A journalist asked me an intriguing question the other day and the more I thought about it the more I felt compelled to add these thoughts.

The question, two-part really, was – can a bad product do well with good marketing and, the flip side, can a good product survive with bad marketing.

There was a time when, indeed, a not so great product could do well with superior marketing while the better mousetrap languished due to lackluster marketing.

I do believe that, to a degree, the Internet has turned the tables on this notion. Social media, user generated content, and rating and review sites have made it much easier for word of a good or bad product to spread and take on a marketing life of its own.

However, the thing that always seems to ignite word-of-mouth is a good product or service, coupled with a great experience. A great product teamed with a fun, glamorous, or entertaining experience can overcome many a marketing faux pas.

An inferior product, armed with a super bowl ad, wrapped in a boring, irksome and friction laden experience is generally doomed to fail.

And one last categorization – an okay product or service partnered with an above average process and experience will beat out its nearest competitors.

It’s okay to try and build a better mousetrap, but the sure money is on a better mousetrap experience.