Good marketing will beat a great product every time.

In the dynamic landscape of business, a prevailing truth stands out: good marketing often trumps a great product with poor marketing. This isn’t to undermine the value of an exceptional product, but rather to highlight the indispensable role of effective marketing. Here’s why good marketing will beat a great product with poor marketing every time.

The Visibility Factor.

The Visibility Factor is a critical component in the success of any product or service in the market. It doesn’t matter how innovative or superior your product is; if your target audience doesn’t know it exists, it’s unlikely to achieve its potential. 

The Saturated Market.

Today’s market is more saturated than ever. Consumers are bombarded with choices in nearly every category. In such a crowded space, visibility isn’t just important; it’s essential. A product that’s visible cuts through the noise of competitors and alternatives. It’s the first step in the journey from obscurity to market dominance. Without visibility, even the most revolutionary products risk being overshadowed by lesser ones that are simply more visible to the target audience.

The First-Mover Advantage.

Visibility is particularly crucial for products introducing new concepts or technologies. Being the first to market can be a significant advantage, but only if the market knows you’re there. By achieving visibility early on, you can define the category and set the standards to which others must adhere. This first-mover advantage allows you to shape customer expectations and preferences, making it harder for later entrants to gain a foothold.

The Role of Multiple Touchpoints.

In the digital age, visibility means being present across multiple touchpoints. This includes search engines, social media, online forums, and more. Each touchpoint offers an opportunity to engage with potential customers and increase brand awareness. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about being seen in the right places, at the right times, and by the right people. A well-crafted visibility strategy considers where the target audience spends their time and focuses efforts on these platforms.

The Snowball Effect.

Visibility tends to create a snowball effect. The more people see your product, the more they talk about it. This word-of-mouth can be incredibly powerful, as recommendations from friends or family members are often more persuasive than any advertisement. As visibility increases, so does the likelihood of press coverage, reviews, and social media mentions, all of which further enhance visibility. It’s a virtuous cycle that can propel a product from obscurity to ubiquity.

Overcoming Poor Visibility.

Even great products can suffer from poor visibility due to several factors. It might be due to a lack of understanding of the target market, inadequate marketing budget, or simply being outshouted by competitors with stronger marketing strategies. Overcoming this requires a concerted effort to understand where your potential customers are and how best to reach them. It may involve a mix of traditional advertising, search engine optimisation, content marketing, social media engagement, and even partnerships or collaborations to boost visibility.

Measuring Visibility.

Finally, it’s important to measure visibility to understand its impact. This can involve tracking metrics such as website traffic, search engine rankings, social media mentions, and media coverage. By monitoring these metrics, you can get a sense of how visible your product is and adjust your strategy accordingly. It’s not just about getting your product out there; it’s about continuously optimizing how and where it’s seen to maximize impact.

The Visibility Factor is not just one of many elements in a successful product launch; it’s often the make-or-break factor. It’s about ensuring that your target audience knows your product exists, understands what it does, and sees it as a viable option. Without visibility, even the greatest innovations can go unnoticed and unused, serving as a stark reminder that in the world of business, what’s seen is often what’s sold.

Understanding Customer Needs.

Good marketing begins with a deep understanding of customer needs and desires. It’s not just about pushing a product; it’s about communicating how that product solves a problem, fulfils a need, or enhances life. A great product with poor marketing often needs to be more consistent in conveying its relevance to the customer. In contrast, effective marketing taps into the customer’s psyche, creating a perceived need or enhancing the desire for the product.

A great example of this problem was Google Glass: Google Glass was a revolutionary product, a wearable computer in the form of eyeglasses that displayed information in a smartphone-like, hands-free format. However, its marketing strategy failed to clearly define its target audience and use cases. The product was perceived as intrusive and raised privacy concerns, which were not adequately addressed by Google’s marketing. This, combined with its high price and unclear value proposition, led to its downfall in the consumer market. It was clearly a solution looking for a problem to solve.

The Power of Perception.

“Perception is reality” in the market to paraphrase Lee Atwater. Good marketing crafts a narrative around your product, shaping how it’s perceived. A well-marketed product becomes desirable, sought after, and esteemed. On the other hand, a great product with poor marketing might be perceived as unreliable, unnecessary, or overpriced. Marketing has the power to position your product, influencing how it’s received and embraced by the market.

Sony Betamax was a videotape recording format that, by many accounts, offered superior quality to VHS, its main competitor. However, Sony’s marketing and business strategy for Betamax was significantly less effective than that of VHS. Sony was initially unwilling to license the technology to other manufacturers, limiting the availability of players and tapes. In contrast, VHS’s more inclusive strategy led to greater market penetration. The marketing of Betamax didn’t effectively communicate its quality advantage to consumers, and it eventually lost out to VHS.

Building Relationships.

Marketing isn’t just about selling; it’s about building relationships. Good marketing engages potential customers, initiating a conversation and building trust. It’s about creating a community of loyal followers and advocates for your product. A great product with poor marketing misses the opportunity to build these vital connections. Without a relationship, customers have no loyalty or reason to choose your product over another.

Competitive Edge.

In a saturated market, differentiation is key. Good marketing highlights what sets your product apart, giving it a competitive edge. It tells a story, evokes emotions, and creates a memorable brand. A great product with poor marketing gets lost in the sea of options, unable to stand out or capture the attention it deserves.

The Momentum of Hype.

Good marketing creates hype. It builds anticipation and excitement, making the market eager to purchase and try your product. This momentum can propel a product to success, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of popularity and demand. Conversely, a great product with poor marketing never generates this initial spark. It launches to silence, struggling to gain traction in a market that’s unaware or uninterested.

Feedback and Adaptation.

Effective marketing involves listening and adapting. It’s a two-way conversation where feedback is invaluable. This dialogue allows businesses to refine and improve their offerings. A great product with poor marketing is like a monologue. It speaks but doesn’t listen, missing the opportunity to evolve based on real customer insights and needs.

The Long Game.

Finally, good marketing is about playing the long game. It’s not just about the initial sale but about creating lasting brand loyalty. It’s about telling a story that resonates, creating a brand that people return to time and time again. A great product with poor marketing might see initial success, but without the support of strong marketing, it struggles to sustain momentum.

Final Word.

While the quality of the product is undeniably important, in the modern marketplace, good marketing often makes the difference between success and obscurity. It’s about visibility, perception, relationship building, and playing the long game. It’s a comprehensive approach that ensures even the best products get the recognition they deserve. So, while striving for product excellence, never underestimate the power of good marketing. It’s not just an add-on; it’s a crucial driver of success.

If you’re marketing is not working as you’d want it to, then you need to check out our Marketing 101 course. You can find out more here.