Don't forget the people

I was watching some highlights of the Springboks vs All Blacks game over the weekend; what stood out, even more than the excellent Bok performance, for me was the clear excitement of the crowd in the Mbombela stadium on Saturday evening.

Great rugby only exists because it is being actively appreciated by an audience of fans.

It's often easy to forget that brands, products, plans, companies - only have meaning and value because of people.

Customers, staff, owners, potential customers...and the rest who carry importance; are the audience who may, or may not, find your particular act worth their limited attention.

Marketing is the task of creating a show that an audience is going to want to see.

Do a good job and the audience will stick around, but if the show gets messy, unfocused, long-winded, outdated or boring - people will quickly find another show that does a better job.

There's a lot of choice out there and it's easier than ever to switch channels.