.,,At a workshop yesterday morning, someone came up with comparative definitions of the terms publicity, sales, marketing and customer service. I’ve covered all of these in various places but I thought it might be helpful to quickly review them.
Publicity
This is where my fictional company, Amphibiana Plus, tells the world about its first-rate garden frog ponds. Advertising is a common example of publicity but it is not the only approach available.
Amphibiana Plus might spend £2000 on a newspaper ad. (I heard at the workshop, someone spent £30K on a radio ad sequence and had no idea whether they found additional customers).
But it is possible to earn publicity by other means at no charge. The big advantage of advertising is you control the copy. Articles in newspapers, magazines, etc can be effective even when the copy is by a reporter or editor. (Except for live radio or TV programmes.) Seek stories about you or your business that publicise the business but are not about the business.
So, Amphibiana Plus might research the increase in herons or other fauna as a result in the increased number of frogs where its installed ponds.
Sales
This is where Amphibiana Plus can say, “Buy one of our frog ponds”. Obviously an advert could say this but not all adverts do this as they are often about promoting a brand.
The sales pitch is often targeted at people who have already expressed an interest, eg they are on your email list or on the list of a joint venture partner whose list might be interested in frogs. It can include special offers, guarantees, bonuses and all the other techniques that have been found promote a sale.
Marketing
Whilst I usually use “marketing” to mean everything to do with promoting businesses and making sales, in this narrower sense it is where a customer who wishes to make a purchase approaches Amphibiana Plus.
They will have heard the business installs the best frog ponds, perhaps from a satisfied customer, and they want a slice of the action. Well designed marketing builds a followers’ community, who are keen about what the business has to offer. Sometimes they will feel left out if they do not make a purchase.
So, does publicity lead to marketing or marketing to publicity? Well, the best marketing is based on the needs of potential customers. So, marketing might inform publicity (as potential customers make their needs known) and publicity inform marketing (as customers become aware of the brand).
Customer Service
Customer service is the route by which the business becomes aware of customer needs. Once Amphibiana Plus has installed a frog pond, they might ask for a testimonial or discuss the pond with the customer. The aim is not necessarily to make an upsell. Finding out something of the customer’s experience over time can lead to new products and services.
It can also lead to testimonials and stories the business can display on its website and in its literature. Whilst it might be possible to get some insights before they sell something, ie market research, it is always helpful to get feedback about how the product or service fares in real life. It is interesting how few businesses do this; they appear, install something and then disappear as if they are not interested in their product or service once it’s delivered.
Good feedback can make all the difference.