Engagement · Topic 2 of 4
What is marketing?
By RISE Business Framework · Created by Gary Harper and Brandon McCurdy · Reviewed
Marketing connects your brand to the people most likely to buy. It covers what you sell, who buys it, and how you reach them. In RISE, marketing runs as a cycle. You analyze each product, study consumer psychology, write a marketing plan, then A/B test to improve results.
Key takeaways
- The four steps run as a cycle: Analyzing a Product, Consumer Psychology, Writing a Marketing Plan, A/B Testing.
- The Product 9-Box rates each product on how scalable and how profitable it is.
- The Consumer Psychology matrix matches tactics to four buyer mindsets and four spending categories.
- The marketing plan moves customers through Plan, Reach, Act, Convert and Engage, each with a KPI.
- A/B testing compares two campaigns across eight measures.
Marketing in the RISE Business Framework
Marketing is the second Engagement topic in RISE. It drives engagement by connecting your brand to your audience.
RISE starts with the product, not the ad. You first decide which offers deserve investment. Then you shape messages around how your buyers think and spend.
Why marketing matters
Without product analysis, a business can pour marketing money into offers that do not scale or make a profit.
Without a written plan and testing, tactics drift. Nobody knows which channel produced leads or which message actually worked.
“To master marketing, you must understand your customers deeply and inspire them.”Gary Harper
The 4 tools of Marketing
1 of 4
Analyzing a Product
Rate each product on how scalable and how profitable it is, then take the action the 9-Box prescribes.
2 of 4
Consumer Psychology
Match your tactics to your buyers' mindset and to how they see your product's spending category.
3 of 4
Writing a Marketing Plan
Set audiences, objectives, budget, channels and a timeline, then track a KPI at every stage of the journey.
4 of 4
A/B Testing
Run two campaigns side by side and compare them on eight measures to find what works.
How to build marketing with RISE
- 1
Analyze each product
Place every product on the 9-Box by how scalable and how profitable it is, then take the action for its cell.
- 2
Study consumer psychology
Identify your buyers' mindset and whether your product is an Essential, Treat, Postponable or Expendable to them.
- 3
Write the marketing plan
Define audiences, objectives, budget, competition, media channels, timeline and analytics.
- 4
Map the customer journey
Assign assets and a KPI to each stage: Reach, Act, Convert and Engage.
- 5
A/B test
Run two campaigns side by side and compare them across eight measures. Keep the winner.
Quick self-check
“We have consistent company messaging that carries through to all of our marketing materials and creative.”
AI RISE Coach
Plan your marketing with the AI RISE Coach
“Help me place my products on the RISE Product 9-Box and decide which ones to market.”
Frequently asked questions
Where should a small business start with marketing?
RISE starts with the product. Rate each one on how scalable and how profitable it is. Then market the offers worth investing in.
What is the difference between marketing and advertising?
In RISE, marketing connects your brand to your audience through products, psychology and planning. Advertising amplifies that marketing to reach a larger audience through paid and earned channels.
How do you know if marketing is working?
Track a KPI at each journey stage: unique visitors, lead conversion rate, revenue or profit, and referrals or advocacy. Then A/B test changes against what you run today.
Related in RISE
- Branding (Engagement)
- Advertising (Engagement)
- Finance (Resources)
- Business Pipeline (Systems)
- The Engagement quadrant
Further reading
- Market research and competitive analysis (U.S. Small Business Administration)
- Marketing articles (Harvard Business Review)
- Think with Google (Google)
