By Greg Woodman
I’ve always had a passion for promoting Happy Valley, from founding HappyValley Promotions in the 1980s to today, as we just recently released the latest issue of HappyValley Industry Catalyst.
HappyValley Industry’s entire gig is accentuating the overwhelming number of benefits of this place where we live and work. Our goal, though, is to not only shine a spotlight on positive progress, but also to highlight the local services and suppliers whose solutions are working behind the scenes to make it happen — because, when looking at marketing among these service providers and suppliers, I see some big misconceptions.
I recently spent an eye-opening hour with a group of engineers, and it confirmed these misconceptions that I’ve seen not just now, but over the years. Many businesses believe marketing is about advertising or selling. But this limited view can lead to dysfunction, missed opportunities and even business decline.
These are the four big misconceptions that I see most businesses make, and how it’s ruining their marketing efforts.
Many companies reduce marketing to just Promotion — running ads, creating social media content or sending out PR. While important, these are just the tip of the iceberg. Marketing is about aligning Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.
At Airwalk Footwear, where I was part of the team that drove 10x growth, the key was not just cool ads. It was understanding the skaters’ lifestyle (Product), pricing our shoes to compete in both niche and mainstream markets (Price) and expanding our distribution beyond skate shops (Place).
The Promotion worked because it was part of a strategy where all four Ps were aligned. This integrated approach was what allowed Airwalk to grow faster than competitors like Vans and Skechers at the time.
Many companies, especially those who run with a product-first mindset, often shift overtime to focus on efficiency rather than effectiveness. This is where things go wrong. Companies that prioritize efficiency over effectiveness often lose their customer obsession — one of the key principles that companies like Amazon are built on.
Marketing, when done right, ensures that you are both effective and efficient. When companies focus too much on making operations more efficient and forget about customer insights, they miss the chance to innovate and grow. That is when the balance is lost. If one of the four Ps — let us say Product or Price — is not aligned with what the customer wants, it is like driving on a flat tire. The other Ps will not save you.
At Salvage Direct, where we scaled from startup to a $29 million sale, we did not rely solely on promoting our service. We revolutionized how customers bought salvaged vehicles online (Place), set pricing that matched both buyers and sellers, and built a product that solved real problems in the marketplace. Promotion only came after we had aligned across the board. This is what led to our exponential growth, not a flashy logo or a viral campaign.
Amazon is a perfect example of how marketing, when done right, ensures you remain both customer-obsessed and operationally efficient. In Amazon’s model, marketing has a seat at the strategy table. They use customer data to drive decisions around Product (what to offer), Price (what is the sweet spot), Place (how to deliver), and finally, Promotion (how to communicate that value).
Most businesses in Central PA that I have worked with silo marketing to just Promotion. The result? Innovation stalls, effectiveness decreases and efficiency becomes a hollow metric. When marketing is isolated, you lose the ability to truly understand your customer and the power to drive company-wide decisions.
When marketing’s influence on Product, Price and Place is lost, one P starts crushing the others, and that is when the business falters. It is like ignoring early symptoms of cancer — by the time the problem shows up in your metrics, it is often too late to reverse.
In every major success I have been part of — whether it was Airwalk, Salvage Direct or various capital campaigns that raised millions — the same formula held true: Marketing worked because it was aligned with all four Ps.
At the State College Area School District Educational Foundation, a concept that we were a part of the startup of a new non-profit, the approach was not just about promoting a cause. The team built a product (mission) that resonated with donors, set accessible ways to contribute (Place), and ensured that pricing (donation levels) aligned with what our community could afford. Once that strategy was nailed then story and promotion began. This led to $3 million raised from scratch. Alignment of all Ps is what enabled this, not just clever promotions.
All of this leads into why I created HappyValley Industry. I see something extraordinary in this region — potential far beyond what I encountered even with a company like Airwalk. Central Pennsylvania has everything it needs to thrive, but there is one thing missing: Marketing.
Not marketing in the way most people think — ads, logos, social media posts. I am talking about true marketing, where the 4 Ps — Product, Price, Place and Promotion — are aligned. Only when these elements are working in harmony can real, sustainable growth happen. Once aligned, then we can promote — using all the tactics that people often mistake as the entirety of marketing.
I want to be part of aligning those 4 Ps for the businesses here in the region. I want to see them grow, just like I helped grow Airwalk and other companies with which I have been involved.
We have all read the economic growth report that outlines where the region could go. It is an informative read and validated for me my investment in a website and 52 eletters and three print publications named “Catalyst” tied to the same goal of the report: GROWTH. I have read these kinds of reports at Airwalk and with many nonprofits and companies I have worked with hire us to do such reports. We call them Integrated Marketing Audits. But reading and even paying for reports does not create growth — alignment and action do. The report validated the need for alignment, leadership and action. Count HappyValley Industry and my team in.
HappyValleyIndustry.com was built as a marketing concept and platform with one goal — growth for the region via growth of the business within the region. The mission is to help guide local businesses understand that the 4th P — Promotion — on its own is worthless. It is only when Product, Price and Place are also aligned that promotion becomes powerful.
If you are seeking growth for your business or nonprofit, I would love to chat. I believe that if you feel like your company is not hitting its full potential, it is because one of the Ps is out of alignment — and I would be happy to help you figure out which one.
Reach out, and let us discuss how Affinity Connection, a true marketing company — not just a promotion company — and our 4th P tactical promotion e-letter and website, HappyValleyIndustry.com, can support your growth goals. Let us make sure all four tires are pumped up and aligned for 10x growth!
814-237-0481 ext. 131
Here is the truth: Marketing is not just the 4th P (Promotion). It is about aligning Product, Price, Place and Promotion to meet customer needs and drive growth. Yet, many companies set up their structures in a way that isolates promotion and ignores the strategic role of marketing. This mindset often stems from an outdated organizational design, reminiscent of how General Motors operated in the 1970s, focused on efficiency and siloed departments.
Contrast that with Nike, Apple or Amazon — customer-obsessed companies where marketing drives decisions at the highest level. Their success stems from the alignment of all four P’s, ensuring that marketing is not just about making things look pretty; it is about making sure the customer is at the heart of every decision.
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