Reflections on the Start of a New Year in Marketing
The inaugural week of the new year, replete with aspirations and transformative intentions, presents an opportune moment to pause, inhale deeply, and ponder the quintessential question: “Why?”
This inquiry reverberates profoundly within the spheres of marketing and communications, where professionals grapple daily with an overwhelming torrent of information that breeds chaos.
Neil Postman’s seminal works, “Amusing Ourselves to Death” and “Technopoly,” serve as pivotal texts in navigating this convoluted landscape.
As I have endeavored annually, I devoted my winter respite to revisiting these remarkable discourses—aiming to elucidate the complexities of steering a marketing and communication ensemble amid today’s frenetic pace and to contemplate potential resolutions to the ensuing conundrum.
Two decades prior, during my tenure at a Texas business institution, a staggering 80% of our advertising expenditures were funneled into traditional avenues.
This encompassed billboards on highways and in airports, airtime on local radio, and print placements in academic and business publications. In stark contrast, a mere 20% graced digital mediums such as online searches and banner advertisements.
Presently, at a different higher education establishment, my team allocates approximately 85%-90% of our budget to digital platforms.
This seismic shift reflects broader technological currents that have not only transformed marketing and communication but also significantly altered American culture and public discourse.
This rapid and sweeping transition from print to digital, replete with its advantages and drawbacks, lies at the heart of Postman’s analysis.
One of his salient conclusions posits that the exponential increase in communication platforms, propelled by technological innovation—predominantly electronic in character—has rendered humanity’s information discernment apparatus ineffective.
Our capacity to differentiate verifiable information from fabrications, credible sources from conspiratorial narratives, and genuine research from dubious claims has lagged alarmingly behind our ability to generate, amalgamate, and disseminate information globally with a mere click of a button.
Consequently, marketing and communication teams confront a shared quandary. How do we pause sufficiently to introspect and ask, “Why?”—when internal stakeholders clamor for enhanced visibility and coverage?
When competitors, both local and international, inundate multiple platforms with incessant information?
When end-consumers are bombarded with a deluge of catchy slogans and eye-catching imagery that they struggle to process, let alone act upon? “Why should we produce this marketing collateral or communication piece?”
While no pre-packaged remedies exist for this predicament, a series of New Year’s resolutions for marketing and communication professionals may indeed enhance the quality of our endeavors, work-life balance, and outcomes—not just for ourselves, but also for our organizations and clientele.
- First, align marketing and communication objectives with the strategic imperatives outlined in your organization’s formal planning documents. Establish a transparent connection between all team efforts and these overarching priorities.
- Second, ensure that both your marketing and communication colleagues and internal clients comprehend these fundamental priorities alongside your specific team objectives.
- Third, refine the request and planning mechanisms with internal clients, enabling a collective approach to articulate, “Why are we undertaking this?” This foundational understanding allows for concentrated efforts on initiatives that genuinely advance your clients’ goals as well as your organization’s strategic vision.
This may necessitate declining requests from internal clients more frequently than in the past or proposing alternative methodologies, which will require the backing of senior leadership. - Finally, create a reporting tool or dashboard to hold your team accountable for commitments designed to propel your organization’s strategic priorities forward. Be prepared to periodically update your leadership team and the organization at large regarding your progress.
Source link: Cardinalnews.org.
