The concept of hunters vs growers in the world of marketing strategies is a recurring theme. What does it mean that a seller or a brand has a hunter style? What does it mean to be a cultivator? How does this phenomenon exist in digital marketing?
Let's do a bit of anthropological analysis to talk about this marketing and sales approach. Think of the communities that were first formed when human beings began organising themselves: there were farmers and hunters. The farmers cared for the crops, the plants and the fruits. They tended to spend a lot of their time taking care of the details, making intelligent decisions and worked extremely hard to avoid a bad harvest. The hunters, however, were very dynamic, proactive and fast-paced, but at the same, were somewhat scattered in their approach and did not take time to reflect.
These two types of people continue to exist in society today and are found within present-day companies. The hunters are always on the 'hunt' for opportunities, they are independent, they like public relations and finding new customers, although they are not necessarily good at tracking them because their capacity for reflection and concentration is less.
On the other hand, growers are not very good at starting relationships but they build and cultivate very good relationships with existing customers. They tend to be excellent in being more loyal to a company, they know how to work in teams, and they are very careful about the details and the long-term relationship they have with clients.
It is logical, given humanity's history, that a company will need both types of person if they are to succeed. But depending on the specific makeup the company has, the brand/business will sell in slightly different ways. For example, where brands sell their products through commercials and infomercials they have adopted a hunting strategy, whereas loyalty programs demonstrate the application of 'business through cultivation'.
Speaking in web terms, attraction marketing (Content Marketing, Social Media, SEO) is a cultivation tool, whereas Search Marketing or Google PPC ads are hunting tools. The first is reflective and long-term, the second seeks to hunt down their objectives.
The big question is... How do you sell? Are you a hunter or a gatherer?
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