It’s brilliant. Marketing magic explained via a simple yet effective circus analogy is as smart as it is straightforward. And while you may have come across this comparison once or ten times in the past, as the ringmaster of your own brand, it’s always worth another look. That’s marketing!
If the circus was coming, and you went looking for a site to pitch the ‘Big Top’, that’s market research.
If you painted a sign before the circus came to town announcing, “Circus Coming to Town on Saturday!”, that’s advertising.
If you put your sign on the back of an elephant and marched it through town, that’s promotion.
If the elephant, still with the sign on his back, tramples through the mayor’s garden, and it makes the evening news, that’s publicity.
If you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.
If you deliberately lead the elephant past schools and through residential neighborhoods, that’s market segmentation.
When town’s residents come to your circus and you show them the array of games, treats and entertainment stalls, explain how much fun they’ll have enjoying the circus performers, answer their questions about the attractions and, ultimately, they spend their hard earned money at your circus, that’s sales.
If you created, planned and managed all these activities, that’s MARKETING!
-N.C.
