Vladimir Oane's Key Ideas from Lean Marketing
by Allan Dib

Lean was made popular by Japanese manufacturing to create a culture of excellence through a culture of constant small improvements. In general, lean is defined as "a way to do more and more with less and less - less human effort, less equipment, less time, and less space - while coming closer and closer to providing customers with exactly what they want."

When it comes to marketing, lean means:

• defining value from the customer's viewpoint
• continuous improvement in how value is delivered
• eliminating the use of resources that don't contribute value
• producing what's needed only when it's needed

A common entrepreneurial mistake is building a product first and then seeking a market - what is commonly known as “a solution in search of a problem.” Instead, reverse the process:

• Identify and understand your market deeply.
• Create products or services designed specifically for that audience.

This shift ensures you are creating “stuff for your people,” not trying to force “people for your stuff.”

All buying behavior into 7 fundamental human desires. Understanding these can sharpen your marketing messaging:

1. Money and wealth
2. Time and convenience
3. Sex and mating
4. Status, fame, and approval
5. Safety, peace of mind, and basic needs
6. Leisure, entertainment, and play
7. Freedom

All successful offers tie back to one or more of these core drivers.

Simon Sinek is a famous business speaker who emphatically repeats “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” This is very seductive because your organization can change its “why” after a one-day offsite. Changing what you sell and whom you sell to is a lot harder.

In practice “starting with why” looks like revisionist history than deliberate strategy. It is made to sound good and it ignores the real whys:

• Jobs
• Creates wealth
• Drive the economy forward
• A good life for shareholders and their family etc..

No fancy words needed. The most noble purpose of your business is to make a profit.

A brand is the personality of a business. It is the accumulated goodwill your company has built over the years.

You do this by delivering a world-class customer experience, building strong intellectual property, and ensuring that marketing is helpful, entertaining, and valuable. The logo and colors are the least important parts in the branding process.

Sell, offer value beyond the charged amount. Repeat ... that's how brand value accumulates.