It's been a while since I've posted. Although not much has changed since my last post (see Loving Wal-mart), I'm a little bit closer to figuring out what makes me tick as a marketer. My work/school combo provides a great balance between the hands-on and the hypothetical. And while I don't always have the chance to apply the principles I've learned, 'unrelated' doesn't necessarily mean 'irrelevant.'
Marketing is a great because nothing exists inside a vacuum - all consumers are emotional - the way we think, act, and feel has a overwhelming effect on how we consume. And while marketers can't control consumers or the fickle forces that influence our happiness, trust, and spending, a little empathy and observation can teach us a lot. My greatest strength as a marketer is undoubtedly my own foundation as a fiercely emotional consumer.
Great brands create an irrational loyalty between people and ideas - and it doesn't really matter what that belief is.
Hope
Salvation
Loyalty.
Pride.
I've made a resolution to work harder on developing my own brand in 2009. A brand will die without discipline and trust...and sometimes it's easy to get complacent.
Being a better friend in 2009 is what you could call my positioning strategy, while being more disciplined with my writing is technically my marketing communication effort. Like any good marketer, I know how I want my own brand to be perceived, but the hard part is earning trust in an overwhelmingly deceitful world.
But in a world of emotional consumers, a little honesty and empathy can go a long way.
Glad to be back. Hit me.