What Is the Biggest Variable Affecting Marketing?

What is the biggest variable affecting marketing? Media! McLuhan's "Understanding Media" is particularly popular among marketers, especially those engaged in brand communication. The perception and understanding of media determine the level of marketing. The anxiety marketers face today, following the logic of first principles, is to return to the origin and build a marketing system around the biggest variable affecting marketing. Returning to the origin means returning to media changes. Current marketing theories actually hide an important premise: a self-consistent marketing logic supported by a specific media environment. However, learners often fail to notice this, thinking it's a universal theory. Let's review the evolution of media. In agricultural society, the main medium was the mouth (language), so word-of-mouth was crucial. In industrial society, due to the emergence of mass media, brands based on mass media became important. Due to urbanization, channel-driven strategies became crucial. In the internet age, new media have emerged endlessly, dividing users' attention. But because platforms control traffic distribution and user ROI data, few companies have benefited long-term from new media. Thus, Schultz's Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) has regained attention. Currently, omnichannel marketing is prevalent, and its principles can be traced back to Schultz's IMC. The biggest anxiety in the internet age is the lack of certainty in new media communication. Miracles happen occasionally, but they are full of uncertainty. Therefore, although IMC theory is difficult to implement, it is currently the only marketing theory system with certainty. All touchpoints are communication points. Speak with one voice. This is the core of IMC. Regardless of the medium, including channels as media, any contact and influence on users is marketing. Whether the marketing action is cognitive (building brand), transactional, or relationship-building, it ultimately converts into transactions. At this point, we must not only value innovative new media, despite their uncertainty, but also pay more attention to a medium full of certainty: channel terminals. We must also value the dual value of terminals: they can both spread brand awareness and generate transactions. For small terminals, there is a third value: building relationships. Early marketers tended to use the internet to deny traditional marketing and exaggerate the internet's value. My current view is: The internet makes traditional media more efficient and more certain. For example, mouth + internet is WeChat word-of-mouth; terminal + WeChat is business district communication. Find deterministic media and invest major resources there. Of course, you can also try new media dividends or create miracles on new media. You can believe in miracles, but always expect deterministic logic. Startups always hope to create miracles, but mature companies must find certainty. The biggest problem facing marketing now is that the traditional marketing system has been "destroyed"—mass production, mass communication, mass distribution—mass production and mass distribution remain, but mass communication is gone. The reason is that the mass media on which mass communication relied has been marginalized. However, the new marketing system has not been "built" well. We are in a transitional phase. Every so often, a big trend appears, but when there are too many trends, they cease to be trends. Traditional marketing is dual-wheel driven: 2C brand-driven and 2B channel-driven. Channel-driven remains, but brand-driven lacks a handle. Brand-driven is the function of the marketing department, relying on mass media to reach C-end directly and form consumer brand awareness. Channel-driven is the sales function, reaching terminals (b-end) through deep distribution to facilitate consumer transactions. Two lines, clear responsibilities. One line is narrowly defined as Marketing, the other as Sales. In the internet age, the dual-wheel drive no longer holds. First, mass media as a bridge for 2C awareness has weakened; second, self-media communication, which was highly anticipated, has disappointed—lacking controllability. So attention has focused on channels. Can channels, besides Sales, also undertake Marketing functions? Marketing functions must reach C-end to form consumer awareness. In channels, the closest to C is the b-end (terminal). If we give b-end new functions, it is possible for b-end to undertake Marketing functions. There was once discussion about whether the internet could achieve the unity of brand and effect. The unity of brand and effect is also the unity of Marketing and Sales functions. Now, it seems basically untenable. Teacher Shi Wei proposed three-dimensional space (online, offline, community) and trinity (cognition, transaction, relationship), which is actually another more professional expression of the unity of brand and effect.

