There is so much opportunity in 2021 that it would be a CRIME not to review your marketing right now and optimise the opportunities presented to us.
As a Chartered Marketer Veronica Swindale, Managing Director of nesma suggests the five key areas she thinks we should be focussing on. So, what’s changing? Markets, customers’ priorities, employees’ expectations, ways of working, skill requirements, supply chains and the world at large; There’s not much that isn’t changing, to be fair, making it a good time to take stock of what you are doing and look at what you should be doing.
COMMUNICATION
The working climate has been full of uncertainty, and it is essential to be talking regularly to each and every one of your employees, so they know where they stand and what the business is doing in the short and longer terms. Capable and confident employees are happier and more productive. Customers and connected stakeholders such as suppliers and funders should be kept up to date at every twist and turn so that there is no disconnect to where you are now and where these people perceive you to be.
RESEARCH
Due to these changes, it is critical to research how your employees feel, explore what the market is and discover what the market is doing. There have been seismic shifts in consumer behaviour, predominantly driven by online retail, but even professional services, charities, and the arts have learnt to operate online. What is the impact of this on what you used to offer? And how do you meet the current demand? Only today, I have had a virtual dance class online, completed a full day’s work and had a consultation with my GP – all based at home – and millions around the world are doing the same. The customers’ priorities need to be analysed, so we have a chance of meeting them! INVESTMENT Achieving these shifts requires you to invest your own time planning your offering carefully, ensuring that you have the technology, skills, and resources to deliver it. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Look at outsourcing key activities such as communications, bookkeeping or IT and use accountancy and CRM systems that improve efficiency. This way, you can focus on the business without being tied up in the business. Larger organisations would benefit from reviewing McKinsey’s 7S framework, which analyses the company’s Shared Values to ensure the right Strategy, Structure, and Systems.
