Ever gone to the cinema to watch a movie everyone raved about, glowing reviews, flashy trailers, social media hype and then it turned out to be a total dud?
You sit there at the end thinking: “Why did I waste my money?” Or spent two hours on Netflix watching something that was “#1 in Australia Today” and you wonder “Why did I waste my time watching this rubbish?”
That’s marketing!!! Advertising got your attention. Marketing played with your mind.
The Reality Check
If the movie is rubbish, people remember the disappointment, not the posters. And hype? It only makes the bad reviews spread faster. That’s business, too.
The Business Parallel
- Health professionals: Ads say you fix pain. Marketing convinces people their spine is plotting against them. Only real relief keeps them loyal.
- Gyms: Ads show treadmills. Marketing promises abs by next week. Only sweat and community stop the cancellations.
- Builders and manufacturers: Ads say “we build quality.” Marketing convinces people their dream life or latest gadget starts with you. But only real results bring the next job or order.
- Service stations: Ads scream “low fuel prices.” Marketing convinces you to leave with chips, an energy drink and a car wash you didn’t need. But it’s the way you are treated that decides if you come back when you’re not running on empty.
- Community and religious entities: Ads tell you where and when. Marketing convinces you that missing it might just mean missing out on connection, on belonging, maybe even something bigger. But only the sense of belonging and the experience there that keeps people showing up and coming back.
What everyone forgets is that marketing isn’t always about budget line. Sometimes it’s just word of mouth. Customers who rave, return ad drag their friends with them.
That’s marketing money can’t buy. Its built on service and not slogans.
So don’t just invest in the trailer. Make sure the movie or the Netflix binge is worth watching…