The document outlines a systems approach to marketing, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer knowledge, execution, and measurement. It identifies three root causes of bad marketing: lack of customer understanding, poor execution, and failure to measure and improve. The author provides insights into effective marketing tactics and customer engagement strategies across different stages of the buying process.

1. Marketing: A Systems
Approach
Addressing the Root Causes of Bad
Marketing
April Dunford
@aprildunford
RocketScope.com

2. April Dunford
As a marketing exec:
5 startups: 4 launches, $1B revenue, $2B acquisitions
3 big companies: 2 product line launches, $3B revenue,
8 acquisitions (buy side)
Co-Founder of RocketScope: Analyst/Research
firm for marketing best practices
Advisor, instructor, investor, coffee/beer drinker

3. What‟s an engineer like you
doing in a place like this?
Step 1: I got a marketing job
Step 2: I attempted to train myself
Step 3: I learned everything the hard way

4. The Cycle of Marketing Meh
Marketing
Fashion
Assessment*
Remove
Select
“bad”
tactics
tactics
Measure Execute
* Where you look at what everyone else is doing

5. What‟s Wrong with This?
1. What works for them might not work for you
– Your market, offering, buying process is different
2. Many companies suck at marketing
– Just because they do it doesn‟t mean it works
3. All tactics are created equal until tested
– You can‟t afford that
4. You don‟t know what you don‟t know
– Why did failed tactics fail?
– Are my “good” tactics the best tactics?
– What other tactics should I try?
5. No relationship or consistency between tactics
– Does not take your buying process into account

6. Is it possible to
model
great marketing
like a system?

7. The 3 Root Causes of Bad Marketing
Not Understanding what You Know and
Don‟t Know about Your Customer
– Who they are
– How they think about your offering
– How they buy
Poor Marketing Execution
Failure to Measure, Adjust and Improve

8. Inputs
3 aspects of customer knowledge
Who they are
How they view solutions
How they buy stuff

9. Customer Worksheet
Company Characteristics:
Size, Industry, Geographic locations
Product, Customers Ecosystem, Risk Tolerance, Growth, Regulatory Environment
Decision Makers:
Characteristics
demographics, education, skills, interests, motivations, goals
Pain
what drives them crazy or stops them from getting what they want
How Can They Be Reached:
Where do they gather
Social networks, communities, associations/groups, events
Where they find out about stuff
Search engines, word of mouth, peers, media outlets, blogs, experts,
influencers/famous people

10. Offering Worksheet
(Customer Perspective)
What do we do?
What market are we in?
Competitive Alternatives:
Examples: Do nothing, manual effort, Word/Excel, competitive
product
Key Differentiated Points of Value
When compared to the alternatives above the specific value you
bring that the others don‟t.
Proof
Customer references, 3rd party reviews, statistics, metrics, expert
endorsements,

11. Buying Process
It‟s all good I know it I‟m looking I‟m making I‟m now I‟m
here. could be at how to a purchase. using (or renewing or
better but solve this trying to re-
I‟m not problem. use) what I purchasing
doing bought. the solution
anything
about it.
No
Need Eval. Buy Enjoy Re-new
Need

12. Buying Process
Accelerators
Knowing the Knowing the Knowing the Why Using and Knowing I
cost of not Value of value of your purchase enjoy the can’t do
solving the solving the solution now? offering without the
problem problem offering
No
Need Eval. Buy Enjoy Re-new
Need
Current Value not Not knowing I might Bad service, Decided
solution good compelling how to change my Bad user there was no
enough Risks too high evaluate mind experience need
Great but not Too much $ Not using Move to
for me other
solution
Friction points

13. Tactics
Selected based on:
Who you need to reach
Where you can reach them
Stages where the friction is
What you need to do to move them to the next
stage

14. At the No Need, Need Stages
What: Problem-focused Content/Programs, Infotainment
– Videos (problem focused, non-demo)
– Articles and blog posts
– Infographics/Industry data/trend reports
– Curated Content
– Newsletters
– SEO, Website, landing pages, content optimized around the problem
Where: Where the prospects already are
– Forums, Social networks, newsgroups, industry events, associations,
media, blogs, etc.
Purpose: Entertain, Educate, Engage
Desired Action: Permission to market to them
– Social Media: Likes, follows
– Email: Newsletter/blog signups

15. At the Evaluation and Buy Stages
What: Solution Focused Content/Programs
– Articles and blog posts
– Demo Videos/interactive Demos
– Webinars/ In-person events
– Analyst reports
– Case studies
– Feature guides/whitepapers
– ROI/pricing calculators
– Advertising, Sponsorships
– SEO, Website, landing pages, content optimized around the solution
Where: Where the prospects are and Increasingly on Your Turf
– Forums, Social networks, newsgroups, industry events, media, blogs, etc.
– Your branded sites (website, Facebook page, etc.)
Purpose: Educate, Differentiate, Move closer to Sale, Address Fear
Desired Action: Permission to “sell”
– Contact information for sales (through content, events, etc.)
– Free Trial
– Purchase

16. At the Enjoy, Refer, Renew Stages
• What: Activation/Engagement-oriented content/programs
– Customer Support Content
– Demo Videos/interactive Demos
– How-to, Best Practice guides
– User forums/User Groups
– ROI/pricing calculators
– Customer newsletters
• Where: Mainly on Your Turf but also where they are
– Your branded sites (website, Facebook page, etc.)
– Customer Support portal/forum,
– User group forums, events, etc.
– Forums, Social networks, newsgroups, associations, media, blogs, etc.
• Purpose: Get customers to experience the value, Create raving fans,
• Desired Action: Referrals, Renewals
– Act as a reference
– Refer business
– Renewal

17. Operations
Plans based on selected tactics
Email marketing plan/process/calendar
Paid traffic plan/process
Content plan/calendar
Social media plan/calendar
Media/Influencer relations plan/calendar
The Big „ol Spreadsheet

18. Metrics
How prospects are flowing through the
buying process

19. Demand generation forecast example
Social Paid media Organic search Events Campaigns
Contacts # # # # #
MQL # # # # #
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%]
SQL # # # # #
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%]
SQO # # # # #
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%]
Closed Won # # # # #
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%]
Revenue $ $ $ $ $

20. Analysis
What conclusions can you draw?
How do these impact the inputs?

21. The Circle of Marketing Awesome
Customer
Offering
Buying Process
Inputs
Conclusions Tactical
Analysis Execution Project plans
Outputs
Metrics

22. Thanks!
@aprildunford
My Blog: RocketWatcher.com
My Company: RocketScope.com