Marketing is hard

There are many different functions in companies. Some are engineers and design the products. Some are in finance and manage the money. Some are in Sales and pimp the product to customers. Others are in HR and drive us nuts with their touchy feely bull shit…

And, then there are those in marketing. What do they do? Well, essentially they help develop the message of the product and help communicate the benefits and value of the product to the company’s sales teams who in turn sell to prospects and customers. Their job is hard.

Sure, every function has challenges. Engineers have to figure out how to build the shit. Finance has to figure out how to make the stock price go up while staying out of jail. Sales people have to tell wild stories about what the product does even though it doesn’t. And, HR has to dream up new ways to keep the employees engaged in taking yet another survey on the company’s culture.

But, marketing folks, their job is a lot harder. They have to develop the message and figure out the most effective promotional methods. These messages and promotions often take the form of pictures of the product and service being used by real people.

Often they do a phenomenal job.

Other times, well…sometimes the message is “confused”.

Take this advert on Groupon for example. Marketing folks, I think next time if you are trying to promote people taking a wilderness first aid clinic you might want to have a picture of something other than a grown man putting a child in a body bag.

Maybe a larger discount would help.