Have you ever seen someone else’s dessert in a restaurant and thought “That looks fantastic, I’ll order that” only to be disappointed when you eat it? Or had what looks like a bowl of slop put in front of you and then found it tastes amazing? (If not, order Eton Mess next time it’s on the menu!).
In the first case, the marketing is great but the execution is disappointing. Next time you choose something different.
In the second case, the execution is great but the marketing is non-existent. You might choose it again but you’d be reluctant to recommend it to many people. I mean, it looks like slop!
Too often we get seduce by the shiny stuff and believe that we can sell anything if we get the marketing right. The truth is that execution is just as important. It’s the delivery of the promise. If the look gets you salivating, then the delivery has to delight your taste buds.
I’d go as far as to say that the execution is more important. Few people manage remarkable execution, lots can do remarkable marketing. It’s easier to fix the presentation than to fix the cook. But it’s the cook that makes the difference.