by Miriam Hara | Jul 21, 2023 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Marketing, Objective
As the world of marketing evolves, so does the demand for strategic thinking. Regardless of all new technology, at our disposable or how industries and marketing landscapes change, both setting objectives and strategies remain the cornerstone of successful marketing…and business.
This may be very basic for many who read this, but it’s always good to reset our thinking. As marketers we are always busy with so many elements of our brand that sometimes we may lose sight of the basics. So here it goes.
At the heart of every successful marketing campaign lies the ability to differentiate between an objective and a strategy. In the evolving world of marketing, these two concepts are often confused. To succeed in the business world, it is essential to grasp the distinction between them. Strategic thinking is an indispensable asset!
Understanding the difference between an objective and a strategy, and ultimately, learning how to leverage it to develop compelling marketing campaigns can not be understated.
The Power of Objectives
Objectives allow businesses to navigate the marketing landscape effectively. That’s why before anything else is done, businesses must first set their objectives. So what is an objective, and how do you establish them? Objectives are the desired outcomes that becomes the destination all marketing efforts. Objectives are marketing’s GPS. They serve as the North Star, setting the path towards success.
What Makes Them Objectives?
In short, objectives are businesses’ way of defining success. It’s the only way businesses can look back and assess results against their intention. But let’s take one step back and define what makes and objective, an objective… or better yet, a SMART objective. SMART objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, provide clarity and direction. SMART objectives involve setting specific and measurable goals, ensuring they are achievable and relevant to your business. AND more importantly they need to establishing deadlines to maintain focus and drive action. So why are they called SMART?
In a nutshell, objectives are your end goals, and they should be SMART:
Specific: Clearly define what you aim to achieve
Measurable: Quantify your goals for easy tracking
Achievable: Set realistic targets that can be accomplished
Relevant: Ensure the objective aligns with your overall business goals
Time-bound: Set a deadline to maintain focus and drive action
Here’s an example of a SMART Objective: “Increase our market share by 15% in the next 12 months.”
This statement is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
What’s in a Strategy?
Strategies are the plans that guide the achievement of objectives. They are the blueprints for achieving your end goals, providing a clear roadmap for how to get there. Strategies describe the overarching approach or direction, but they do not detail the specific tactics or actions needed to achieve the objective.
A strategy is the “how” while the objective is the “what.”
For instance, to achieve the objective of increasing market share by 15%, a strategy might involve targeting a new demographic.
Bridging the Gap: Tactics and Actions
Armed with a good understanding of objectives and strategies, tactics and actions are the next in line. Tactics are the specific activities or steps that will be employed to execute the strategy. They are the nitty-gritty details that bring a strategy to life. It’s the details that make for success.
For example, if our strategy involves targeting a new demographic, tactics might include developing a new product line, launching a tailored marketing campaign, or partnering with influencers who appeal to the target audience.
The Dynamic Trio: Aligning Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics
A symbiotic relationship between objectives, strategies, and tactics is essential. The alignment of these three ensures that all efforts are directed towards the same end goal, making it easier to measure the effectiveness of the overall campaign.
To illustrate the importance of alignment, take the scenario where a company’s objective is to increase its market share by 15%. However, their strategy is to focus on improving the quality of their products without considering the needs of their target audience. In this case, the strategy is misaligned with the objective, resulting in wasted resources and a less effective campaign.
To avoid this pitfall, always ensure that your strategies are developed with the objectives in mind. This will help stay on track and make the best use of resources.
Understanding the difference between objectives and strategies is critical and keeping it always top of mind is essential. Objectives guide your direction, while strategies provide the master plan for achieving those objectives.
An objectives is your destination; a strategy is your roadmap, and tactics are the steps you take to get there.
Armed with this dynamic trio, marketing efforts will always be well-equipped to develop and a implement successful campaigns that drive results.
So remember, be smart and remember to set SMART objectives!
by Miriam Hara | Jul 18, 2023 | Business Success, Communications, Content, Marketing, Social Media
Ah, social media – the double-edged sword of our time for individuals and brands alike! On the upside, it serves as a potent platform to engage audiences, enhance visibility, and cultivate loyalty. Yet, it also conceals a complex maze of potential hazards that can rapidly tarnish a brand’s reputation. Let’s dive into the ways social media can elevate or damage brands, and share some thoughts on navigating this ever-changing landscape effectively.
The Upside: Social Media’s Power to Elevate Brands
Unprecedented Visibility
Utilizing the power of social media, your brand now has the potential to reach and engage with your target audience in unprecedented ways. Share valuable, relevant, and engaging content to amplify your brand’s visibility, extend its reach, and attract new customers.
