The 7 Deadly Marketing Sins

Gather round everybody! Today is Judgment Day. Let’s bring outthose old scoundrels, the Seven Deadly Marketing Sins, and seewhat they have to say about our lives as marketers.What do you have to say, Pride?I am Pride. I fall in love with my product, with no thought towhether there is any market for it. When I discover that thereis no market for my product, I continue to spend money onadvertising, even when it is apparent that nothing will come ofit. I am willing to go broke marketing something there is nomarket for because I insist that it is a genius idea.Okay, that was very insightful, Pride. Let’s move on to Greed.I am Greed. I want to sell my product, but I am not willing tospend any money to do it. I don’t care how important marketingis. I can sell my product without it. I don’t want to spend adime more than I have to. I like my money to stay where it is,even if it means I never make any more money.Wow, Greed! You are one frugal sin! How about you, Wrath? Canyou add to what Greed shared with us?I am Wrath. My advertising didn’t work right away! That makesme so mad! I don’t think that this advertising is ever going towork. That’s it. I give up. I hate losing money on somethingthat isn’t going to work. Yeah, yeah, so I just startedadvertising yesterday. BUT I WANT RESULTS AND I WANT THEM NOW!Wrath, you and Greed should get together. You have a lot incommon. Now, Envy, I’m certain that you have something a littlemore constructive to add.I am Envy. I want to do exactly what others are doing, even ifit means trying to sell in an already saturated market. I willassume that, if I do what others are doing, I will succeed inmarketing my product. I don’t want to figure out a uniqueselling position for my own product. I will just do what thoseother people are doing and not worry about finding an edge. Ijust want to make some money, like that other guy.Envy, Envy, Envy. Didn’t anyone ever tell you to figure out whatyour own strengths are and go with them? On to you, Gluttony.I am Gluttony. I spent all my money on marketing, every penny.I blew it all and it didn’t even work. Of course, I didn’treally test the success of a marketing strategy before I spentall my money on it, but that shouldn’t matter, should it. Imean, I spent SOOO MUCH MONEY. I marketed on radio andtelevision and through direct mail. Maybe I should haveresearched a little more about my target market before I spent myentire marketing budget. Too late now. I’m broke!Sorry about that, Gluttony. You’re up Sloth!I am Sloth. I don’t bother to research the market before I beginmarketing. It is too much effort to find out what the marketwants. I don’t really like to ask my customers why they boughtfrom me, or go to discussion groups to see what kind of marketingworks for different target personalities. That would take a lotof movement and I don’t want to strain myself.Well, we don’t want to take any more of your time and energy,Sloth. Last but not least, we have. . .Lechery?I am Lechery. I lose interest in customers after a sale. Idon’t understand the value of a lifetime customer. As soon asthe sale is over, they are out the door, and I don’t even care.Sometimes I say I will call, offer them some promotion or other,but I never do it. They’re just customers. There are plenty ofother fine customers out there. None of them are special. I getwhat I want out of them and I get lost. I don’t want some needycustomer hanging around all the time, wanting to employ myservices or give me money for my products. Talk about crampingmy lifestyle!That’s it folks. The Seven Deadly Marketing Sins have laid itall out for you. So what do you think? Are you going tomarketing heaven or will you suffer eternal marketing torment?