Recently Ryan Holiday, noted author, gave some interesting advice on why you should not start a podcast. I read it and disagreed with it at first because we as brands now all have tools to create and produce anything we want.
But I read it again and again and over time I agree with Ryan. Brands usually do things because they are tasked with driving growth. As a result, many brand marketers will do what everyone else is doing. This makes sense. As the famous quote goes: “good artists copy, great artists steal.”
As a result it isn’t foreign to customers to see brands who want to continue to grow to tweet, post on social media, market content, start podcasts, live stream video and pretty soon will try to create AR using AI.
The issue is that because brands assume they do these things, they will be relevant and successful right away.
Accenture recently released a study that should be an eye-opener to many CMOs and brand directors. You can’t simply manage a brand anymore. That is not your sole focus and duty. Just like writers no longer just write, film directors just direct or marketers just market, brands must drive growth.
So what’s the best way to make this transition? Well, the tools of a traditional past aren’t the right tools and maybe it’s time you realize you’re using antiquated metrics, belief systems and even staffing organizational hierarchies to get ahead in a world not shaped like the one you were used to in your career trajectory.
So how do you turn your brand marketing team into a growth engine?
1. Don’t rely on conventional tactics. Conventional ways to build your brand don’t work as well because disruptive technology is all around us. So you must use this to your advantage. This means tons of tests. Make sure you hang a sign on your wall that has two phrases on it: I don’t know and I may be wrong. Use this as your guide to growth. Growth isn’t just doing the same old thing so risk is essential.
2. Use rebellious “go to market” plans. Be rebellious. Think about the best way to get customer attention before thinking about conversion. People don’t buy immediately. They ponder and decide but if you emotionally connect with them in an authentic manner you convert them faster than through staged approaches. The only way to move them to a purchase decision faster is to rebel against past planned marketing strategies. They need to hear and see about your brand not simply from you, but from others in their social circle several times before that exposure leads to a decision. This goes back to point number one. If you listen too much to the voice in your head that “this isn’t going to work,” you’re never going to find out if you don’t know or that you may be wrong.
3. Don’t over rely on the data. As we’ve seen recently, data is not a predictor, it is a probability. The best growth marketers understand this and exploit data through action faster than their competitors. If you’re waiting around to see if the data is right on what creative you should use, well, you’re going to be waiting an awful long time. Test the probabilities, find what resonates best, repeat.
No one says growth is going to be easy but it is essential to long term success and sustainability.
Learn how to keep your brand relevant in the 21st Century in my new book Disruptive Marketing.
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Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Growth and Brand Education
