Who’s Job Is Marketing?

Last week I spoke to a group of travel agents, talking about my book, The Failure of Marketing. Granted, it was perhaps a little unexpected by the audience. But they paid attention.

And most of them didn’t get it.

Marketing is everyone’s job. Particularly if you interact at any level with the customer.

You have to understand your brand.

You have to believe in what your company stands for, what it promises.

And you have to work ferociously to deliver on those promises – to everyone – everytime.

I used the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok as the main example. Every employee there understands it. You will never experience service like they deliver. Personal. Caring. Attentive without being overbearing.

That is why this hotel is continually rated the finest in the world.

The hotel understands that the only thing that can distinguish them over the long run is their people and their culture.

Travel agents have had a difficult go of it the past several decades. Airlines and other travel providers have been cutting their agent commissions. The agents have tried to charge fees but their revenue has been hurting. Their customers have headed to the internet.

Perhaps they need to take a lesson from the Oriental. They need to understand the critical nature of providing service.

I provided them a road map. Most didn’t understand.