As a Senior Leader, have you ever been embarrassed by a piece of
marketing that has been created and released by your own marketing
team? Have you ever looked at it and thought – this doesn’t represent my organisation?
So how do you control this?
A successful marketing strategy assumes the dedication, commitment, and understanding of the entire organisation to follow it; just as the business strategy requires the organisation to follow and align.
I have used this phrase for so long now, I can no longer remember if I should assign it to some marvellous business guru, or if indeed it came out of my own brain. But this to me sums up a common marketing problem, especially when trying to effect significant change or growth in an organisation.
The lack of embedding and understanding of an organisational marketing strategy can often result in leaders throwing money at operational marketing, believing that it will have a positive impact. The truth is, that unless you have a strong framework in place for success, one that the whole organisation will get behind, then failure is sure to follow. After all, in the famous words of Peter Drucker “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Here’s a six-point framework that if implemented well, is understood and passionately held by the whole organisation, I believe, will have significant impact on results.
1. Product/Service: What is the problem it is solving? If it’s not solving a problem, then the likelihood is it will not sell. Is it fit for purpose? Has it been built right? And is it the right product? There is no point in creating a fabulous Data Analytics course for adult returners, that is fulfilling a significantly growing demand in the local economy, and then running it at a high cost, with no financial support …… at 4 pm in the afternoon. Just as the kids are coming home!
2. Brand and messaging: Is your brand platform and purpose emotionally led, distinct, and passionately held by all? Is the value and messaging that your brand conveys through advertising, met accurately through the customer experience? When that young mum reacts to that Facebook ad and comes onto campus full of excitement and nerves, will the brand visuals and campus look and feel as she expected, or will that trust have been broken? Will she be greeted by staff that demonstrates the brand values, or will she be met by a surly security guard who is watching football on their phone?
3. Effective influencer and community engagement strategy: Word of mouth will always be your most powerful marketing tool. Whether it be a personal recommendation from a friend, or a trusted source that is advising your target market – your name needs to be mentioned, often, positively, and triangulated. Whether it is a supplier of services, a past staff member, or a key influencer such as local authorities or school career officers, what they are saying about your brand WILL impact your student numbers.
4. Operational student recruitment campaign: A multi-media campaign that is accurately targeted, evaluated, and reported. A campaign that is evidence-based, and driven by the positive impact your brand, product, service, and experience has had on your customers. A campaign that is creatively distinct, tells a compelling story, and is consistent in its delivery, cutting through the noise of an incredibly competitive market
5. An effective conversion strategy: The four points above are irrelevant if your customer journey is rubbish, and if you have no understanding of your data. People ultimately buy people, they need to know that they can trust your brand and that what you say is what you do. Keep them close, keep them all snuggled up and warm, and understand where and why they drop off in the pipeline. Then mitigate.
Evaluate, re-align, remain true to purpose & continue.
There is no golden bullet, MarComms is not a problem that you can throw money at to resolve. However, if the organisation’s MarComms strategy is a golden thread that runs deep through the organisation, is understood and signed up to.....magic can happen!
Thanks for reading. As always, take what is useful and discard the rest!
Always human, always open, always honest.
Elvie