Building a Community
Social media creates a space for people to connect, share, and interact with brands and one another. Actively participating in these online communities, fostering meaningful relationships, and nurturing a loyal following can work wonders for your brand’s long-term success.
Real-Time Customer Service
Providing real-time customer service via social media allows brands to address concerns and resolve issues promptly. This proactive approach to customer care not only enhances your brand’s reputation but also demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction.
Influencer Collaborations
Partnering with influencers can help your brand tap into new audiences, boost credibility, and generate buzz. By aligning with the right influencers, your brand can leverage their existing followers and create a strong, authentic endorsement.
The Downside: The Perils of Social Media for Brands
Negative Publicity
A single negative news story, review, or incident can quickly spiral out of control on social media. If not addressed promptly and effectively, this negative publicity can leave a lasting impact on your brand’s reputation and how customers perceive it.
Inconsistent Messaging
In the fast-paced world of social media, it’s easy for brands to lose sight of their messaging. Inconsistent or off-brand content can dilute your brand identity, confuse your audience, and ultimately harm your brand’s image.
Crisis Management Gone Wrong
Crisis events can quickly intensify on social media, potentially putting your brand’s reputation at risk. Ineffective crisis management can lead to a loss of trust, credibility, and customer loyalty.
Ignoring Feedback
Failing to engage with or address customer feedback on social media can result in a damaged brand reputation. Brands need to actively listen and respond to feedback, showing their customers that their opinions matter.
To effectively harness the power of social media while sidestepping potential pitfalls, it’s imperative for brands to craft a robust and detailed strategy. Additionally, investing in captivating content, maintaining vigilant oversight of their online presence, and fostering active dialogue with audiences is key. By managing social media effectively, your brand can leverage its power to connect with customers, build loyalty, and drive growth. For a quick and easy reference, you can download our Social Media Understood ebook here.
I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences on how social media can make or break brands. Please share your insights by leaving a comment below.
by Miriam Hara | Jul 5, 2023 | Agency, Business Success
As the business world is rapidly ever-changing, the concept of ‘value add’ or ‘value added’ becomes even more important to address. Has the ‘value added’ concept become like the tipping issue? In the wake of the pandemic, tipping values have increased… and more importantly, it is now more expected to leave a tip than ever! Does this translate into the B2B arena, where just providing the ask is the ‘value add’?
Shouldn’t value be about going above and beyond, every time that you can? To my way of thinking, that’s when there’s value added.
The Consumer Landscape; ‘Value Adds’ Galore!
Today’s consumer landscape is rampant with ‘value adds’ that are more focused on eco-friendliness, sustainability, charities and addressing social concerns. The pandemic has only heightened the importance of these values. Brands that have been around for a while, proven their worth, and built a following have intrinsic value. However, to stay relevant and maintain their value, they need to align themselves with the evolving values of consumers, such as environmental responsibility and ethical practices.
Value Added in the Business World: Being an Integral Part of the Client’s Team
The post-Covid environment has undoubtedly affected business relationships. Companies have had to adapt to new ways of working and communicating, and this has placed a greater emphasis on the importance of building trust and understanding the evolving needs of clients. Now, more than ever, clients are looking for partners who can help them navigate the challenges brought about by the pandemic and align with their values.
Clients have had to grapple with supply chain issues, team building issues, and, like all businesses, finding new hires to get the work done. Most clients are over-stretched, and ‘value add’ for them is for us to be more than ever a part of their team—their go-to resource—all the while staying one step ahead to ensure that objectives, as well as meeting timelines, and delivering everything we’ve always delivered.
My viewpoint and what I’ve instilled in my entire organization is that for our clients, ‘value add’ doesn’t mean giving them great creative. They expect great creative.That should be the given.
Why else do you go to a creative marketing agency? It doesn’t mean delivering on time, that’s an expectation from the outset. It doesn’t mean delivering results. That’s expected too. So what does ‘value add’ mean?
‘Value add’ in a today’s business world happens when we anticipate what the client needs before they need it and align with their values. It’s when we nudge them by showing them there’s a better way. It’s by surprising them with things that they didn’t expect; things that help and wow them. ‘Value add’ is exceeding beyond what our clients expect and giving them a reason to keep coming back. It’s making them feel good about working with us because not only are we delivering on their expectation, we are adding value to the service and valuing them as clients by exceeding their preconceived expectations.
At its core, value add should be about building relationships and aligning with clients’ values, such as sustainability and ethical practices, in today’s evolving world.
Jump! How High? That’s not ‘value added’.
