{"id":2407,"date":"2019-12-29T09:35:14","date_gmt":"2019-12-29T09:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/?p=2407"},"modified":"2026-04-02T11:34:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T11:34:02","slug":"founder-vs-marketer-why-do-great-projects-fail-because-of-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/founder-vs-marketer-why-do-great-projects-fail-because-of-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Founder vs. Marketer: Why Do Great Projects Fail Because of Marketing?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Difference Between a Business Owner and a Marketer… Why Do Good Projects Fail Due to Marketing?<\/b><\/p>\n

Many small businesses start with almost the exact same scenario:<\/p>\n

Great enthusiasm, acceptable capital, a good product, and the confidence that success is only a matter of time.<\/p>\n

One month passes… then three… then six months…<\/p>\n

And the famous phrase begins:<\/p>\n

“The business is good, but the market is slow.”<\/p>\n

The truth that many business owners don’t like to hear is:<\/p>\n

The market is rarely slow… but the business is what fails to show up in the market.<\/p>\n

Here we reach one of the most significant problems of entrepreneurship in the Arab world:<\/p>\n

Confusing business management with marketing.<\/p>\n

The business owner often thinks that product quality alone is enough to achieve success, while modern reality dictates something completely different:<\/p>\n

A good project does not succeed solely because of its quality… but because of its ability to reach and persuade the customer.<\/b><\/p>\n

First: How Does the Business Owner Think?<\/h3>\n

The business owner is practical by nature, often caring more about what’s happening inside the business than outside of it.<\/p>\n

Their mind is constantly occupied with questions like:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    How do I improve product quality?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    How do I choose better materials?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    How do I save costs?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    How do I develop the service?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This thinking is crucial; in fact, it is the foundation of any successful business.<\/p>\n

    But the problem begins when they assume the customer sees all this effort.<\/p>\n

    The customer does not see what happens inside the business.<\/p>\n

    The customer only sees what reaches them.<\/p>\n

    To be clearer:<\/p>\n

    You see the quality… but they see the image, the ad, the copy, and the impression.<\/p>\n

    Therefore, a business owner might work 12 hours a day inside the establishment, yet not a single customer comes… not because the business is bad, but simply because the customer doesn’t know it exists.<\/p>\n

    Second: How Does the Marketer Think?<\/h3>\n

    The marketer doesn’t start with the product… they start with the customer.<\/p>\n

    Instead of asking:<\/p>\n

    “How do I make the product better?”<\/p>\n

    They ask:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      Who is the ideal customer?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      What is their problem?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      What are they looking for?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Why should they choose me specifically?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      What prevents them from buying?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      The marketer understands a very important truth:<\/p>\n

      People do not buy products… They buy results and emotions.<\/b><\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        The customer doesn’t buy a phone just because it’s a phone… but because they want communication, status, or convenience.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        They don’t buy a perfume because of its ingredients… but because of the feeling it gives them.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        They don’t buy an educational course because of its hours… but because they want a better opportunity, higher income, or a new skill.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Therefore, marketing is not about selling a thing…<\/p>\n

        Marketing is translating the product into a value the customer can feel.<\/p>\n

        Third: Why Do Good Projects Fail Despite Their Quality?<\/h3>\n

        This is one of the most widespread phenomena:<\/p>\n

        An excellent project fails… and an average project succeeds.<\/p>\n

        The reason is usually not quality, but visibility.<\/p>\n

        The market doesn’t always reward the best…<\/p>\n

        It rewards the most present in the customer’s mind.<\/p>\n

        Imagine the following example:<\/p>\n

        A restaurant serves great food but:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • \n

          Has no professional photos<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Has no active social media page<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Runs no ads<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Has no clear identity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          In the same area, a restaurant of average quality but:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • \n

            Has a clear brand<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Posts daily<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Has reviews<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Advertises constantly<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Which one will fill up first?<\/p>\n

