The Fighter Plane – Model of Marketing

The Fighter Plane – Model of Marketing:
The analysts agreed that virtually all modern wars were decided in favor of the country with superior air power. Maybe business success is analogous to fighter planes and those with superior marketing power will win the war for the consumer.

The keys to fighter plane superiority:
1. Firepower
2. Speed and maneuverability
3. Endurance
4. Stealth

1.) FIREPOWER:
From pistols to guided missiles. From newspaper ads to widgets and API. The first fighter airplanes had propellers and pilots carried small arms in the cockpit. It wasn’t until someone figured out how to fire machine gun bullets between the propeller blades that things got interesting. The dogfight was born. Modern fighter jets now carry cannons, bombs, and heat seeking GPS missiles.

Modern marketing campaigns also require awesome firepower. To effectively carry your brand into battle to win the hearts and minds of consumers, you must be able to repeatedly target your message everywhere– from print media to traditional broadcast media to the new cybersonic media of social networks and the mobile web. Can you launch a widget?

2.) SPEED & MANEUVERABILITY:
The speed of fighter planes was limited by the propeller, the piston and physics. The 1917 Fokker Dr. 1 Triplane (the Red Baron’s plane of choice) maxed out at 103 mph and climbed to about 3000 feet. It was until someone figured out jet propulsion that things got interesting. The speed race was on and jets chased sound until they passed it. The MiG 25 Foxbat hit mach 3.2 Supersonic jets can climb to over 50,000 feet.

How fast can you get to market and deliver service? The ability to reach consumers quickly and adjust to changing markets and new technology will keep you ahead of your competition. Are you mobile? Are you up to speed with video? Can your website be translated? Are you locked and Linkedin?

3.) RANGE & ENDURANCE:
The ability of combat aircraft to reach distant targets provides a distinct advantage over the enemy. The aircraft carrier and mid-air refueling provide the means to keep a steady supply of jets in the air while your opponents are heading back to base. Also, the more planes you have, the longer you can endure.

Since the internet brings the world a mouse click away, companies are able to target diverse markets, including overseas. Even at home, it will be essential to speak the language of your potential client. How well are you covering the web? Are you using SEO and SEM to expand your marketing presence? Facebook, MySpace, YouTube– the battle is everywhere– are you in it? And don’t forget the reach of traditional offline print and broadcast media. Local consumers may be more accessible away from the computer screen. Some marketing wars still require hand-to-hand and face-to-face engagement.

With Web 2.0 transparency, you will also have to endure the slings and arrows of consumer opinion. Are you monitoring and defending your online reputation? And there is always the ongoing battle of economic downturns and business cycles to survive. Can you adapt to change and survive?

4.) STEALTH:
With advanced radar and SAM heat seekers your enemy can slip over their shoulders, it’s difficult to move out of harm’s way once you’re discovered. The stealth fighter relies on cunning to win a dogfight before the other dog even sniffs them out.

How shrewd is your marketing strategy? Are you able to obtain patents to keep your competition from reverse engineering your product or service? Maybe it’s better to fly under the radar and use your marketing stealth to beat your opponents before they even realize you’ve entered the war.

So buckle up. And may Lady Luck fly with you.