Where Did All The Marketing Plans Go?
I remember college. Group compositions by Ekibo include trips to the varsity bar, Frisbee sessions and the general distractions of nineteen-year-old life as lessons. Real face-to-face teaching in large classrooms.
In these courses I learned the classics of marketing. 4ps subcutaneous media model. Last funnel
This was the golden age of pre-programmed marketing and advertising. As print and television advertising monopolized the landscape, dial-up Internet (literally) and the first celebrity influencers were born, soon becoming the pride of some unsuspecting parents.
It was an easier time than almost any other activity, especially branding and distribution. But the only thing that gets a lot of attention is the marketing plan. This, we are told, is the foundation of a successful business.
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As a strategic thinker, I love marketing planning. Develop a brand strategy in the marketing plan, identify your target audience and understand the strategies. Roadmap development and hypothesis definition.
These are the things that indicators like Mark Wriston are very good at teaching and selling.
“In the world of traditional marketing, we follow a similar systematic process. First, let's create a market map based on research in the form of proper segmentation. From there we can decide which segments to pursue and how to position our brand for optimal success. Finally, we developed clear strategic goals for each target segment that defined the goals we wanted to achieve. Only then - by clarifying who, what and when - do we begin to think about strategic execution and what specific tools we can use." (Reston, MarketingWoche)
But things have changed in recent years. Even with a great mind like Riston and all the marketing knowledge in the world at our fingertips, we seem to have neglected our marketing plan.
As a strategy manager, working with a large number of clients each year and discussing them with other agency staff, I realized that clients do not have long-term marketing plans.
So what happened?
Have marketers replaced this plan with another strategic plan?
I recently read an article on Medium that showed that branding and business strategy have replaced marketing planning. The reason given is that marketing and business operations are now more aligned and business strategy is sufficient to drive core marketing functions.
In some companies these functions may overlap, but in my experience this often makes marketing very boring and ineffective without a specific focus and emphasis.
Is the budget flexible and reliable?
That is certainly something we must acknowledge. Due to a number of factors beyond the marketing team's control – pandemics and beyond – marketing budgets are often at risk, canceled or limited. Things changed and so did his plans.
Or maybe marketers prefer a lighter approach?
Are they based on the software business model: rapid planning and testing, which favors short-term results and constant iteration?
I don't think most marketers have seen King Richard , the fascinating biopic about Richard, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, which, among other things, illustrates the power of a brilliant, well-thought-out plan.
While a plan is a bet on the future, a good plan allows you to prepare for events, consider the market, understand your moments and identify your weaknesses. A good plan will help you break free from expectations and create creative opportunities that bring you X returns.
And it's not hard. Marketers need to take their time to plan. How to find the correct entry. Work with smart people. Develop strategies and tactics, then execute the best possible plan.
Andrew Reeves is the chief strategist of the Royals in Melbourne.
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