“We all know what you make – but are you as certain what your customers are buying?

Simple as it sounds, it’s a constructively difficult question to answer.

You make expensive pens, but that’s not what people are buying. What people are buying will be prestige, or personal pleasure, or the hope of gratitude from a recipient.

You make multi-coloured chocolate buttons, but that’s not what people are buying. What people are buying is a moment’s welcome peace from demanding children.

You make laptop PCs, but that’s not what people are buying. What people are buying will be self-sufficiency, self esteem, efficiency and mobility.

As Theodore Levitt pointed out many years ago, people don’t want a quarter-inch drill; they want a quarter-inch hole. And for every product or service, there’s an equivalent distinction to be made – though seldom so easily or so elegantly.”

Jeremy Bullmore, my marketing hero 🙂