Marketing is Poetry & Plumbing

Marketing consists of equal parts of poetry and plumbing.

Whereas graphic design and logos and Web sites are often poetic in nature, the marketing plan is plumbing. It is function over form. Poetry sure is great—but only when the plumbing is working, can we think about poetry.

A marketing plan is the “plumbing” (i.e., the foundation) of any successful marketing process. The marketing plan is rooted in research and based in fact. The marketing plan spells out opportunities, alternatives, costs and choices—and does so in such manner as to facilitate decision making with regard to strategy and allocation of resources. The marketing plan provides a clearly defined pathway to help a company move from its present position to the one that it desires to occupy.