In our offices, we often laugh when we hear about the newest, latest structure or process or framework for how a marketing campaign or brand strategy should be developed. A lot of times, you’ll see an ad agency or marketing company that professes to be an expert in a certain niche industry – like automotive, healthcare, financial industry or higher education. They often pitch a “proven” formula that has worked for other clients in the same industry. It’s a simple, cookie-cutter approach that usually emphasizes a process. And it often comes nicely packaged with fancy acronyms and process charts.
The truth is, if there was one single answer that would work for everyone, everyone would be doing it, right? The reason great marketing and brand development can’t fall into a single structure or canned process is because your brand strategy and development is designed to differentiate your company. If everyone uses the same formula, aren’t you likely to get very similar results? How much will that differentiate you? Take a look at this video from MIT marketing professor Dan Ariely.
Marketing is hard work. There are all kinds of cookie cutter marketing approaches that make the marketing process efficient. But those same processes often make your marketing less effective as well.
Here’s something to think about. If you’re not willing to invest in developing a marketing strategy customized for your own brand, you’re probably choosing to be an efficient marketer instead of an effective one.
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I couldn’t agree more. My obsevation is that too many “gurus” push tactics rather than strategy. Of course, tactics are easy. Strategy on the other hand can get messy and uncomfortable. Nonetheless, execution of the tactical is likely to fail without a clear strategy behind it.
Strategy is key. If you don’t know the attitude of your target audience, you will most likely be efficient, not effective.