Here’s a good question: is marketing more effective when the marketer is punch drunk in love with his product or when he is indifferent?
I can kind of take both sides since I’ve been in both positions, but I think I’ll come down on the side of the being product agnostic. Here’s two reasons:
- When you’re a little distant, you’re more likely to see the product as consumers see it. And it’s always better to sell to a consumer’s needs than rave about how robust your product is.
- Too many ingredients spoil the dish. If you’re totally immersed with a product’s details, you’re inevitably going to stitch them into your pitches and your collateral. And once you go down that path, we’ll it’s pretty much over.
You know, it makes me think of surgeons. Isn’t it the case that surgeon’s can’t practice on their own family members? Well, I think that applies here. As a marketer, you’re at your best when you can stand back, your best tools in hand, and assess your problems with a cool mind free of personal interference.
What’s the takeaway? Well, if you’re running a shop where your product folks are your marketing folks, well, you might want to split some duties.
What do you folks think?
UPDATE
So I’m not sure .if I totally believe this. There is truth in that marketing skills are tangible and can be applied to any content or domain–probably with good effect; however, I have to acknowledge the obvious: deep passion makes for brilliant and convincing messaging, and deep product knowledge makes for nuanced messaging and cogent differentiation.
