Marketing. Not a very well-developed or well-appreciated service here in the Deep South. Especially among IT companies. Which is an irony, because the geeks possess the most powerful marketing tool in the world. (Oops! I hope I haven’t offended anybody’s sensibilities — see, a friend once told me that being called a geek is actually not derogatory…but this should be in another post!)
I’ve been trying to provide marketing services for Davao IT companies for some time now, but sadly, most of them just don’t allocate enough budget for the proper conduct of marketing activities. Much less for PR. And that’s what Davao IT badly needs now. Our IT industry, in order for potential markets to discover our talents and capabilities, needs to be presented in the best way possible to the world at large. And we do have an abundance of marketable talent.
Thing is, for a business to take on serious marketing would be a commitment. That company would have to stick with the program or else the effort would come to naught. That’s happened many times: a business decides to retain the services of a marketing specialist; and initial work is accomplished; but after only a short while, the business decision-makers get intimidated by the expenses and decide to nip the whole exercise in the bud. Their whole-hearted excuse: the bottomline.
But it’s exactly the bottomline that’s the lookout of marketing! It’s just that, businesses should think long-term. Long term == stability, yes? That’s why it’s a commitment. Put it simply: that’s why large, successful companies have separate marketing departments (i.e., separate from the sales department).
But why listen to me? Why not see what the experts are saying? There are established marketing outfits out there, and there are professionals who provide Public Relations for IT companies, specializing in what high-tech businesses are really about.
When will Davao IT experience its first-ever boom? Well, there are many factors that should come into play. And one of the most important is — all together now — marketing!
