Here’s Why Marketers Can’t Generate Demand

They can only generate interest

Illustration by Phil Marden

I realize that this may end up sounding like an exercise in semantics; but I’ve convinced myself otherwise. In general, as companies we need to understand the dynamics of markets much better, so we can create products and services that customers will buy. We’re pretty good at creating products and services; just not so good at creating the right products and services.

Innovation and Marketing are two very different disciplines. One tries to make products people want, the other tries to make people want products. It’s much easier to make people want products when you offer products you know they want.

As a marketer, wouldn’t you love to have a product or service that effectively sells itself? I would. The alternative is failure…and it doesn’t matter how fast or frequently you do it. The end result is the same for the vast majority of companies that embrace it.

Therefore, I’m putting down a couple of stakes in the ground, and will continue, over time, to expand o…