Marketing is More Than Growth: The Freight Train That Is Android

Marketing is More Than Growth: The Freight Train That Is Android

In the world of marketing, there are three key domains that organizations need to consider: brand marketing, growth marketing, and product marketing. Each domain plays a crucial role in creating a complete marketing strategy that drives success.

Brand marketing is all about sharing the story of why your organization exists. It taps into the emotional connection points that resonate with prospective customers. By encapsulating a clear company story, visual identity, and narrative positioning, brand marketing draws in customers who may be less familiar with your product. It creates a relatable or aspirational image that customers can connect with.

Product marketing, on the other hand, focuses on what your organization is doing to deliver its brand promise. It helps customers understand the value behind each product and how it differs from alternatives. Excellent product marketing highlights the positive impact the product will have on the user, making it more appealing.

Lastly, growth marketing is all about how you reach and retain customers. It utilizes triggers, channels, messaging, and personalization to acquire and engage customers. Growth marketing channels distribute your brand to potential or existing customers, ensuring that your growth strategy aligns with your brand strategy. Without this alignment, any positive growth impact will be diminished.

Now, let's shift gears and talk about the freight train that is Android. Warren Buffet once said that he looks for economic castles protected by unbreachable moats in business. For Google, their economic castle is clearly the search business, supported by their AdWords monetization framework. This network effect and price optimization make Google's search business a formidable force.

To protect their economic castle, Google has built a moat in the form of Android. Android, along with Chrome and Chrome OS, is not meant to be its own economic castle. Instead, these platforms serve as expensive and aggressive moats, funded by the magnitude of Google's search business. Google's aim is defensive, not offensive. They want to eliminate any layer that stands between them and the consumer, making it free or even less than free.

This strategy creates a conundrum for competitors trying to extract economic rent from the same market. By giving away their product for free, Google makes it challenging for competitors to compete on price. This level of competition is unprecedented, as Google is not trying to win in the classic sense. They are focused on providing great software at the cheapest price possible, benefiting the consumer.

While some may argue that this creates an unfair market, it's important to remember that the consumer is not harmed in this scenario. In fact, the consumer benefits from accessing great software at no cost. As John Doerr once said, "The Internet is the greatest legal creation of wealth in history." Android may be the opposite of that, the greatest legal destruction of wealth in history.

In conclusion, a complete marketing strategy involves brand marketing, growth marketing, and product marketing. These domains work together to create a cohesive and impactful approach. Additionally, the example of Android showcases the power of a defensive strategy that aims to eliminate barriers and provide value to consumers.

Actionable advice:

• 1. Ensure that your brand marketing aligns with your growth and product marketing strategies. Consistency across all domains will amplify your impact.

• 2. Focus on providing value to the consumer. By offering great products or services at an affordable price, you can create a loyal customer base.

• 3. Embrace innovation and adapt to changing market dynamics. Just like Google's defensive strategy, be open to new approaches and constantly evaluate your competitive landscape.

Remember, marketing is more than just growth. It's about creating a meaningful connection with customers, delivering value through your products, and utilizing effective strategies to reach and retain customers.