Sharks and remoras have a unique symbiotic relationship. They both benefit one from the other. Likewise, there are components of your marketing that, although being very different from each other, work together to help you build a successful strategy to reach your customers.

Sharks are the dominant predators of the seas. When they show up, everything takes notice! Larger varieties of sharks migrate thousands of miles, are agile and extremely fast swimmers… and killers. Remoras are scavenger fish that attach themselves to large sharks via a suction disk on their heads. Remoras are not designed to swim great distances, they are designed to hang on tight. They need the shark to move any distance at all. Neither are they fast swimmers, so they don’t have the ability to track down and outmaneuver their prey. So this mutual relationship seems to be tilted to give all of the benefits to the remora and nothing to the shark. However, not every benefit is obvious, neither are they always visible. While the shark is swimming from one meal to other, the attached remora is doing something for the shark it could never do for itself, but is essential for it to continue living. There are other hitchhikers present on sharks: parasites and bacteria. They are tiny, but they can be deadly. The remora eats these tiny parasites on the shark’s skin, teeth and gills. It removes bacteria as it does its cleaning. By doing so, the shark is spared disease and eventual death.

What are the sharks and remoras of marketing? We talk to a lot of customers about their strategic marketing plans. It is essential to successful marketing. In doing so, we evaluate their position in their particular market. We take a look at their strengths and weaknesses, their customers, their competition and, from there, we develop a campaign to promote their brand. That involves putting the brand’s best foot forward in advertising, social media posts, information on their website, collateral materials, etc. These actions are the sharks of marketing campaigns. They are big, bold, and are meant to get your attention. Brand awareness is a shark: when it is present, you take notice!

So what are the remoras of marketing? The subtle actions and opinions that are heard from your customers might get lost in a big brand awareness campaign, but are very important for any strategic marketing plan to move your business forward. How often have you seen a company do a big blow-out marketing promotion without considering whether or not their target market will actually get engaged with the promotion? Ignoring them is a big mistake. There are two opinions you should consider when building your marketing strategy. The first is your current customers’ opinions. They have had an experience with your company, its products and services, your quality, your prices, your ability to deliver on time and the interaction they had with people within your organization in the process. They have an opinion of you and your brand. Listen to what they say and adjust your marketing accordingly. The second group of people is influencers of your target market. These people may never purchase one thing from you, but their opinions about your brand will shape what others think. For instance, if you were selling an over-the-counter mouthwash that was supposed to give you fresh breath and whiten your teeth, the opinion of an influential expert like a dentist for or against your product would be essential to your marketing success. Your marketing strategy has to make sure you are hearing and reacting to the opinions of these influencers.

Your brand marketing should be unleashing the sharks! Be big and bold and make a distinction between you and your competition. But your marketing strategy should be inviting the remoras to ride along too. The subtle opinions of your customers and the people who influence cannot be ignored if you are to have marketing success.