Should research lead the way?
In this case, I am referring to leading the charge for a change in the corporate mindset around marketing. Marketing theory for the last 50 – 60 years has been focused on supporting the 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion). I must admit this mantra was ingrained in my head in college and has been difficult to shake. No doubt there are others reading this that can say the same. However, that was all before the rise of the internet and the shift in the balance of power into the hands of the wired masses.
Since the mid-90s thought leaders such as Philip Kotler, Bob Lauterborn, and Koichi Shimizu have been advocating the 4Cs (Customer, Convenience, Cost and Communication). This is decidedly a customer-centric model, as opposed to the company focus inherent in the 4P model.
This raises questions in my mind, notably should we abandon the 4P model in favor of the 4C model, and if so, who should lead the effort? In my humble opinion, I believe we should not change one model for another, but incorporate both into our marketing planning process. And yes, I do believe research should lead the way and here’s why:
Marketing research, next to sales and customer service, has the clearest vision on the pulse of customer and prospect thinking.
Who better than research to survey and profile customer needs and wants, bring clarity to what is meant by ‘convenience’, estimate what ‘cost’ points fall within a customer or prospect’s range, and determine what messaging is relevant to the various market segments we seek to appeal to? Who better than research to translate customer attitudes, beliefs and behavior into actionable items for marketing, sales and production?
Including the 4Cs into our thinking does not require us to change, but to more fully embrace the tools of our trade including analyzing customer feedback via surveys, direct observation, in-depth interviews, transactional analysis, and social media sentiment.
This is a change that is already underway in the market, we can embrace the wave or be washed over by it.