At a time when technology and touch points dominate commerce, brand and marketing strategies are becoming increasingly fluid. To ensure your programs deliver the desired results, consider the following:
A Marketing leader must serve as a powerful brand voice and ambassador, as well as a pragmatic change agent in pursuit of market positioning in the digital age.
How do you constructively and convincingly establish a formidable marketing axis?
#1 Knowledge
Continually get exposure across your industry and the competition, gaining critical insights on cutting-edge business practices. Seek out trends, anomalies, disruptions, and novel ideals that are essential to weigh and factor them into your chartered course.
Similar to a sales or operations leader, those overseeing brand and marketing programs must be subject matter experts with well-defined action plans.
#2 Strategy
I’ve discovered that one’s approach to business is everything. Being open, curious, agile and engaging are the foundations to flourishing as a valuable leader, partner and team member. Strategy requires a 360 degree view.
And being meaningful to your audience matters. A company’s business strategy must be, above all else, relevant and applicable, as well as capable of being successfully achieved and measured.
#3 Performance
Some insights to construct and execute your project in thriving fashion.
Articulate well and be specific
Set goals, milestones and benchmarks in advance
Envision and communicate future needs and requirements
Avoid an idealistic approach and rigid tactics
Adopt realistic expectations
Prepare for obstacles and constraints
Challenge assumptions
Address concerns and overcome objectives
Assess proposed shifts with prudence and diligence
Monitor momentum (or lack of)
Track performance against milestones
Evaluate progress and analyze results
#4 Digital Rapport
We are saturated in messaging, moments and ‘must haves’. There needs to be breathing room and a balance of touch points, cadence and social bearing. Allow the audience to gravitate at their pace, not on your demand.
Lean into them, don’t loom over them.
Share an affinity, don’t shout a message.
The user journey must demonstrate commonality at its core along with intrigue sprinkled throughout the landscape. It’s imperative to remember that the aim is for a unique, persuasive and enduring experience. Make your business model sufficiently experimental and permeable to continually modify, reallocate and curve direction, which must be closely tested to assess market penetration and customer responses.
#5 Final Thoughts
Frequently research and refresh your company’s business intelligence to ensure your strategy doesn’t become stale or antiquated.
Be open to changing course when evidence clearly shows a need to pivot.
And of utmost importance, go for a joy-ride in your work! Let the love in! Having a true, deep passion for you work means you get to live the dream.