It isn't what we've been ever told or what we've been habitually doing.
Based on business strategy and set goals, develop your marketing
strategy while being obsessed with figures and numbers, plan your activities,
make your marketing mix and lay down your marketing calendar as such. That's
all true and essential, but my fellow marketer, what if you spent millions and
achieved sales records for that fiscal year, and stood still confused about
next year? Crisis happened or budgets cut-down, or market slowed down on
response, or conversion just didn’t work. The What-IFs here can knock out your
marketing expertise and leave you helpless on what to do next.
It has proven over the last decade that marketing of Talk to Crowd has
shifted to the marketing of Listen to Crowd before you Talk to Crowd. And most
of us have noticed GRP's fainting, bouncing rates are turning psychic and
conversion rates un-determined…
Why? Because we're not listening, or just choosing what we're listening
to.
Let's take a step back towards what marketing and communications is all
about. We start with the consumer to validate Dipstick Studies, we start with
the consumer to get indicative research, we start with the consumer to design,
to price, to showcase and to promote. Today, featuring the evolving mix, our
channels should be reset to factory settings (Basics of Marcom).
As a conclusion adding on the basic budgeting components:
Manpower, Marketing Research, Marketing & Communication Activities,
Channel marketing, Acquisition & Retention, Telemarketing and the business
related additional variables.
I've laid down the main functions for any brand marketing and
communications activities as in the picture above. Let's apply those 12 to rule
our marketing and communications activities plan development. We'll be
achieving enough sales, awareness, positioning and engagement empowered by the
vital element "Listening", so we comply with what the consumer wants
and reach him in his ecosystem. Where he drives, where he travels, sites he
visits, movies he watches, buzz he follows, applications he's used to, social
platforms where he's active, and deep into his personal life where he's mostly
indulged.
It will take you double the efforts at the start of initiating such a
marketing communications structure; however, eventually if not immediately
you'll be satisfied with results. It's as simple as dealing with your
girlfriend or your wife; you need to listen carefully and remember what she
said, because you don't want to mess with that, believe me.
No for Talking before Listening, never again.
And let's call it the Marketer's "Ear Drum Strategy", and if
we all agree on it, let's talk later about differential listening in marketing
and communications.
Think b4 you budget a marketing plan... Listen First.
Please place your comments and questions below; let's make this article
worth spreading.
Appreciate your time reading and analyzing.
Truly,
Omar Youssef