Leap as high as we can for our clients before they ask us to jump… now that’s adding value.
What is your idea of ‘value added’ in today’s business dynamics? The business landscape has changed the way we should think about adding value for clients. It’s no longer just about delivering on expectations, but also being an integral part of their team, anticipating their needs, and aligning with their values and understanding their business. Although this has been the 3H mantra and way of business for 35 years, I wonder if that has been the case for many businesses. In this new normal, we must all be proactive in addressing challenges, such as supply chain disruptions, team building, marketing landscape transitions and talent acquisition. Our commitment in exceeding expectations and offering exceptional service to our clients is more important than ever. Only by doing so, can we help them navigate the complexities of today’s business world and ultimately strengthen our business relationships.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the concept of ‘value add’ in your world. How has it evolved in the wake of the pandemic, and what measures have you taken to ensure you continue to provide value for your clients? Share your insights and experiences, as we all adapt and learn from each other in this new era.
by Miriam Hara | Jun 9, 2023 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success
In the spirit of transparency, this is a rework of a brand building strategies blog with the same title I wrote close to a decade ago! This is one of my favourite sayings and the structure of article, I believe is still solid. My original article was written when brand building was primarily built on the pillars of packaging and advertising. This only involved one-way dialogues and communications. Even with this one way communication stream, some brands were launched…and were still left winking in the dark!
Today’s Complexities
When you market or launch a brand or corporation with little to no deployed communication plan, you will be essentially winking in the dark. No one can see you winking in the dark …no one can see your brand. You know your brand is available…but no one else does.
Today, brand building takes place in a much more complex landscape, where the digital environment and the variety of channels available offer endless possibilities. Platforms such as Google AdWords and YouTube campaigns, app advertising, and social media properties (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) are essential for modern brand building. The rise of smartphones and on-the-go searches has opened up huge opportunities for brands to stay relevant and visible to consumers when they’re actively searching. And we won’t discuss omni-channel marketing here or the use of data collection for crafting personalized content…seamlessly, and yes effortlessly(that’s for another blog!).
The Same Yet Different
Amidst the ever-changing digital landscape, basic marketing protocols still hold true. Resonating with the target audience is only possible with a clear and emotive message which now needs to be identified beyond rigid demographic lines. Strategies must not only be focused but diverse.
Over a decade ago, brand building hinged on packaging and advertising. It was a one-way dialogue. No more! Times have dramatically changed. Brand building today taps into platforms like YouTube, social media, and influencers, which are key to a brand’s success.
Brand building strategies today requires integration and high exposure. Traditional (print and broadcast) media advertising, though still relevant, needs to complement digital and new streaming channels. Brands must strive for seamless communication across all platforms.
Community building and leveraging social influencers are an integral in brand building. A brand becomes a community hub, inviting consumers to share their stories. This paves the way for converting potential consumers into brand ambassadors.
Aligning with the right influencers can help brands reach new audiences and generate buzz. Understanding consumer expectations and leveraging the reasons why consumers can trust brands is paramount. Failing to engage and striking the right cord by aligning values with their target will increase the risk of brands being overlooked.
Brand building now thrives in a dynamic landscape that includes websites, social media, content marketing, search optimization, and mobile accessibility. It’s about creating a platform for discussion and consumer participation to build and achieve brand trust and love.
How is your brand building going? Are there any challenges needing help? Please share your thoughts and experiences below. I may need it to write another blog update for the next version of this blog in the next decade!
by Miriam Hara | Jun 1, 2023 | Agency, Business Success, Marketing
We’ve all shared the collective exhaustion of discussing a post-COVID world ad nauseam, and yet, it remains an unavoidable topic. The pandemic’s sweeping effects have transformed our lives drastically and, indeed, irreversibly. The old marketing playbook was thrown out of the window overnight, and we had to quickly adapt to an unprecedented environment. So what does post-pandemic marketing look like?
We’ve all witnessed and experienced how a global pandemic has reshaped our reality and , we’ve all witnessed how a global pandemic has reshaped our reality. Now as we’re gradually moving towards the tail end of this crisis, a pressing question emerges: What’s next for marketing in the post-pandemic world?
The first thing we all need to realize is that the need for post-pandemic marketing ..is here and now. And the what’s next, is not next month or tomorrow it’s today.
For one, we can’t expect to go back to the way things were. The pandemic has undeniably accelerated certain trends and created new ones. It has transformed consumer behaviour, purchasing habits, and engagement preferences. We’ve seen a greater reliance on digital platforms, an increased demand for authenticity and value, and a heightened focus on social responsibility. These are not just temporary shifts; they’re here to stay.
