Keep it Simple Stupid- Especially in your marketing!

The drive to simplify our offerings

I've been reading alot recently about how marketing has changed and how we need to simplify the offer for our customers.

We marketers used to bang on about 4 or 7 touch perinciples, depending on whom you listened to, and the need to get your message(s) in front of the potential customer this often before they would buy.

Now the latest thinking is suggesting we ditch this approach in order to help our customers make the purchase decision.

We used to have the buying funnel where we would have broad general idea of whom we might buy from and then whittle down the  choice based on our perception of the value offering.

Now we are faced with what os being caleld the tunnel approach where the buyer heads directly to only one source, discounting all others, for fear of getting lost in the mixture of messages and value offerings, al lslightly differnet and confusing in the decision makig process.

Why?

Quite simply because we are now all over loaded with messages from every concievable angle and channel; web, offline media, mobile, apps etc.  all making us bewildered as to where the really useful information is coming from.

I also had a chat with a printing acquaintance this morning at Business Banter that reinforced the message.  Our discussion revolved around the inability of customers to cope with the level of choice that he can offfer and whether or not he should offer everyhting tat he can.

My suggestion was to streamline the process and offer a few standard products for whatever format he was willing or most able to do and then offer a premium service for the bespoke route.  Many customers want a nice simple buy and are frustrated and flummoxed by the range of offerings , bells, whistles and thimgamaybobs that we want to give them.

So what do we do about it?

Quite simply, make it easier for the buyer to find, select and purchase an offering that fits their needs. But and it is a big BUT, be prepared to step outside of this and offer a bespoke service for those who wwant it.

So, ask ourselves, does every customer need all that choice?  if not how do we simplify.  Can we use the Simplificatin Process shown in the diagram to make the buyong decision easier?

A tierd approach with standard products may wrk for some segments and not thers it is up to us to determine where to stop or even idf to simplify based on ourt knowledge of our target markets.

Further Reading:

What Do Consumers Really Want? Simplicity, HBR Article

To Keep Your Customers, Keep It Simple

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