Ad agencies love to tell clients that they take a unique approach to marketing strategy. Some even give their marketing process a proprietary name like Brandgineering‚Ñ¢, Creativention‚Ñ¢,¬† Marketologimization‚Ñ¢ or something similar. Usually, there’s a fancy flow chart that goes with it. It all started at big global ad agencies and eventually worked its way down here to Mississippi several years ago.
Why do agencies do this? Here’s why: They want you to believe that their approach is somehow fundamentally different. That they use science, not magic. And that if you follow their process from Point A to Point Z, you will ultimately end up with a marketing strategy that cannot fail.
Not to say there aren’t differences in the ways agencies approach marketing strategy. There are. But, in our opinion, factors like insight, experience and imagination are a heck of a lot more important to marketing than the process, itself. Processes don’t buy products. Customers don’t drool over bullet-pointed lists in their favorite magazine. And people don’t become fans of procedural flowcharts on Facebook. (Well, not normal people, anyway.)
Here’s our approach: We listen and we think.
We sit down with clients, talk to them and get their perspective. We listen to their thoughts about their company, competitors, market situation, opportunities, challenges, what’s been tried, what’s worked and what hasn’t.
Next, we think. We do our homework. We uncover hidden insights and market opportunities. And we examine the strengths and weaknesses of each option before making our recommendations.
The fact is, there’s no magic formula because marketing strategy is a creative process.
Think about it: A great marketing strategy should do more than just connect the dots between what you already know. It should challenge you think of your business in new and unique ways.