I’ve been in the field of digital marketing, working for advertising agencies and on the support side, for nearly 14 years. Throughout this time, I’ve acquired a vast amount of knowledge and skills in marketing and digital marketing, enabling me to identify problems and devise solutions for both B2B and B2C markets much more quickly and accurately than I could 14 years ago. However, as the internet, digital technologies (including VR in the future), and smart devices have become social infrastructure over the past 10-20 years, I’ve come to realize that we tend to overlook and forget the “essence of marketing,” including myself. This time, I’d like to delve into that essence.

What is the true purpose of marketing?

The true purpose of marketing lies in “building trust with customers.” While we’re taught in books and business settings about superficial goals like “providing various products and services to solve customer problems” and “enriching and growing customers’ lives and businesses,” the importance of “building trust with customers” hasn’t been emphasized much lately. We often learn about “building friendly relationships and aligning interests with customers” extensively when working at an agency. It’s similar to relationships with real-life friends, lovers, or spouses, isn’t it? Having a trustful relationship means we feel we can overcome various issues (e.g., having problems, wanting to be happier) together with the other party.

Doesn’t this apply to digital marketing as well?

Digital marketing, with its scientific and data-driven approach to targeting, efficient ad delivery, and analysis of customer behavior, has its strengths. However, all these are means to the fundamental goal of building deep relationships with customers, gaining their trust, and maintaining it. If customers trust the brand and believe in its value proposition, business growth and sustainability naturally follow.

This trust is equally important in each digital marketing initiative. For instance, content marketing builds trust by providing valuable information to customers. Social media marketing deepens relationships through conversations, enhancing trust. SEO and email marketing contribute to building trust by addressing customer needs in their respective ways.

Even as marketing evolves with new technologies and methods, its foundation lies in the basic principles of human relationships. Technologies change, but the essence of trust and connection people seek remains unchanged.

What is the essence of marketing?

The goals of providing “valuable information,” “deepening relationships through conversations,” and “addressing customer needs” share a common foundation: “knowing and valuing what is important to the other party.” If a customer values useful information, valuing that builds affection and a trust relationship because we value what is important to them. For example, my father built a house in his twenties. At the time, building a house at such a young age as a self-employed cleaner was quite an achievement, something my mother often proudly talked about to us children. My father greatly appreciated my mother for taking care of the house every day while also handling childcare and working from morning to evening. Owning a home, often considered the biggest purchase in life, was undoubtedly precious to my father, but it was also cherished by my mother. Despite any arguments, the underlying respect for what the other person valued kept their trust at a stable level.

Isn’t this key to business too?

It’s the same in business. Investing in promotional and marketing activities is crucial, but we need to ask ourselves more, “What does the customer value? Are we investing our thoughts and money in understanding and valuing those things?” In any relationship, respecting and valuing what the other party cares about is the “key” to building a trust relationship.

To practice this in the field of digital marketing, we first need to deeply understand our customers’ needs and values. This can be achieved through surveys, feedback collection, monitoring social media activities, and direct conversations with customers. With remote work becoming common and face-to-face communication becoming more challenging, it’s crucial to listen to customers and understand what they truly value, even using digital tools.

For instance, if customers value sustainability, a company can deepen trust by offering products and services that reflect those values and creating content around them. Similarly, enhancing customer support to provide prompt responses can also contribute to building trust.

By understanding and respecting what customers value, incorporating such consideration into all aspects of business can build long-term trust. In 2024, this approach seems particularly important. The pandemic has accelerated digitalization, leading people to seek more personalized experiences. At the same time, the increase in remote work and digital communication has strengthened the focus on human connections. This may be valuable not only for digital marketing professionals but for people in all industries. Building a relationship of trust with customers is more than a business strategy—it’s the foundation for long-term success and satisfaction.

Masaki “Mark” Iino
Founder & CEO
SOPHOLA, Inc