Ryan McAweeney has seen it all. The marketing executive has been at the forefront of the industry for decades. He has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world including Toyota, the NFL, and Wells Fargo. Throughout his career, he has seen innovative companies launch outstanding products with a wide range of results.
Some became highly successful while others turned into dismal failures. Many of the problems don’t have anything to do with the design or manufacturing. Flops are usually the result of faulty marketing strategies. Instead of being an afterthought, marketing should be a priority according to Ryan.
A product of the San Diego State University, Ryan McAweeney has spent decades in the field of marketing looking at it from different angles. He founded his own company back in 1992 called Vertical Direct Marketing Group. VDMG is known as a leading direct marketing agency in the US.
Its success has made Ryan one of the most important voices in marketing. His views on pressing issues are sought-after by fellow executives and advertisers. Ryan is particularly vocal about the prevalence of poor advertising techniques that lead to wasted resources and disappointing outcomes.
In his analysis, this problem can often be traced back to top management. It is not uncommon for executives to get obsessed with the creation of outstanding products in order to compete with their rivals. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to push innovation, this must not come at the expense of other factors that contribute to success.
Unfortunately, most resources are spent on R&D and manufacturing whereas only a small portion goes into marketing. They end up with technologically superior products that nobody knows or wants to buy. They may be convinced about their product’s merits but not the consumers.
Ryan believes that the “build it and they will come” mantra is doing more harm than good. It gives companies the false notion that anything they create will automatically have people lining up to buy them as long as they are better than the competition. However, this has been disproven year after year with a trail of failed products stretching far back.
Companies simply cannot afford to pour all of their resources in product development while expecting the item to sell itself. Perhaps highly established brands can get away with this but the vast majority will have to work hard at marketing to achieve decent returns.
In fact, even the most iconic brands have had to invest heavily in advertising before they were able to reach their stature. Great products alone simply don’t result in market leaders. Think of all the biggest names and you will probably recall a few viral ads from these companies.
They understand that these are necessary so they are not afraid to spend. It is a necessity rather than an option. It takes decades of sophisticated advertising to become a household name. Ryan advises businesses to take a two-pronged approach if they really want to make some headway.
The advertising industry gets a lot of flak due to skewed perceptions about how it operates. Ryan McAweeney wants to reach out to businesses and consumers alike to dispel these myths. He argues that marketing companies provide a valuable service that everyone can harness towards the greater good.
For example, excellent advertising can ensure that the hard work that went into product development does not go to waste. Businesses can be sustainable and workers can enjoy stable incomes. Ads can also be utilized to spread awareness about important causes. For Ryan McAweeney, marketing investments can spell the difference between success and failure.