MARKETING AFRICA MAL 18/17 mal 18:17 online | Page 22

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
GOING WHERE
YOUR CUSTOMER IS
REQUIRES DOING YOUR
HOMEWORK
By Eugene Wanekeya
I
have recently found myself
watching so many TV series
about drug dealers that I ended
up marveling at how creative they
are at marketing their products.
Drug dealers have over the years
run very profitable ventures due to
their uncanny ability to successfully
manipulate the laws of supply and demand.
I of course restrict this statement
to only the ‘successful’ drug dealers
and will not get into giving specifics
lest I be accused of glorifying this
illicit trade. All this however is
meant to help me expound on my
topic above.
I recently found out that the simple
yet challenging recipe for running
a successful drug dealing empire
involves giving your potential clients
a taste of your product – which has
to be of superior quality to that
of the competition – in order to
create demand. Then getting into
the painstaking task of ensuring the
product is always readily available to
‘‘ In the media, both traditional and new,
audiences are continuously being bombarded
with thousands of competing persuasive
messages. This leaves marketers facing the
challenge of formulating strategies to help
their products or services stand out from
the crowd. A superior marketing war chest
does not seem to faze the competition as
some simply resort to the ‘me too’ approach
to counter the resources of much larger
companies.’’
20 MAL 18/17 ISSUE
these clients at the right price, hence
pegging down supply.
The risk of being taken out by
competition, or nabbed by law
enforcement and serving a serious
jail term notwithstanding. This bit
requires a combination of ‘muscle
and brain’. So, what is the relevance
of this analogy to modern day
marketing? It can be summarized
as the marketing mix – Product,
Price, Place and Promotion – in a
cutthroat business environment.
Today’s market place seems to be
shrinking as the numerous goods
and service providers scramble
for customers. You walk into any
section of a supermarket or a mall
and you find yourself as a consumer
spoilt for choice, whether it is a
bar of soap you are looking for or a
coffee shop.
In the media, as well – both
traditional and new – audiences are
continuously being bombarded with
thousands of competing persuasive
messages. This leaves marketers
facing the challenge of formulating
strategies to help their products or
services stand out from the crowd. A