Here is a remix from three friends, Kerry MacKay and Bill & Jim Couchenour. The message; communicate clearly, intentionally from the context of your audience.
How do you go about “identifying holes in your marketing strategy“.
1st - don’t think like a member of your company. You know all of the buzz words, acronyms and short-cuts. Think like those who have never seen your business, understand or care about your brand or who have no clue as to why you or anyone would be excited about what you do or provide.
2nd - be clear about what you want others to know (both inside your organization and outside). Make it easy to navigate through "the system;" on your website, when they call in, through your processes... In other words “NEXT STEPS”. Know these before you start delivering your message.
3rd - evaluate EVERY piece of communication - oral, print, broadcast, and digital media. Brand it, message it, and unify it across your organization with a non industry insider in mind. If you have to interpret it for someone it isn’t very good. They need to be able to understand it without your assistance.
4th - make sure your team knows the plan and its intent - everyone must be on the same page and it needs to be transferable. Every department filters the same plan differently. Provide a forum for a multi-angled understanding to unify your message through the countless touch points your members have clients, vendors and the community.
5th - clarify your message by gathering as much input as possible with clients, vendors and colleagues.
6th - remember, we live in a Web 2.0 world where all communication and programs are now subject to user FEEDBACK. Feedback means an authentic message is influenced by feedback and open to adjustment and refinement - and more feedback.
7th - show up open minded - don’t go into this with predetermined agendas. Agendas don’t grow…they control. We don’t do control we serve our clients, colleagues and community.
(Courtesy of Kerry MacKay)
How do you go about “identifying holes in your marketing strategy“.
1st - don’t think like a member of your company. You know all of the buzz words, acronyms and short-cuts. Think like those who have never seen your business, understand or care about your brand or who have no clue as to why you or anyone would be excited about what you do or provide.
2nd - be clear about what you want others to know (both inside your organization and outside). Make it easy to navigate through "the system;" on your website, when they call in, through your processes... In other words “NEXT STEPS”. Know these before you start delivering your message.
3rd - evaluate EVERY piece of communication - oral, print, broadcast, and digital media. Brand it, message it, and unify it across your organization with a non industry insider in mind. If you have to interpret it for someone it isn’t very good. They need to be able to understand it without your assistance.
4th - make sure your team knows the plan and its intent - everyone must be on the same page and it needs to be transferable. Every department filters the same plan differently. Provide a forum for a multi-angled understanding to unify your message through the countless touch points your members have clients, vendors and the community.
5th - clarify your message by gathering as much input as possible with clients, vendors and colleagues.
6th - remember, we live in a Web 2.0 world where all communication and programs are now subject to user FEEDBACK. Feedback means an authentic message is influenced by feedback and open to adjustment and refinement - and more feedback.
7th - show up open minded - don’t go into this with predetermined agendas. Agendas don’t grow…they control. We don’t do control we serve our clients, colleagues and community.
(Courtesy of Kerry MacKay)
I first saw this video in a leadership presentation by Bill Couchenour with Cogun Construction.
Posts
1 comment:
That was just what I needed to start a meeting today. We're in the middle of our own shift in thinking and today is our first creative team meeting. We should be talking about our audience and getting a handle on our message and context, but we suddenly have an emergency project. This video and the 7 holes won't stop the train wreck that's about to happen, but at least it gives me some thing to point at and say "look out!"
Thanks!
Post a Comment