Most executives of companies in the manufacturing sector are realizing the obvious – that more and more business is being conducted online. Plus, it is the new cool media channel to conduct marketing programs.

Leveraging online goes well beyond the just-in-time integration that is occurring in the manufacturing chain. Rather, it is now a competitive must as a key part of the marketing mix to promote a company and its products and services.

While a traditional "go-to" component of the mix might be a publication like IndustryWeek, the world has rapidly become a “search engine first” business society.

Our search engine first business society is one where people who seek an answer, first go to Google, or to sophisticated paid search providers like LexisNexis. 

Just like the manufacturing sector combined Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing, I am suggesting that today's marketing mix needs to balance traditional offline marketing methods with online marketing like search engine optimization, website conversion optimization, social networking, and strategic email mining.  This integration creates what could be thought of as "Lean Sigma Marketing."

In manufacturing, Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma have at times been combined for Lean Sigma Manufacturing to produce optimal results as follows:
• Stretch the process applying Lean techniques
• Solve the problems of deviation from the standards
• Ensure maintenance of the improved status using Six Sigma techniques
• However, if the system and processes are poor, stretching it could break it. In this case Six Sigma techniques should be applied to solve some of the top line problems before stretching it.

So, is there such a thing as Lean Sigma Marketing? Can we do the following taking the lead from Lean Sigma Manufacturing?
• Stretch the processes in traditional marketing using online technology
• Create standards and constant testing to drive measurable results
• Begin to employ a continuous improvement loop. This would be a Six Sigma like technique.
• As much as possible, work from a solid marketing base and strategy. Migrating systems to the web can add velocity to marketing programs. If there are basic flaws in a marketing strategy, mistakes could be magnified.

The answer is that we can learn from this and combine the best of offline marketing with the best of online marketing.

View article on one page