Marketing NOT Selling

The world has shifted in the past several years, and if the old saying that there's a silver lining to every cloud has merit, then there are benefits to the retail community of this recession. One of them, I believe, is a reawakening of the need to "market" to consumers, not to "sell". What's the distinction?

"Selling" is a product focused approach to moving merchandise into the hands of consumers. Period. Without respect to actual needs, value, or usability. The intent and objective is simply to sell merchandise. Hard to fault that simple premise, as selling stuff is what retailers do. Or do they?

"Marketing" is a consumer focused approach to meeting the needs of shoppers through the benefits delivered by specific products. Is this semantics or is it a critical distinction? My company believes strongly that "marketing" is the real mission of retailers, not "selling", and that understanding the needs of consumers and then managing the assortment to meet those needs is Job One. Many merchants understand this both intellectually and instinctually. The problem is that the benefits of the products are not being "marketed" so that the consumer can identify with the needs they solve.

Online offers the greatest opportunity to actually market in the entire retail sphere. In store will always be limited by very short attention spans, destination shopping behavior, and a limited physical space for presentation, display and marketing. In store marketing is a challenge. It always will be. Online, however, has different characteristics which make it ideal for a more involved marketing strategy.

The industry might be well served to look at every available method for using the ecommerce site as a "marketing" platform first and foremost, and as a selling channel second. If the marketing is successful, the selling will follow! And if that effort is to be successful, an examination of the methods and tactics that will drive success is worth the time and effort.