Sometimes I wish marketing professionals would put their marketing plans and activities aside for a few days to reflect on the unique qualities of their product or service. We should do it more often at SEA but, when we do, we always make improvements. Always.

Occasional reality checks like this are good for all businesses. I will never forget the time I read a tender from a well-known mortgage provider which basically said, "we want you to deliver us the best mortgage website in the UK", with no details in the brief about what was unique or best about their mortgages. In my experience, this is not uncommon.

So are these accidental oversights or a telltale sign that marketing teams can sometimes forget about what their customers want? What do I want? Simple - a good deal, a good service and (occasionally but not always) a good experience. Not smoke and mirrors. Not brand awareness. Best, not "best practice".

Best, not "best practice"?

I've often found that the key to successful marketing is to think like a customer. It can be an instinctive judgement on my part or something that has derived from years and years of observing people. There's few things I like more than sitting in a cafe, quietly, watching the way people are and the way they behave. Sad, yes, but when it comes to marketing I find it natural to trust my instincts and use my common sense.

But, whether I'm buying or selling, I always do what most customers do when making important decisions - I gain as much information as I can. And let's face it, with Google glorious Google making our lives easier these days, it's easy to access information. Well-known brands have long been denied their heritage on the internet. And so it follows, great branding, best practice, and spectacular creative is simply no substitute for great insight, a great product and a great service. How amazing are those brands that have it all? Innocent Smoothies. Guinness. Apple. John Lewis. Direct Line (yes, Direct Line). Great examples for all marketing teams.

So there you go. That's why I think some businesses would sometimes benefit from a moment of reflection. And here's my advice to you. Don't jump straight into your strategies and tactics (the implementation of your marketing) until you have given serious thought to your issues and objectives, and worked out what success looks like. And for heaven's sake, put this in your brief.

A few things I do know about people is that they love integrity.

They like to be convinced and they like to know (not feel) that they have made the right purchasing decision. And I love it when we explore the details with our clients because when we return to their strategies and tactics, they know they are making the right decision and they know why. Just like their customers will.

Oh, by the way, this blog has been inspired by a current project that I am working on for Zurich Financial Services. We are helping them to create a "Digital Training Programme", which will be adopted by their UK marketing teams, account handlers and creatives...if all goes well.