A Rose by Any Other Name...
In a recent email conversation with reader Malcolm Wicks about whether companies can successfully “operationalize” word of mouth, Malcolm made a comment that caught my attention. He said:
“I’ve been getting increasingly pragmatic about the impact of marketing recently as I’ve been doing more work in the area of customer and employee surveys. Discovering what customers and employees really think of you, rather than if they are 'satisfied' or not, can be a very salutary experience. I’ve even been thinking if the name of the department should be 'Understanding' rather than 'Marketing.' Doesn’t seem to have the same ring though.”
That got me thinking.
Marketing and selling often conjures images of something you do “to” the customer, versus doing something “for” or “with” the customer. Today many customer strategists – whether in sales, marketing, or service – are more focused on creating long-term 'partnerships' with customers than in the past, often based on that understanding that Malcolm talked about. So maybe the new name for marketing could be the “Insight” department, although that’s not any sexier than “Understanding.”
What do you think? If you could rename “Marketing,” what would you call it, and why?
