In early 2012 the Wall Street Journal ran a feature that focused on the reality that in the future, Marketing’s Information Technology expenditures will surpass the IT industry. A Forbes article published 9/28/2012 also refers to the cost integrating marketing goals will mean as well in the article titled “Top 10 strategic CIO issues for 2013” What does that mean and why is it important when it comes to you and your business’s marketing strategy, whatever its size? Why should women business owners, decision makers and leaders pay attention to Marketing trends? Because inevitably, you’re in a position to be making decisions influencing their integration, and strategic implementation in relation to your goals.
Though well into 2013, if I had to predict one overwhelming trend you need to be aware of as you plan your Marketing and Promotion investitures throughout the remainder of 2013 and into 2104 “The devil is in the data, and data is everything.” Big data particularly. Over a month ago – MyCity4Her Radio interviewed The Economist Senior Big Data Editor, Ken Cukier to talk about the book he just released related to Big Data called “Big Data: A Revolution“to listen to the podcast, click here. Increasingly as an outsourced CMO, I am finding myself in meetings with the CIO, not just the CEO and CFO of the company.
As I see it, successful Marketing’s viability and future lies in the Marketing and Communications professional’s ability to predict trends, respond to the market’s needs and focus (whatever the product, service or industry) and effectively engage the desired audience to positively influence conversion rates. Effective, marketing is not just about designing a great logo or brand program, nor having a sexy online interface with your customer. Great marketing truly communicates your company’s unique value proposition, responding to your target customer in a manner that appeals, connects and resonates an integrates across the board to facilitate the organization’s goals being attained.
In a continued challenging economy smart marketers know the dialog has moved well beyond “doing “more for less” or “more with less”, that is a given. If your marketing is not hitting the targets you need it to, now more than ever, it’s critical to be prepared to do things not just cheaper but differently.
With this in mind growth oriented companies should strategically focus marketing in 2013 on the following:
#1. The need to be open to the opportunity and benefit of rethinking mindset and approach
It’s widely accepted the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over…Why not plans to make 2013 the year your Marketing impacts positive change? This Forbes article talks about 6 Powerful ways to Embrace Change.
#2. The importance of being willing to re-engineer and rework strategy and processes to achieve desired results
No matter how challenging, being prepared to so methodically and going for the highest impact first (making improvements over a time so things get where you want and need them to be eventually) is what you should be moving towards. It’s also important not to look to strategy to become the planning, as alluded to in this article similarly entitled on the Harvard Business Review blog.
It is also important to remember, Rome wasn’t built in one day.
#3. The critical need and benefit of reaffirming your research and evaluation of different marketing and promotion initiatives before making critical investments in anything
This will provide your company ample opportunity and means to guarantee interest and re-engagement of your audiences through multiple touch points and using better ways. Not sure how to go about performing Market research, this article on the Marketing Research Association’s site might help to enlighten you about the importance and application of market research and how it can help you and your organization.
With that in mind now is the time to…
Increased emphasis on mobile technology
Is your existing web site mobile friendly? Are mobile apps in the future of your ideal marketing mix? Not sure, check out this article on EWeek.com about upcoming trends in mobile technology, it might prove enlightening.
Increased desire for physical objects and experiences
As technology continues to increase its importance in our day to day clients long for the reassurance of paper, events and personal opportunities to connect with a message, and vendor, face to face and trust has never been a more important game changer. How will that affect the way you do things? Click here to understand the concept better on the Experiential Marketing Forum and learn about the concept and why it is becoming more relevant and applicable to any organization or company.
Think Pink
Slowly the world is waking up that women in business are big business, are you yourself taking advantage of that trend, and using it to leverage your own company effectively?
Are you doing so with integrity, in a manner that builds trust or are you just “pink washing” (a term I’ve coined for all the manic, increasingly vapid women in business based initiatives that have no real focus or purpose and are just seeking to capitalize on a growing opportunity.)
Ways to leverage this trend include obtaining women-owned, or women-led certification from organizations like WBENC, and your own State’s minority and women-owned certification. To learn more about that, click here. If you’re not women-owned, supporting or sponsoring initiatives that address women in business, women in leadership and the like might prove beneficial to your overall marketing strategy. However, the goal is to plug in, not just check off the WBE, or MBE box and then not engage. There’s a pink wave everyone’s starting to ride, why else do you think Sheryl Sandberg‘s Lean In book is creating such hoopla and on the tips of the tongue of so many, women AND men, actually?
What are some marketing trends you’re noticing? Feel free to leave your comments below and meanwhile much continued success.