomes necessary to apply a good marketing strategy to make users aware of it in the medium term. 

3. Sales orientation

The sales-oriented marketing philosophy is very interesting because it's based on the idea that customers never buy products willingly, no matter how good they are. 

In other words, you need to create offers and promotions so that the consumer becomes aware of their existence and buys as many units as possible.

A great example of this philosophy is the former vice-president of marketing at Coca-Cola, who once said: "Sell more stuff to more people for more money to make a profit".

4. Marketing orientation

A philosophy that's older than it seems. 

Its main focus is the customer, so entrepreneurs have to be concerned with studying the profile of the target audience in order to offer them products and services adjusted to their needs.

Therefore, the effort will go into researching metrics, statistics and customer care. Then, you have to work to develop marketing strategies that will allow you to differentiate yourself from the competition. 

5. Holistic marketing orientation 

Holistic marketing orientation is an evolution of all of the above. 

We love the fact that its approach is more comprehensive - for its supporters, everything is important, from the customer, to the product, to the competition.  

Types of marketing that exist

The philosophy of marketing is a subject that few people know about but which is of great importance nowadays. The idea is to study what your objectives and future projection are in order to choose the one that best suits your company.

In this sense, we believe that you should also take a look at the types of marketing that are currently applied. This way you will be able to create a strategy that takes into account all the different aspects of the market. Are you up for it? 

1. Direct marketing

Direct marketing is characterised by communicating face to face with the customer. It uses tools such as calls, e-mails, text messages and instant messaging.

Before doing so, they evaluate relevant data about the user such as name, surname, address, telephone number, interests and current occupation.

2. Indirect marketing

Let's say it's a much more subtle type of marketing because you reach the user just when they're not expecting you. 

Therefore, you will appear in YouTube videos, movies, mobile games, or any platform that allows you to make an advertisement.

It's important to select the right time to deliver your message, otherwise it can be invasive and annoying. 

3. Social marketing

We love social marketing because it sponsors large-scale events such as concerts, shows and films. 

The idea is to choose an event that has a social cause that relates to the brand's values. If we're successful, we will see the project grow in popularity very quickly. 

4. Interactive marketing

Interactive marketing is very interesting because it allows users to participate in the message, so it's different from the one-way method we saw in previous times.

The objective is to offer benefits to the audience according to the interactions they make with the brand. This way we find from cash prizes to intangible rewards.

Nowadays we find interactive content such as:

1. Ebooks.

2. Infographics.

3. Maps.

5. Endomarketing

We love endomarketing because it focuses its efforts on the team, not on the customers. 

Yes, we're sure you've heard the phrases: "Customers are not the most important thing, employees are. Worry about your team, they will take care of the customers".

This was said by Richard Branson and it explains endomarketing perfectly.

The idea is to help employees identify with the values of the brand so that they feel more comfortable with the company. 

In the end, a happy employee is a cost-effective asset for the company, so it's an approach you should never lose.

6. Viral marketing

We love viral marketing because it gives you high returns at very low cost. They are unconventional forms of promotion but have the potential to multiply very quickly.

Nowadays, we find memes, GIFS and short videos that can go viral in a short time on social networks.

7. Digital marketing

These are all those strategies that seek to position a product on the main virtual platforms of the moment. 

Nowadays it has become the main sales engine for companies, as users access the internet many times a day, so this is where the opportunities are today.

8. Content Marketing

These are all strategies related to content that seek to educate and provide value to the user, so it leaves sales in the background. 

Although it may seem counterproductive, the truth is that it's one of the most powerful strategies of the moment. 

The customer is looking for information that will help them make a better decision.

The user hates to be sold to, but loves to buy... 

Therefore, your job is to provide information through the formats that most appeal to them in order to improve engagement with the brand and increase the chances of sales.

9. Personal marketing

Also called personal branding, it's the set of strategies that will help you to improve your personal image. 

The idea is to create constant content that reflects that you are a specialist in a specific niche. This way, tools such as blogs and social networks like LinkedIn are perfect to create this kind of strategies. 

This will increase your value in the market and improve important numbers such as sales, conversion rate and loyalty.

10. Relationship marketing

The idea is to create a positive relationship with the customer, nothing more, nothing less. 

We can have the best product in the world, but if we don't develop empathy and speak in the tone they like, we're unlikely to have a future in the market. 

Here you will analyse user behaviour to evaluate the best practices you can execute to keep the user happy. 

Why is it important to know the philosophy of marketing?

Marketing philosophy is one of the details you need to know as an entrepreneur if you want to succeed in the business world. 

The customer always comes first, but you have to know which way you will go to reach the customer's mind. 

You can choose to prioritise the product, prioritise operating costs or sell at all costs regardless of the consequences. 

But the right marketing philosophy can take your company to the top of the market. 

Find out what the user's pain points are and create products that allow you to solve their needs before someone else comes along with a better offer.

Steps to a marketing strategy

Would you like to execute a marketing strategy like a pro? In the following section we will show you the steps you have to follow to achieve it without any inconvenience.

1. Clear objectives

Choosing your objectives is the first step in creating a marketing strategy. 

Many people think that the only goal of a campaign is to sell more, but the reality is that it goes much further than that. 

It all depends on the situation of the company, but you can focus on improving engagement, optimising conversion rate, increasing visibility or increasing sales... 

Once you define it, you can focus 100% on the actions you need to execute.

2. Constant communication

Marketing doesn't work alone, it requires a team of specialists who are perfectly coordinated. 

For the strategy to be successful, it's important that the whole organisation has clear and concise communication. The good news is that nowadays there are tools that help us in this regard. 

Platforms such as Trello and Google Chat allow you to talk to any member in less than a second. There you can upload tasks and follow up on each of the activities that are pending.

3. Good practices first and foremost

Good practices are important to increase the likelihood of success. You cannot run a marketing campaign if you act on inspiration or mood alone.

It's important to follow a work plan that specifies what steps need to be implemented to achieve the goals you set out to achieve. 

Keep an eye on the latest innovations so that you can stay ahead of your users' new consumption patterns. 

4. Study the results 

Do you know the best way to know that everything is going well? With constant studying.

You can never isolate yourself from what is happening with the strategy. Ideally, every day or week you should look at how the metrics are in each of the areas of work. 

That way you can spot problems before it's too late.

Marketing philosophy is that tool that can get you from point a to point b in less time than you think. You know that it's not only about the product, but that the priority will always be the user.

Always think about them and you will see how solutions will come to your mind!

Let us know what you think about the philosophy of marketing, as always, in the comments box.