Recently, after reviewing the Duct tape Marketing Blog, I was thinking about what John had said: Sometimes the Secret to Marketing is Just Being There. I wholeheartedly agreed with him, and wonder why there is such a lack of consistency in most people’s marketing, including my own.
Most people that are familiar with Lean understand the term “Muda” which signifies waste. It has been popularized by the popular use of the 5-S which is used to create a clean, ordered and disciplined work environment. If you think you could use it, just look at your desk!
What I wanted to discuss was the other two M’s that are often overlooked and somewhat unknown except to true Lean Practitioners. The two terms are Mura and Muri. Mura is usually translated as inconsistency and Muri translates as overburden. These two terms may be a significant factor on the reasons that we are prevented from “Just Being There.”
Muri (overburden) could also be defined as unreasonable or impossible. I would question people on how much they are asking out of their marketing. Typically, people are event driven and that is the main thrust of their marketing. Being in the community where their customers are may be a secondary function. They look at the better and more spectacular the event the more they will get out of it. This thought process is getting more and more difficult to pull off. The bar has been significantly raised in recent times as there have become fewer and fewer customers. Being there is a better alternative. I am not saying remove the events but what I am saying is to create events that your typical day in and day out customers will appreciate. Don’t be only trying to get new customers, leave your base grown from your existing traffic.
The other term I discussed was Mura translated as inconsistency. How consistent is your marketing. Does your e-zine go out regularly? Are you consistently sending out your direct mail, or other advertising? Do you have a consistent theme in your marketing that builds continuously on the last message? Is online and offline presence integrated with each so that a consistent message
is used? I believe Mura may be the single biggest reason that marketing fails.
Looking at these two M’s you can see how quickly how your marketing can be improved. Simple tactics using a tool like a process matrix can give a quick evaluation of your marketing efforts. Try this:
Here is the point: Isolate the consistent from the true inconsistent Establish a routine process to do routine things in a routine way. Just be there.
P.S. You may still have exceptions, just realize that and process them accordingly.