Yes, you read that correctly. Marketing is like toast. It has the power to transform something mundane into something wonderful, but if you overdo it, you might get burnt!
If you asked the normal person their opinions on toast, you would get a wide array of responses from indifferent to passionate. And there is an entire group of people that have never really thought about it, but once you get them going, have quite strong opinions about what they like or loathe. The same is true of marketing.
For those of us (you may have guessed we fall into the passionate group) who appreciate lashings of creamy butter and quality spreads over dry and tasteless, it is about finding just the right formula. This requires testing, data, feedback and continual refinement. Aiming to reach every corner while the landscape is the right temperature to ensure that it sinks in and the consumer is delighted by the first bite, so they come back for more. There is a science and an art to toast just as there is with marketing.
Timing is a big deal with toast. Traditionally, the savvy sidekick to sunny-side-up for breakfast. It definitely features in great lunch favorites from the BLT to a club sandwich and then somehow still graces dinner tables in grilled cheese, patty melt or garlic bread form. Good marketing shows up when and where your customers are. And it finds the niches like a post-concert late night snack or bruschetta at a cocktail hour.
Finally, good marketing, just like good toast, is less concerned with the bread and more focused on the audience and the outcome. Sure, there might be a better story if you are starting with flour that comes from organic, stone-ground wheat grown in a field nestled by a natural spring on a 100-year-old farm. But even plain ol’ over-processed white bread has value to someone – and marketing is the toasting process that takes it from a mere product to desired brand.
Want to know more about how Wakeen & Company thinks about marketing? Let’s have … breakfast!
We’re the first ones to admit that there are many ways to communicate and market. There are also lots of agencies doing really good work. In fact, we collaborate with many of them on behalf of our clients. Our approach is to understand your overarching business goals and then align your marketing resources to drive better outcomes. We are methodical, nerdy, experienced … and a little fun!
