You’re going to see a lot of different responses to Google’s new Promotions tab… Some outrage. Some planning. Some panicking and scrambling… You’ll see email marketers trying to convince the world and themselves that they can work around it. But in the end, it doesn’t matter.

Remember the Basics

I was formed in a world of constant change. From face to face, to cell phones, to social media… my entire adolescence and young adulthood I was defined by repeated revolutions in communication. As a result, I’m not a traditional marketer… I’m not a channel specialist or an ad wiz. To me, marketing is simply defined as the communication and relationship between a producer and their consumers.  That’s it. No matter what the mode or method is, it’s the relationship that really matters.

You may think, “Well, that’s obvious!” But, you’d be surprised at how many people forget this crucial fact. Sometimes it’s because they never bothered to listen to consumers in the first place, but often it comes with age and stability. An established company is somewhat insulated, so it’s easy to forget who you’re serving and neglect your connection to your customers… This can be seen in companies like Microsoft with the outright offensive launch of their latest console. I’d be willing to bet that, promotions tab or not, the consumers stopped listening to Microsoft as a response.

Post Promotions Tab

To me, this most recent change makes no difference. My methods will always center on building real relationships with consumers, communities, and the people that serve them. Because of that, the promotions tab won’t have any real impact on my marketing… I’ll never have to wonder if I’m in the right box because I’ll always know that I’m speaking directly to the right person.

That’s all for now. Til’ next time…