We made it... Q4. Next-year planning is ramping up and 2020 budget discussions will soon take place (if there aren't already rumblings). To avoid getting trapped in a situation where you're constantly having to arm wrestle for a fair share of marketing allocations, you can test some interim ideas now to support your future recommendations.
In my blog last week, I referenced that I believe I’m becoming a “real, human marketer.” What I meant by that is that I’ve started to look at everything from a marketing, branding, customer journey, and customer experience perspective. I would not go so far as to say “the student has become the master” (I still have a lot to learn), but it’s actually quite fascinating to observe the world in this new(ish) light.
One thing I’ve observed is that brands who “do it right” share this defining characteristic: They really take care of their customers.
HBO's Silicon Valley gave viewers a heightened (and sometimes ridiculous) peek into start-up culture. The actual Silicon Valley is known for fostering these types of companies, but this area in California is also an entrepreneurial environment for scale-ups.
The simplistic differences between these two types of companies is that start-ups are in the early stages of building their business while scale-ups already have a solid presence in the marketplace.
I am touting some well-known belief, but it’s worth repeating.
A Harvard Business School study says people will respond to warmth as a measure of trustworthiness. Meet its happy cousins: empathy and authority.
No snarky comments, please. I was raised as the oldest of four to believe I was at the helm of our little dynasty—responsible for everyone, caring for everyone, wanting everything to be just-so. It’s a common role for the eldest sibling to take… “I lead, therefore I know.”
There’s nothing quite as humbling as facing what you don’t know.
We are conducting research on healthcare brands to get some data on trends, risks, and opportunities. I’ve been mulling over the pros and cons of sharing the survey with my LinkedIn healthcare connections.
No whining. You know it’s true. Sometimes fast and cheap is just what you need. Sometimes only fabulous and fast will do; cost is no matter.
How to decide?
My childhood memories include a myriad of wisdom from my parents. My mom delivered these nuggets through dichos y refranes, the popular sayings and proverbs she learned as a child. My father imparted wisdom more directly, in plain Spanish, without much flourish. One of my favorites came to mind recently:
As a veteran ad woman, I understand that building a brand entails delivering the brand promise, holistically. This is realized through design, copy, as well as brand “behavior” such as pricing, service, offers, and innovation, so a brand fully conveys what it means to its present and future customers.
Developing specific marketing materials that sell is about messaging: telling a customer what to do in the moment, and why.
Let’s face it, strategy is often used interchangeably with tactics; with the “stuff” of marketing.
You’d think that having a strategy would be central to B2B business planning. But remarkably, that’s not always the case. We often hear that businesses want to forgo the strategic process because they have to focus on revenue.
