Marketing Model

Author: Liu Weiquan / et al.
Editor-in-Chief: Yang Weifu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-06-01
Features: Here, I would like to congratulate Dr. Yang Weifu for his pioneering spirit and efforts in combining the insights of marketing elites and leaders in advertising, public relations, product, and service industries into a valuable reference for professionals and students. From these successful marketing/brand strategies, we can learn how multinational and Hong Kong companies implement strategy planning, market segmentation, and brand positioning, and also reflect the underlying values, principles, and discipline. Most people do not have the opportunity to work in these companies, but through this book, important perspectives can be provided to those involved in marketing activities. However, the success of a company does not necessarily require complex marketing strategies. Through repeated exploration and referencing past and present successful companies, three main factors for success have been identified:
First, the quality of service: In today’s increasingly diverse consumer market, only superior service quality can distinguish truly successful companies and ensure their continued success. Therefore, successful marketing strategies are those that provide consumers with the products and services they expect, even exceeding their expectations. The quality of products or services is also the mark of every successful brand in history. I worked at American Express for seventeen years, and we believed that our customer service colleagues were the "power of marketing."
Second, the quality of employees: In reality, the intellect, spirit, and emotions of employees cannot be replaced. Naturally, having the right talent in the right place at the right time can lead to other ideal behaviors and characteristics. Differences in personality, background, and experience are crucial in creating an exciting and creative environment, which also gives outstanding talent the opportunity to succeed and enjoy their work.
Third, the quality of interpersonal relationships: Some companies pride themselves on having some marketing "veterans." However, this is not a long-term solution. Lasting success requires cultivating an environment of mutual support and solidarity. Of course, it is easier said than done to create such an environment. However, employees need to be trained to work in a team setting, and actions that encourage team support should be encouraged. When distinguishing successful companies, in addition to quality principles, management principles should also be considered.
Successful companies are market-driven. Their employees think about the needs and desires of their customers every morning when they wake up, and they feel proud every night when they go to sleep because they have developed new strategies to meet these needs and desires. In other words, the organizational structure of a successful company should be centered around consumer needs, not the company’s products or services. Successful companies often consider what consumers want rather than what the company wants to sell.
Second, successful companies continuously improve their business activities. As the advertising industry authority David Ogilvy once said, we should always have "a high degree of dissatisfaction"—in reality, a moderate level of dissatisfaction is enough! Successful companies strive for perfection, even though they know it is impossible. Successful companies are those where employees can actually implement—rather than try to explain why they didn’t.
Third, successful companies value efficiency. As is clearly demonstrated in the Motorola factory in Hong Kong, "speed and quality" matter. Speed without quality, or quality without speed, is useless. Efficiency does not refer only to the activities being carried out but also to other intangible aspects, especially in terms of adjusting work efficiency. Successful companies do not continuously research a concept but instead test related questions and then simply execute them. Successful companies use simple ways of writing, short and immediately conveying the key points. Meetings are also structured and disciplined. They do not waste time: their own time, colleagues’ time, subordinates’ time, suppliers’ time, or customers’ time. They highly value concise and accurate work. They make outsiders feel that they handle things with a sensitive and precise attitude.
Fourth, they are willing to spend time researching the overall situation to understand the broader environment, competitive and political trends, and expected changes. While ordinary people only react to changes, successful companies anticipate them.
Fifth, successful companies operate based on a set of values, including activities that prioritize public welfare. This is not just about complying with laws, rules, and regulations. Successful companies aim to bring benefits to the public and further improve the environment of the regions, cities, or countries where they operate, raising living standards.
If we are not working for a company that meets the conditions and environment I have described, we should lead our colleagues in striving to improve, hoping that our company can also become a successful one. As Confucius once said, those who only pursue profit and gross margins are easily overwhelmed by a bad harvest. However, those who pursue excellence do not get confused by poor conditions.