The digital revolution has taken centre stage during the pandemic, fast-forwarding us into the future. As we embrace the post-pandemic world, we can expect even more digital disruptions. From virtual reality shopping experiences to AI-powered customer service, technology will continue to reshape the marketing landscape. This is what post-pandemic marketing looks like and will will continue to gain traction, ex·po·nen·tial·ly!
Simultaneously, the demand for authenticity and value has never been higher. Consumers, having faced a crisis of global proportions, are now more discerning about where they spend their money. They seek brands that not only provide high-quality products or services but also align with their values and contribute positively to society.
In this scenario, brand storytelling will play a pivotal role. It’s no longer about selling a product; it’s about conveying your brand’s purpose, the ‘why’ behind what you do. How does your brand make a difference in the world? How do you add value to your customers’ lives? Answering these questions authentically will be key to resonating with the post-pandemic consumer.
Furthermore, the concept of community has been redefined during the pandemic. Now, it’s not just about geographical proximity but shared experiences, values, and interests. Marketers will need to tap into these digital communities, fostering relationships and engaging in meaningful conversations.
Finally, let’s not forget the increased focus on social responsibility. The post-pandemic consumer is socially conscious, seeking brands that not only do no harm but actively work towards creating a positive impact. Sustainability, ethical practices, and social justice will be front and center in the consumers’ minds, and brands will need to step up.
So, what’s the next step for marketers in the post-pandemic world? It’s time to revisit your marketing strategy, align it with these new trends, and prepare for a future that’s already here. Remember, it’s not just about surviving; it’s about thriving and leading the way forward.
Now, I turn the conversation over to you. How have you prepared for the post-pandemic world? What strategies are you implementing to stay ahead of the curve? I look forward to hearing your insights and experiences.
by Miriam Hara | Nov 10, 2015 | Agency, Business Success, Creative, Latest
Clients who are involved in the client agency relationship do not realize that they have a direct impact on the creative their agency produces. We hear so much about agencies and their creative prowess and how ‘the creative’ talent establishes its reputation. But there’s hardly any mention of the trust factor and how that directly impacts the creative output. The creative process, whether it’s for personal endeavours or professional ones is always based on the ability of the creative mind to be at ease. To feel comfortable in the exploration of the obvious and not so obvious.
There are so many articles and blogs written on brainstorming practices… in group settings or solo ones, but very few tap into the premise of the brainstorming. In order to brainstorm you need a mandate – again, it could be a personal mandate or a professional one, brought forth from a client. If the client fosters the creative team with not only information, but with a sense of team and with a sense of knowledge that the outcome will be nothing short of awesome, then that is a setting for success, for all parties. I have the pleasure of working with clients whom have fostered that environment within our creative team. After the creative process, it’s a delight when we present and the client gets excited and says, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting that”.
Developing creative is an exciting and passionate business to be in. Fostering trust in a business relationship, is the cornerstone of creating creative that wins.
As with any relationship, creating and building on trust is a two-way street. Here’s a few points from both perspectives for the professional relationships:
The Creative Agency Built on Trust:
Know the brief. Ask questions. In order to evolve a brief into a sparkling, unique, rare but concise creative, you need to get involved… and that means that you need to admit that you don’t know. Clients will respect that and this will showcase the intelligence driving the creative outcome.
Empower your client. Never assume that the client doesn’t have a creative bone in their body. Clients know their business better than anyone else, including you. Within their brief, they will articulate gems of creative ideas… and they don’t even realize it. Take those gems and work them into creative that expresses their ideas. They will recognize them as such, and realize that, yes, you really do listen.
Always deliver and more. If a client has asked you to be at the table and provided you with a brief, it’s not only to fulfill the order, it’s to add value to the creative process in order to provide a creative outcome that sings. The damage of over promising and under delivering will break all trust and will start eroding the credibility that has been established. Just because you’re in the business of creating doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to be flighty and irresponsible.
The Client Built on Trust:
Share the knowledge. The more the creative agency knows, the better they are at creating and developing creative that is thought provoking and on target. Understanding the market and the intricate details of the industry is key to creating creative that will push the envelope.
Advocacy is key. Give credit where credit is due… and not to the creative agency, but to the management team. It’s important for the upper layer of management to know that the partner at the table is an instrumental element to the team.
Garner stability. There’s nothing more hurtful to a relationship based on trust than asking the creative agency to continuously fight for the business, especially if they have met 100% of your expectations. Asking a creative agency to continuously have to prove their right to be at the table, is a short term vision of what should be a long term relationship.
