We recently onboarded a new client who doesn’t have a CMO. They have tons of experience supporting their brand with the digital channels and PR. They’re in the design industry, so they’re fueled by creativity and innovation. They understand the value of metrics in proving the ROI of their marketing.
But, they came to us because they realized they needed something they called “high-level strategy” in order to use their marketing budget more intelligently.
Seriously, when I heard that I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
Yet, here I am.
A smart mom realizes each of her kids is different. While there are some economies of scale, each one approaches challenges and opportunities differently, each has a different set of natural skills. One may need a defined roadmap in order to move ahead; another may thrive on experimentation and impulse (I speak from mom experience here, believe me).
So, in order to deliver, I need to focus on the individualized corporate culture, attend to personal needs, define our tasks based on different expectations, and craft our process so it makes sense to distinct audiences and voices in the room.“A smart mom realizes each of her kids is different.”
That is not a part-time endeavor. I need to dig into the persona of this new client with a different CMO hat than I might in another situation (particularly if there is already a CMO in place).
So for this initial period, I rely on my team to hold down the fort on my other “children” while I jump in, head first, to dedicate a full-time perspective until we’re all on the same page. It could take three months. I’m grateful to my team for handling the lunch-and-laundry of the others while I “mom” my way through this strategic process.
As in parenting, I have to be all in on this customized plan. And, I couldn’t be happier.
