Marketing matters

I read the Broker Management Forum article on marketing in the July edition of Professional Broking with some interest. As a marketing practitioner, I understand what you are attempting to do in these types of articles but there are several distinctions that need clarifying. Your survey asked 'what is the most effective form of marketing used?' However, it failed to clarify the fundamental difference between marketing and advertising. Marketing is strategic and involves theories such as one-to-one marketing, it must therefore be separated from the media used in its execution.

Your survey stated that 40% of brokers used one-to-one marketing but how did they do this? Via e-mail, direct mail, telemarketing, the internet? You could, of course have meant face-to-face marketing, which is otherwise known as sales. Advertising is used to build a brand through media such as press and television and is the creative execution of marketing strategy. They are nevertheless separate functions and, hence, why there are advertising agencies.

To get results from your marketing activity you simply have bear in mind your audience. That is the key. You can get phenomenal responses to telemarketing because you have the customer on the end of the phone, as long as the product is right for the customer.

Thomas Baker

Marketing director, Fortress Underwriting Agencies.