[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Size of Thought Is the Size of the Market <5>

Editor's NoteWhat has Lee Haeseon, Chairman of the Korea Marketing Association and known as 'the marketer who built the Korean Wave through marketing,' been recently pondering? Surprisingly, the answer is 'classic,' meaning 'customer.' In today's world of management and marketing, there is no 'cheat key.' In this fully digitalized era, there is no strategy that works for everything. However, fortunately, there is an ultimate direction. All these flights ultimately revolve around the customer. While it is important to jump in at the right timing in a changing world, if you do not want to lose your way, you must always keep the customer at the center. Just as all planets revolve around the sun, the direction pointed to by the compass called marketing can only be the customer. Word count: 1017 characters.

When a bird flies, deciding where to fly is important. In today's world of management and marketing, there is no cheat key. How easy would business be if there were cheat keys like in games? In the past, there was a strategy to 'take down the kingpin,' but now that everything is digitalized, such fights are meaningless. Although there is no ultimate strategy, fortunately, there is an ultimate direction. All these flights ultimately revolve around the customer.

Even now, marketing is 'customer-centric.' The customer is the sun. When you have to fight a duel, the important thing is to stand with your back to the sun. A fight fought with the sun as the background is always destined to win. The opponent, dazzled by the sunlight from the opposite side, misses the target. 'With the sun at your back' is the same as 'with the customer at your back.'

I was quite surprised at first to see Bang Junhyuk, Chairman leading Netmarble and Coway, who is seasoned in gaming, always talk about 'customer-centricity.' However, while it is important to jump in at the right timing in a changing world, if you do not want to lose your way, you must always keep the customer at the center. Just as all planets revolve around the sun, the true north of the compass called marketing can only be the customer.

The same applies when companies nurture talent. They must guide them to learn strategic thinking through business and marketing and to set their direction toward the customer. The primary reason people are important in a company is that they are the agents of strategic thinking to respond to change. The company's direction, response to change, product development direction, persuading consumers, and informing consumers (advertising, public relations) ? all these must be immediate responses to the group called consumers. Marketers must be able to work holding a compass in one hand and wearing a watch on the other.

Ultimately, business is like a bird flying. It can be a big bird, a small bird, or a flock of birds. But no matter what kind of bird it is, the important thing is the direction. You must always be able to set the direction so that you fly centered on the customer.

－Lee Haeseon, <The Size of Thought Determines the Size of the Market>, Se Korea, 23,000 KRW