Who is a marketer? Really?

I recently read an article on communication. The article was very holistic and certainly well written; I learnt a lot and more coaxed me into reevaluate the true job of a marketer and marketing research.

Communication occurs in four distinct forms – Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Listening itself can be active or passive and the many elements of our personality, lifestyle and culture influence our listening. Active listening is the process of absorbing the meaning, processing the information to enable action, while passive listening is mechanical and disengaged. It article also drove home the lack of structured training in active listening, creating an opportunity for strategy & targeting.

As a marketer I should strategize in developing an ethical, poignant, effective and convincing pitch across platforms, media and venues to communicate with my prospects the value proposition of my brands when she is most receptive to my message. If that means presenting my solution to her when she is watching her favorite show in the family room, sitting in the hair dressers chair, on her drive to work, at a conference or even at her best friends party. It never hurts for me to know her preferences so I can forge a connection and leverage her association with her favorite brand/brands in inducing her to try my brands.

While my marketing research team studies her to know her persona, her passion, her life in developing the landscape of the most effective touch points to engage her in my dialog.