While Albert Einstein is better known for math equations than he is for marketing, you may remember his famous saying, "Awareness is not a marketing objective, baby!" from your facilitation training or a session you've attended with Creative Resources.
Marketing objectives are easy to spot because they are constructed and stated in a specific way. Marketing objectives have TOPPS.
Target: Describe the target as a person, not a demographic.
Outcome: What is the consumer supposed to do or believe as a result of the marketing?
Product: Name the specific product that is the focus of the marketing project.
In some cases it makes sense to include a place and a season.
Place: Where does the client want the outcome to happen?
Season: When does the client want the outcome to happen?
As a facilitator, getting away from a vague statement like, "We need to create awareness with Women 25 to 54" to a focused marketing objective like, "We need to persuade a 40-year-old homeowner to buy her kitchen appliances at Home Depot this spring" will often require your help.
Try this the next time your marketing objective doesn't have TOPPS.
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Ask the client these questions:
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Target: Who are the potential target consumers for the product or service?
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Outcome: What is the consumer supposed to do or believe as a result of the marketing?
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Product: What specific products might be the focus of this marketing project?
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Place: Where does the client want the target to purchase the product?
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Season: when does the client want the purchase to happen?
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Use the answers to the questions to generate a short list of different marketing objectives stated in the TOPPS structure.
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Ask the client to choose one marketing objective for which he needs ideas to work on first.
Connect with Creative Resources for more tips on making sure your marketing objectives have TOPPS!