How to Understand Mumbo Jumbo Marketing Jargon in Easy Pop Culture Analogies

Recently I just got a new job which requires me to learn about marketing.

You see, my boss is this genius marketing guy and I really need to keep up with him. Whenever we had discussions he would start saying these marketing jargons which I could vaguely understand. I would have this “What? I don’t know.” look all over my face.

So I decided to make a list of marketing mumbo jumbos and relate it to poop (pop, but typo is staying) culture analogies.

Co Branding

Okay, so simple enough, co branding “is when two companies form an alliance to work together”. An example in pop culture is when two celebrities date each other or have a “featuring” thingy. It could lead great possibilities like Jay Z and JT, where both open up a whole new audience for the other person. JT got his street cred, appealing to RnB and Hip Hop fans; and thanks to JT, Jay Z got a whole new target audience in the form of middle aged former Nsync fans. Yay!! (?) for both. 

USP

Or “Unique Selling Point”. Or Competitive advantage; something you have that other competitors don’t. Once you have that; you’re set, so maintain that value. That’s why I was so very disappointed by Enrique Iglesias. No one else had that mole, and then you remove it? Why Enrique? Be like Lady Gaga… she would never think to surgically remove her crazy. Tom Cruise for example has no competish because no one else is that short (well, Seth Green is for a totally different audience.) But pay attention to when Tom Cruise started buying heeled shoes… when Dan Radcliffe finished his HP movies. Yup, think about that. What? I don’t know.

Target Market

According to Wiki “is a group of customers that the business has decided to aim its marketing efforts and ultimately its merchandise towards.” You could have a “niche” target market where you only target one segment of the whole population. One example of this is Mr Leonardo Dicaprio; whose has an exlusive niche market in the form of Victoria Secret models. But… you could also design your product so that you can set the net wider (or the bar lower) and capture various segments. One example of this is Taylor Swift; from a boybander, a tortured artist, a sleazebag, your next door neighbor, your brother, MAYBE EVEN YOUR FATHER. She appeals to every segment. BRAVA Taylor. BRAVA. Send me your tips. 

So, as they say in marketing.. go fishing where the fish swim; and be super quiet about it because fishies are sensitive. What? Again, I don’t know. I really don’t.

Xs and Os,

NADO 

*The first definitions were taken from Wikipedia, or as we all know it, “the mother of all knowledge”.