            Usually the second one.<\/p>\n

            Not because its food is better… but because it exists in the customer’s awareness.<\/p>\n

            The customer cannot buy something they do not know.<\/p>\n

            Fourth: Marketing is Not Just Advertising<\/h3>\n

            The biggest misunderstanding in the business world is that marketing means paid advertising.<\/p>\n

            Advertising is a part of marketing… not the entirety of marketing.<\/p>\n

            Marketing is a complete ecosystem that begins long before the sale and includes:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • \n

              Understanding the customer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Defining the market<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Choosing the right price<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Building the brand identity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Establishing trust<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              The purchasing experience<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              After-sales service<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Advertising only introduces people to you…<\/p>\n

              But what makes them buy is trust.<\/p>\n

              This is why many ads fail; because the business didn’t prepare itself beforehand.<\/p>\n

              Fifth: The Relationship Between Management and Marketing<\/h3>\n

              For a business to succeed, it needs two core elements:<\/p>\n

              Management + Marketing<\/b><\/p>\n

              Management organizes internal work:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • \n

                Inventory<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Costs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Employees<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Quality<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Marketing manages external work:<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • \n

                  Customers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Reputation<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Demand<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Sales<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  If marketing is absent $\\rightarrow$<\/span> customers won’t come.<\/p>\n

                  If management is absent $\\rightarrow$<\/span> the business cannot serve them.<\/p>\n

                  Many Arab businesses are strong managerially but weak in marketing, which is why they remain small for years despite their potential.<\/p>\n

                  Sixth: The Customer Journey… The Real Secret to Selling<\/h3>\n

                  The customer doesn’t buy immediately.<\/p>\n

                  They go through psychological stages before purchasing, called the customer journey:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. \n

                    Awareness<\/b> \u2013 knows you exist<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  2. \n

                    Interest<\/b> \u2013 follows you<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  3. \n

                    Trust<\/b> \u2013 is convinced by you<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  4. \n

                    Purchase<\/b> \u2013 tries your product\/service<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  5. \n

                    Loyalty<\/b> \u2013 returns again<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    The problem is that many business owners jump straight to the sales stage.<\/p>\n

                    They immediately tell the customer:<\/p>\n

                    “Buy now.”<\/p>\n

                    While the customer is still in the awareness stage.<\/p>\n

                    Successful marketing doesn’t pressure the customer…<\/p>\n

                    Rather, it guides them gradually until they decide to buy on their own.<\/p>\n

                    Seventh: Why Does Success Today Depend on Marketing More Than Before?<\/h3>\n

                    In the past, the number of competitors was limited.<\/p>\n

                    Having a shop on a main street was enough to bring in customers.<\/p>\n

                    Today, everything has changed.<\/p>\n

                    The customer has:<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • \n

                      A smartphone<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    • \n

                      The Internet<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    • \n

                      Dozens of options<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    • \n

                      The ability to compare within minutes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Competition is no longer just with the shops near you…<\/p>\n

                      But with everyone who appears on the customer’s phone screen.<\/p>\n

                      Therefore, marketing is no longer a luxury…<\/p>\n

                      It is a necessity for survival.<\/p>\n

                      Eighth: What Should the Business Owner Do?<\/h3>\n

                      The goal is not for the business owner to become a professional marketer.<\/p>\n

                      But the goal is to understand the basics of marketing and apply them:<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      • \n

                        Define your ideal customer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                      • \n

                        Build a clear identity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                      • \n

                        Publish useful content<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                      • \n

                        Care about the customer experience<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                      • \n

                        Follow up with customers after the purchase<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                      • \n

                        Maintain a constant digital presence<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        A business that nobody talks about… disappears.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                        The Difference Between a Business Owner and a Marketer… Why Do Good Projects Fail Due to Marketing? Many small businesses start with almost the exact same scenario:...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2407"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2409,"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407\/revisions\/2409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thrwa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}