WSI Websmart Consulting Blog

What is Provocation Marketing?

We've heard of product marketing. We've also heard of solution marketing. Now, the Harvard Business Review authors Philip Lay and Todd Hewlin, encourage us to consider "Provocation Marketing."
Product marketing offers a product to customers. Presumably, the product is solving a problem of some sort for the client, but the marketer is distanced from the problem. Solution marketing is marketing to perceived needs or problems within an organisation and offering a solution. Provocation marketing is step further. This is marketing to problems or needs that the buyer is unaware of. 

Why is this a recession strategy?

Many companies have found themselves marketing solutions to non-existing budgets. The budgets allocated to solving particular problems have simply been reduced. Provocation marketing by definition focuses on new needs. It is therefore about creating new budgets.  

What does this have to do with internet marketing?

Marketing to new needs requires a higher level of trust than solutions marketing. Referrals are important as is reputation building. That is something internet marketing has a lot to say about. The podcast recommends social network marketing as a potential way of building this trust and reputation.

Listen to the podcast and let us know what you think.