The term “Marketing” is widely misunderstood in Palestine. Many people think marketing is simply creating a logo, Facebook/Instagram pages, design, boosting, or even a cover photo.
Marketing is not just advertising.
In a nutshell, advertising is one of the components or subsets of marketing- If you think of marketing as a cake, then advertising will be a big piece of that cake.
Marketing is strategic – An effective marketing strategy uses a variety of components to create in the mind of your customers an idea or perception that there is no other product in the market quite like yours by making your consumers buy because of the brand first.
Marketing is not a cost, it’s an investment.
This is exactly why most new businesses and startups in Palestine fail. Why do you think people sleep in front of an Apple Store to get the new iPhone? Because Apple has understood the importance of marketing since 1976.
We realized from our conversations with business owners here that marketing is the last on their to-do list, with little investment. They think that the safest approach to marketing is to spend a little bit of money and then make a larger investment if it is successful. This is a trap and a false safe zone. If you invest a little, you are sure to get little in return, which will mislead you to believe that marketing is a waste of time and money. You will essentially shoot yourself in the foot by playing it safe and potentially forgo valuable opportunities.
Marketing is not short-term, it’s long-term.
The aim of your marketing collateral – whether you do it yourself or outsource a marketing agency – shouldn’t be to make a quick sell; rather it’s about long-term brand positioning that establishes powerful connections with your potential consumers to thrive and grow. You will eventually become the obvious choice for potential customers (and continue to be so).
Switching from short- to long-term thinking in your marketing strategies won’t be easy. But keep in mind that while random ads can generate short-term sales uplift, brand-building campaigns bring longer-term results in sales, shares, pricing, and loyalty.