Why I’m passionate about marketing (and life)

I am a dreamer, there is no denying it.  I think that is one of the reasons I love marketing because I can see a vision for the future, in business and in life.  When it comes to marketing this is one of the most important  skills you need.  Just as an architect can visualise exactly what a building will look like, or a graphic designer just knows how good a design will look when they have created it, a marketer needs to be able to visualise a future state for a brand or a business to create the path forward.  I love this.

It’s the same in life.  I am the dreamer in our marriage. My husband is the realistic.  I think we are good for each other because of this.  I’m not the completely removed from reality type dreamer (we all know some of those right?!).  But I am the dreamer who can see what’s possible, what the future could look like, what a brand could mean to so many people, what your business could be in 12 months time, what the renovation on my house will look like, what country we could live in a few years for our children to experience another culture…  Oops sorry got distracted!  But seriously this is what I am about, keeping it real but aspirational.

Being aspirational in marketing is really important.  It’s about evolving and growing and staying relevant.  Because what looks good to people now may not look so flash in 12 months time if you don’t maintain the connection with your customers.  I see it around me all the time, businesses don’t grow with their customers, they take them for granted.  Although I think entrepreneurs and micro-business owners are much better at staying relevant and understanding this dynamic than some big brands are; they are just better at staying connected and not losing touch.  Yes it is easier when you are smaller but that’s no excuse now is it?  We all have to work hard to stay focused on what it’s really all about – our customers.

You can’t keep it too real or be soley focused on the troubles of the here and now when you are trying to grow and build and create.  It’s like a relationship really, you’ve gotta keep the passion alive, you have to stay enthusiastic, and that comes through knowing how good things could be, even when they’re not. Frankly, even when they’re shit.  It takes a lot of courage to keep believing in what can be.  This is why I’m passionate about marketing. It’s about making sure businesses and brands keep moving forward, about visualising what the future could be, and making it happen.  The same as in life, dreaming AND doing. Love it.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Kate 🙂