Not always. But, generally speaking, yes. If you're finding a lot of customer dissatisfaction, then look at your product or service and how you're communicating (or not communicating) them. Ask your customers, and pay attention to what they do. Finally, if all else fails, ask yourself if you're targeting the right customer. If you can't please him, maybe he's not your best customer.

Your strategy or plan is all in your head. You've got it all figured out, right? Do yourself a favor and put it in writing. You'll be surprised at what it takes to truly articulate and refine a clear strategy. What's more, putting it in writing allows you to clearly and succinctly communicate your strategy to others who might be invested in helping you realize your marketing goals.

If you're going to differentiate yourself in your marketing efforts (and you should), make it meaningful. Being different for different's sake is defined as a 'gimmick.' A gimmick never holds up over time nor does it build value in the mind of your customer.

Start with the fact that your brand resides in the mind of your customer. Everything else means influencing customers' perceptions of your brand. So, do it thoughtfully.

Much like interpersonal relationships, you only get one chance to make a first impression with a potential customer when you market to her or him. Everything after that is either living it up or living it down. Take advantage of the opportunity and do it right the first time.

Take the time to position your brand, product and service. It will make all the difference when you begin to articulate the creative content in your advertising and marketing efforts. Positioning is simply defining as succinctly as possible your customer, your product/service and the point of difference of your product or service over the competition.

"Don't sell the steak. Sell the sizzle." You've probably heard this expression. It's simply another way of saying, "sell the drama." In other words, create an emotional connection with your audience.

Generally speaking, simple is always better in expressing your marketing message. Simple does not mean easy, but it does mean a message that will have a greater chance of being heard (or seen or read) and understood by your intended target.

Marketing may be an expense in accounting terms, but in business terms it must be treated as an investment in order for a business to have truly effective marketing. Seeing marketing as an investment means taking the long-term view; expenses are short-term.

Know the difference between a feature and a benefit. It's okay to talk about the features of your product or service, but ultimately you have to sell the benefit. In other words, answer the customer's question, "What's in it for me?"

Remember to evaluate creative by it's performance in dramatizing the benefit of what it's selling. Just because an ad is cool or clever doesn't necessarily mean that it's effective in selling what it's supposed to be selling.

Marketing is both a science and an art. Practiced knowledgeably, marketing involves applied principles, a systematic approach (the science) with open-minded thought and creative execution (the art). Consistently successful and effective marketing involves balance and fulfillment of the art and the science.