Is marketing as fun as you might think it is? “From my perspective, it’s more fun!” exclaimed Media Relations Agency CEO and best-selling author Lonny Kocina. “The blending of the marketing process and creativity is so interesting.” During his iHeart Radio interview on the “Thank God for Monday” podcast, Lonny engaged in a lively discussion about what makes good marketing. He also revealed why, even 30+ years after founding our agency, some things about marketing still give him goosebumps.
Lonny appeared on the podcast to discuss his award-winning bestseller, “The CEO’s Guide to Marketing,” a step-by-step guide to our Strategically Aimed Marketing process. Why is a clear process needed? “It’s important to be on point,” he stressed. “You spend a lot of money on your marketing. You’ve got to get a good return.”
He explained that problems arise when companies jump right into the fun stuff. “You’ve got to get the fundamentals right first; just like you don’t just sit down at a piano, start hitting keys and say you’re creating music.”
Lonny acknowledged that following a marketing process can be challenging, which is partly why he wrote his book. For example, you need to know your market, your message, your primary value points and how your product is positioned versus your competition. What promotional mix channels will you use? You should also have very clear goals about the image you want to help people create in their minds about your product.
Following a good marketing process has many dividends, some more obvious than others. Lonny compared marketing to baseball. “Not every product will be successful. You don’t hit a home run every time you step up to the plate. I tell my staff: Make sure that you’re a good, smart marketer. Know the terms and processes. Take responsibility for that.
“You don’t have to take responsibility because someone developed a product that no one wants. … Good marketing will accelerate a good product being successful, and it will accelerate a bad product failing. And that’s a good thing because you don’t want to waste good money after bad. You don’t want to wonder: Did we do this right? Was our marketing the problem?”
Shifting his focus to the creative marketing tasks, Lonny said: “My creative staff is so gifted! I think of them as thoroughbreds … We build a track and give them clear direction so they can stay on point. I get goosebumps at some of the stuff our staff does around here [especially because their results are within the marketing process constraints]. It’s so amazing!”
At a time when many businesses have a strong give-back component, Lonny also explained how marketing also fits into this dynamic. “I think God wants us to serve one another. Our clients serve one another by creating things that make people’s lives interesting, more fun and better overall. I feel blessed to help other companies sell products.”
“The CEO’s Guide to Marketing” is a 236-page, full color hardcover book that will make you and your team better marketers. Get your copy on Amazon, then access our free implementation tools.
