Help Someone.

Today's Marketing Cookie is a guiding principle for every marketer. You are promoting products and services that your prospects need. They may need your product for pleasure—to feel prettier, happier, thinner, or smarter—or to alleviate pain, avoiding feelings of sickness, hunger, or insecurity. Whatever their reasons, your products and services fulfill these needs, securing them as long-term customers... unless you fail to deliver what you've promised.

My mother grew up on a farm in Quebec, Canada. I remember visiting my grandmother's farm as a child; it was idyllic. On the winding road to the farm, we'd crest a valley ridge, and the expansive sky was unforgettable. From there, you could spot the rusty tin roof of my grandfather’s barn. Descending into the valley felt like entering a serene bowl where the white farmhouse stood proudly among apple trees. Even though I didn't grow up on a farm, being in nature always brings me a comforting sense of belonging.

The house lacked modern conveniences like electricity and running water until the 1950s. Apart from the wood stove, there was no other heating. During frigid Canadian winters, my mother would warm a brick in the oven at supper, then slip it into a sock to keep warm at night. By morning, the stove's fire dwindled to coals, and ice formed on the bedroom windows. Even colder was the trek to the outhouse.

It was a day's wagon ride to the nearest market, so self-sufficiency was vital. They relied on each other and their neighbors. My grandfather kept cows and chickens, and they grew vegetables and fruits, trading surplus with neighbors. 

When emergencies arose, like livestock birthing, my grandfather was the go-to helper, often paid with essentials like salt or sugar. Survival was tough but full of chances to aid others. If he became unreliable, people might stop calling him, jeopardizing his own ability to seek help and survive. Thankfully, he never let them down, and his reliability became legendary in the valley.

As marketers, we have the chance to forge customer relationships just as my grandfather did with his neighbors. Your customers expect you to deliver on your promises. Ninety-nine percent of their expectations are shaped by your marketing, and the rest by common sense. Falling short means they might look elsewhere. When there’s a problem, acting swiftly to resolve it can secure their loyalty. Deliver well, and like my grandfather, your reputation will flourish.