Marketing 101

Marketing majors are familiar with Henry Ford’s famous Model T remark: “Any customer can have a car painted any color he wants, so long as it’s black.” How simple things were for marketers back then. Depending on who you ask, we have seen four or five marketing eras come and go since Ford’s statement in 1909. In 1993, authors Don Peppers and Martha Rogers popularized the concept of the “Relationship Marketing Era”, wherein marketers placed an intense focus on capturing information about the individual consumer. But, alas, that was not the end of marketing’s evolution. Digital and social technologies have propelled us into a new era wherein consumers dictate conversations about products, brands and even companies. I’m not sure if it has an official name yet, but you can bet some version of “The Collaboration Era” will make its way into Marketing textbooks soon. And smack in the middle of that lesson plan will be a case study about Dr Pepper, this month’s cover story subject. The leading beverage brand has mastered the art of connecting with “uber fans” on social media and it is now enjoying the business perks that come with an engaged and loyal following. The remainder of this digital issue contains valuable lessons around challenging but exciting topics, like delivering retail insights and engaging the global digital consumer. So, while marketing is more challenging than ever, it sure isn’t boring. Thanks for giving us exciting stories to tell!