We All Work for a Sales and Marketing Company

This is an excellent link for Geek Marketing 101. Great way to remind us all that Marketing is not a department.

It clarifies something else for me. Where I work, many staffers often chant things like “we are a sales and marketing company,” or “we are a marketing engine.” It’s always struck me as kinda funny, because all business are driven by marketing and sales. Otherwise, there is no money made, no problems solved and no families fed due to your company.

I know what’s meant by the above statements. Sure, a manufacturing company might think they are driven by economies of scale and supply chains. And IT consultants might think they are driven by knowledge and technological savvy. And bankers might think they’re driven by degrees and economics and holidays.

But if that were true, then Apple would just be a computer company. Coke would just be a soft drink. Southwest would just be an airline. Nike would just be a pair of shoes.

Here’s the point: whether you’re manufacturing, or consulting, or banking, it won’t matter what you do until somebody values what you offer. To make that happen, you need marketing . . . and sales.