Tel: 27 11 728 8382
Fax: 27 11 728 8381

info@inflow.co.za

The only way to grow is to communicate, make yourself known and promote your product or services, then when you have enough interest, sell.

In other words, market yourself. But what does marketing actually mean? How does it fit into PR, publicity and where does selling come into it.

MARKETING – WHAT, WHERE AND HOW
The actual purpose of marketing is to create demand and want for a product, whilst PR has the separate job of creating a favourable operating environment within which one can operate.

These two methods therefore go hand-in-hand and cannot survive on their own. It is very difficult to market a product into an environment that does not like or understand the product or services that one is offering.

Improved sales is after all the outcome one is after, but any specific sales campaign actually fits in between a PR and Promotional Campaign.

WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED
During the past five years we have been asking our market place, “WHAT ARE YOUR PERCEPTIONS OF MARKETING, IS IT WORKING” and although some answers remain diverse most answers remains unchanged.

- The marketing strategy of most companies is set by the MD, not the marketing manager! Why? Read on.
- Marketing is perceived as a needed but extravagant budgetary spend by the MD!
- As a result most MD’s expect marketing to improve sales, market share and the market perception of the company as “professional”
- YET 76% OF MD’s SURVEYED SEE MARKETING AS A ONE-ON-ONE ACTIVITY

So at the end of the day marketing is reduced to a pre-sales activity which is a bit like using a driving a super-car in first gear. Very limiting.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT - THE FUTURETIDE WAY
Due to these general perceptions around marketing FutureTide has gone another route – that of being Business Developers rather than a marketing company. We use the tools of Marketing, PR and Sales, but include other aspects such as extended sales networking, forums and strategic alliance development.

This more accurately positions FutureTide firmly in the Business Development arena.

In developing your business we offer a wide variety of services and products, and have sourced the skills to be able to deliver these services professionally.

To help you grow your business, have a look at our tools and services and call us.