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MaryEllen began this book with a story about buying a home. I ended with a look at a retail business that sells cigars. In between, we gave you lots of examples from the information publishing industry (because that’s what we know best) – but we also provided dozens of examples from other types of businesses in many different industries.
The point is that the world of marketing in the twenty-first century is significantly and profoundly different than it was in the twentieth century. The big change happened in the late 1990s, and it has accelerated at warp speed ever since.
Today’s advertising world is bigger, freer, and more fluid than it ever was. The Internet has made the entire world every marketer’s oyster. It has made it possible to communicate with prospects and customers frequently and cheaply. Very cheaply. Because of that, nothing in marketing will ever be the same.
To be competitive today, we must embrace the sea change that technology has brought. We must accept the fact that we can’t control what we once controlled, though we can reach farther and further than we ever could have in the past.
More specifically, we must implement a multi-channel approach to all of our marketing efforts, giving priority to our core selling competence but, at the same time, taking advantage of other marketing channels to expand our customer base and deepen the relationships we develop with our customers.
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