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Business people sometimes use the phrase “marcom.”  It means “marketing communications.”  A great concept, but many companies drop the ball in the space between the two words.

I remember hearing a radio spot for the grand opening of a sub shop in my neighborhood.  I’d get a sub for one dollar just by mentioning the DJ’s name.  As fate would have it, I was driving by the shop at that very moment, and I was hungry, so what the heck.  The young lady behind the counter knew nothing about the promotion, and looked at me like I was trying to pull a fast one.  She also told me there was no way to handle that in the cash register.  Of course the manager wasn’t in at the moment, so I politely insisted she call him.  Problem solved.

Or how about this?  You see or hear an ad that says “Order online today and get free shipping.”  But when you go to the web site, the shipping charge shows up no matter what you do.

The breakdown that occurred in both of the situations above is a simple one.  Important information never made it to the front lines.

Marketing involves communication… with the outside world, yes, and also with other internal departments of the company doing the marketing.  Imagine how much greater the impact of the sub shop promo would have been if the in-store staff had said “Great.  I see you heard our radio ad.  Why not get a second sub and take it home to your wife?  It’s only a dollar.”  Sure, they were losing money on every sale, but the good will and excitement they could have caused might have made me, and my wife, long-term, repeat customers.

If your company is engaged in lead-generation, I congratulate you.  I also encourage you to make those efforts even more effective by adding some in-house education.  Make sure everyone on your team is aware of what’s going on and knows how to add value at their point of customer contact.  The payoff could be dramatic.

When a company increases the “com” in marcom, it can only strengthen their marketing.

Expecting great things,
Steve Fales
AdServices Inc.
www.adservices.net
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