strategic marketing is about finding the BEST solution

In 1998, Bill Gates {Internet Explorer without question the dominant player in the online world} stated, “The Internet will be a great place for people . . . once we can figure out what they want .”  Memo to Bill, someone did, Google, iTunes, Facebook, and Amazon. Explorer tried to adapt, as did Tower Records, MySpace and Barnes & Noble; unfortunately, they were too late. In fact, Microsoft has suffered great setbacks based on the Core 4, then most of the other businesses could sustain.

Consider Henry Ford: The main idea behind the quote is this: what people think they want does not define the solution to their needs. In the end Henry figured it out and gave them want they needed, although they could have any color they wanted as long as it was black.

What customers view as a “better mousetrap” is not the answer to “getting rid of the mice.” Many times, you as a marketer must forsake the customers’ wants and utilize a strategic thought process to determine what they truly need. Finding a “needs solution” and not a “wants solution” is key.  Many times your market can only tell you what they want based on their ability to calculate and formulate from what they already have. It is up to you as the business to determine a strategic solution that will sell, build your business and grow your profits. This is the entrepreneurial spirit in making these determinations.

We see evidence of this regularly in the business world. Everybody seems to want to grow their business, but in reality, most business-people would actually prefer to own strong, profitable companies. Some people believe they are going to grow their way into profitability, but that is a more risky proposition than focusing on growing profitably through determining solutions for the marketplace.

All businesses are engaged in a race without a finish line. You can only stay ahead of your market by KEEP MOVING FORWARD. We are not talking innovation rather the concept of inherently building a company with a a DNA that stresses thinking that moves your products, services or thinking forward at all times.

Bill Simmel