What is marketing actually?
Think about it. You don't go looking for a book shop until you want to buy a book ... the decision to buy was already made when you started looking.
 
Before you made that decision, marketing content about book shops didn't interest you much ... but the moment you made the decision to buy, book shop marketing became very important ... no business can predict that moment.
 
Your marketing must be instantly available at any moment, to drive a potential customer through the natural stages of human retail behaviour, to become your customer.

How does marketing work?
Ever since printed newspapers were invented, marketing has developed two seperate personalities, one in the newspaper and one at the place of business.
 
With the rise of the internet, these have evolved even further ... one in the Virtual World and one in the Real World. In market-speak we would call these Passive Marketing or Active Marketing.
The difference between the two is obvious, but let's look closer...
 
Passive Marketing is the fixed source of information that confirms the decision of an already interested potential customer, to look for a business like yours.
In other words ... it's your Media Presence
 
It's all the information that we post onto your web-media and website etc, so that when someone needs your type of business, they Google it and your business appears on their screen at exactly the right moment.
Active Marketing on the other hand, engages with, invites and rewards real people, in real time, to visit your business, try your products and buy your products.
In other words ... it's your Retail Experience
 
Nothing beats an attractive venue and a helpful human ... which works for every business type ... then add the promotion, the special offer, the discount deal ... it's all active marketing.
Thinking about the scenario in the photo above. The passive marketing has done its' job ... it's brought a potential customer into your shop. From now on it's a real time Retail Experience.
 
Actively creating a good retail experience is THE most important marketing activity. No matter how good your product is, if your customer didn't enjoy buying it, he won't like it ... that's human nature.
 
Now we're getting down to the real work of marketing. It's understanding how human nature must be encouraged to work in your favour ... it's understanding how the opposite of a good idea, can be another good idea!

The opposite of a good idea
can be another good idea ... strategy!
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