Agile Marketing Series
Not everyone gets agile marketing, and many think it’s only for big brands with deep pockets. Let’s shatter some myths
Agile is not a clever new application, 4-day residential course or a dedicated marketing function. Its way simpler than that; its the judicious use of marketing spend in the context of the wider environment. We call it…
Marketing with relevance
Relevant to a wide range of external factors, all of which influence people’s thinking and decision process. And timing.
Many organisations miss out on opportunities that occur external to their business as they focus inwardly on product cycles and other, consumer-irrelevant, stuff.
Some stuff, such as seasonal and cyclical-based events can be pre-planned. Good examples of getting agile with cyclical events are:
- Bank holidays. People behave differently, spend more family and leisure time. Address this change by adapting, or at least acknowledging, this change.
- Weather swings. Unseasonably warm or cold weather changes behaviour and needs.
- National (and local) news events. Jumping on the back of breaking news items can be planned in so far as life, marriage, children, death, prison, scandal, war and infidelity happen and strike a chord with most folks
- The school year. It drives a large part of consumer spending habits.
- Time of day, and day of week. We all hate Mondays, and love Fridays. Adapting your message to suit the mood of the nation is not hard.
You should hopefully notes that all of these are external to your business and products – people care far less about you and your brand than they do about X Factor, or the size of Kim Kardashian’s butt.
It doesn’t have to stop there, though.
Getting funky with agile marketing
This has many names, including “going viral”. Probably the best known example is an image of an Oreo being dunked in the dark. Reacting to world events – such as the Superbowl – forms a critical aspect of agile marketing. Hence “marketing with our eyes and ears open”.
It needs a creative touch, true. But more importantly it needs a mindset that finds the time and is open to looking sideways at the world.