Step 1, through b-end, find C-end with strong relationships. Step 2, with b-end present, complete C-end cognition and monetize transactions. This uses C-end transactions to strengthen b-end cognition. Step 3, because C-end transactions occur, b-end is activated and confidence is strengthened. Step 4, because b-end is activated, b-end activates more b-end based on relationships. The above process completes the first closed loop of marketing. Then begins the second round of cognitive-transaction big closed loop logic: First round, bC completes a small unit cognitive-transaction small closed loop. From the second round, according to the above logic, the bC small unit closed loop can be replicated. Replicate according to the structure of super TOP, TOP, and ordinary b. When b-end reaches a certain density, C-end density will inevitably form. When C-end reaches a certain density, C-end will cross-cover at b-end. Thus, the big closed loop of commercial cognition and transaction is formed. Cross-coverage achieves a result: even without bC relationships, a cognitive-transaction closed loop can form between bC. So, the essence of bC integration is to use b-end to achieve both 2b and 2C, similar to the logic of Hua & Hua's super symbols. Marketing needs to find a deterministic handle, otherwise, you have strength but nowhere to apply it. From the previous analysis, Hua & Hua found the other side of b-end channel value: a deterministic communication position. bC integrated promotion also finds the other side of b-end channel value: relationship → cognition → transaction. Marketing must land, and it needs a handle. With a handle, there is a point of application. Otherwise, you're anxious but can't exert force. The commonality between super symbols and bC integration is two keywords: one is b-end's cognitive (communication) value; the other is certainty. Communication is cognition, and cognition relies on communication. Regardless of the communication method, the ultimate goal is to solve the cognition problem. Traditional HBG theory: mass production, mass communication, mass distribution. Mass production remains, mass distribution remains, but mass communication has disappeared. Since mass distribution remains, it is possible for b-end to become the primary medium for communication. This is an important feature of Chinese marketing. Exploring b-end's communication value is the common feature of super symbols and bC integration. Moreover, the two are not contradictory; they are complementary and can be superimposed. Another common feature is both have cognitive-transaction small and big closed loops. As long as the business closed loop is completed, the main marketing work is basically established. Because there is a small closed loop, small enterprises can do it. Because there is a big closed loop, large enterprises are more effective. Let's talk about certainty again. More than 10 years ago, I heard a saying: less fantasy about miracles, more reverence for laws. It left a deep impression. This is a sign of a mature enterprise. Entrepreneurs expect miracles, and media communication miracles. If mature enterprises still expect miracles, it's a disaster. Mature enterprises need certainty. Communication is a combination of violence and art. For central media advertising, spend enough money and find creative producers. That is certainty. Self-media IP communication has created miracles repeatedly. For example, Oriental Selection and Zibo BBQ are not replicable. Heavy investment may be ineffective; casual play may ignite. This is uncertainty. There is a current phenomenon: regardless of enterprise size or performance, everyone is anxious. The root cause of anxiety, I believe, is uncertainty, a feeling of unease. In an era of uncertainty, how to find a deterministic handle? b-end is the handle for marketing certainty. Hua & Hua's super symbols found it, and bC integrated promotion also found it. Once you find a deterministic handle, hold on to it. To summarize. In the traditional marketing era, b-end was the endpoint of deep distribution. Whether it's the super symbol marketing system proposed by Hua & Hua or the bC integrated promotion marketing system I proposed, b-end is the starting point of marketing, forming a cognitive-transaction closed loop around b-end. b-end has both 2C cognitive value and 2b transaction function. From this, we can see the importance of b-end. So, do super symbols and bC integration have different applicable scopes? Yes, every theory has its boundaries. I divide bC integration into three types: one is circle bC (e.g., baijiu), two is community bC (e.g., dairy), three is near-field bC (e.g., beverages). Among them, near-field bC is more suitable for super symbols, while circle bC and community bC are more suitable for bC integration. PS: Click Read Original to view more about the 9th China FMCG Innovation Conference and the 2nd China FMCG Hard Discount Conference & the 2nd China FMCG Distributor Conference...