Say Hello 👋

So what’s going to change?

Marketing is about people. And people haven’t changed for thousands of years. We’re driven by emotion, contrary to what the majority of marketing folk think…

Now before you start writing that 10,000 word 2019 marketing plan.

Moltke, who was chief of staff of the Prussian army, said this

“No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.”

So onwards into 2019

1. Structure your team to fit the speed of the market

Trust your marketing team. And trust your agency. Let them be independent thinkers. Clearly outline the overarching goal and let them get on with it. Your marketing team and agency will become an adaptive network of human relationships. Not a bunch of machines churning stuff out because someone they’ve never met said so.

2. Start listening to your customers

So where are your customers going to be?

Right where you left them. Or never met them…

Still, you don’t know who your customers are? Everyone right?
Not quite. Spend the money and time finding out.

For a start

They’re on their mobiles. But also desktops. They’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Netflix, Spotify.

They also watch commercial TV and listen to the radio. They ALSO read newspapers. They ALSO see billboards. They ALSO see posters. They ALSO read magazines and books.

They do a lot of things.

They might spend more time on one than the other. That doesn’t always mean it’s the best place to target them. There isn’t as much disruption going on as everyone makes out. Spotify is just another channel you can reach your customers on. We’re simply opening up new channels, new roads if you’d like, for new customer journeys to take place.

Important side note: When targeting your customers on these channels. Create creative specifically for the platform. In the right format. If not you’re shooting yourself in the foot straight away. 

3. Stop chasing the hype

At a recent talk at Facebook I attended, the Head of Strategy at a big sounding agency said this;

We’re somewhere between

CX and brand awareness
Between mass marketing and personalisation at scale
Somewhere between short term and long term effects
Somewhere between advertising and content
Research and data analytics

I agree with him. No one knows what to do. Everyone says something different. 2019 is about getting to the core of what works for your customers. A chatbot so they can get info quickly? Or maybe they would hate that?

Do they want you to email them, send them a text or maybe a letter? Or see them in person?
Why don’t you ask them? Most brands just assume. Whatever suits them and their budget.

Important side note: There is one thing this “top dog” said that you should know. Look up the theory of “everything as a service”. We’re heading in this direction at speed. So plan accordingly…

4. It’s about being short AND long

Short-termism. This mindset is a fall out from the economic crash in 2008. We’re now extremely risk averse in marketing and thats why the majority of marketing fails. However, this mindset does have its positives…

Small quick campaigns can capture a moment and mindset of a generation. Think KFC “FCK”. Just make sure your team is set up to enable this. See point 1.

Long-termism. Are you setting up your brand to be better known and make more profit over the next 5 years?

Lots of little campaigns with lots of different messages isn’t going to help you with that. All you’ll going to get is a yo-yo effect. If you want steady growth – look to campaigns that don’t last a month but last 5-10 years. Think what Ogilvy did with Hathaway Shirts. Use your small campaigns to inform your overarching campaign. Your goal is to create a mechanic that can give you success repeatedly over a sustained period of time. This takes time…

Start by signing a contract with an agency for 5 years. You’ll be invested. The agency will be invested. Everyone is in it commercially for the long run. Success, between client and agency, is built upon trust.

5. Create quicker

Come up with ideas. Make the creative. Release. Get feedback. Learn. Repeat. In this case, the more you create the better. The quicker you understand what your customers want. The more money your brand makes.

6. Let your creatives be creative

This doesn’t need explaining. Feel free to replace them with an algorithm and sit back waiting for the money to pour in…

Just be prepared to sell your house.

As Bill Gates once said

“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten”

Timing is everything…

7. Data is just data

Everyone uses data. No one really knows what to do with it. Use it with a pinch of salt. Don’t solely act on it. We’re in the current mindset of distrusting ourselves and thinking our minds are useless without technology to help us make decisions. Back yourself.

8. No one will care about your marketing (still)

No one really is that excited about your product. Nor do they care much for your marketing. Plan accordingly.

Zoom out and get some perspective

We like to overcomplicate marketing. 2019 is about getting some perspective on what marketing is really about. The customer. They’re the ones that pay us. They’re the ones who give us our jobs. They’re the ones who say if we’re a success or not. We just need to give them what THEY want. Not what suits us.

So if you want some help with your marketing in 2019… Get in touch: hello@puzzlelondon.com.