I got asked a brilliant question today - how would you describe your business to a five-year-old?

My first thought was to talk about adverts in between TV programmes. A classic marketing example, and one most adults would instantly understand. But then I stopped and thought, would a five-year-old even know what that means now? Between streaming, skipping, YouTube and choosing exactly what they want to watch, the old reference points do not always land in the same way anymore.

So I started thinking about it differently. If I had to explain Marketing Doris to a five-year-old, I would probably say this:

"I help businesses tell people how lovely and useful they are, so the right people know about them and want to buy from them."

Or maybe even; "You know when someone makes amazing cakes, sells fun toys, fixes cars, or helps people with important grown-up things, but not enough people know they exist? I help them get noticed."

How a Five-Year-Old Might Describe My Business

"She helps people’s businesses make friends. She helps them use the right words and pictures so other people say, ‘Ooooh, I like that one!’ and then they remember them later. She is a bit like a helper for businesses when they do not know what to say or how to say it."

And honestly, that is not a bad description at all.

Because strip away the jargon, the plans, the strategy documents and the spreadsheets, and marketing is really about helping people understand who you are, what you do, and why they should care. Whether you explain it to a managing director, a potential client, or a curious five-year-old, the best answers are usually the simplest ones.

So maybe that is the real test of good marketing, can you explain it in a way that makes sense to absolutely anyone?