Price Is Marketing

Price is often treated as a finance decision that marketing is later asked to communicate.

I think that's a mistake. Price communicates. It creates expectations, influences positioning, affects demand and helps customers understand what sort of product they are looking at. Change the price and you may change the market.

Marketers therefore need to be comfortable discussing money. I have worked across environments where pricing decisions can completely alter the success of the proposition. Match tickets, memberships, sponsorship packages, hospitality, events, restaurant products and gym memberships may all need completely different pricing logic, but none can be considered separately from marketing.

One of the dangers is assuming cheaper automatically means more attractive.

Sometimes reducing the price can increase demand. But it can also reduce perceived value, damage margins and train customers to wait for the next offer.

The better question is what value the customer believes they are receiving. At Aberystwyth Town, we experimented with propositions that added value rather than simply removing price. A cup final package could combine transport, ticketing and other elements into a solution that was easier for the supporter. Matchday Teammates increased the potential value of a digital match ticket by connecting it to local business offers.

That is much more interesting to me than permanently reaching for a 20% discount code.

Pricing also forces organisations to understand their customers. How price-sensitive are they? What alternatives are they comparing? Which parts of the proposition matter most? Are we undercharging for something customers value highly or overcharging for something they barely notice?

These are marketing questions.

I think marketers sometimes avoid pricing because creative work feels more comfortable. We can debate a headline for an hour but feel less confident talking about margin, revenue or willingness to pay.

That needs to change if marketing wants greater influence at board level.

Revenue is not something that happens after marketing.

It is one of the reasons marketing exists.