Marketing executives are constantly solving problems. But are they making these common mistakes?

I believe marketing people should listen more to consumers despite of the fact we do have a lot of data. Consumers have a lot of information via social media and be precise in communication is a key value today Do not be trapped only for short-term results, but be the brand should be aligned long term with the purpose of new consumer

FMCG scheme calculator for all the Sales & Marketing champions:- 1+1 = 50.00% 2+1 = 33.33% 3+1 = 25.00% 4+1 = 20.00% 5+1 = 16.66% 6+1 = 14.29% 7+1 = 12.50% 8+1 = 11.11% 9+1 = 10.00% 10+1 = 9.09% 11+1 = 8.33% 12+1 = 7.69% 13+1 = 7.14% 14+1 = 6.66% 15+1 = 6.25% 16+1 = 5.89% 17+1 = 5.55% 18+1 = 5.26% 19+1 = 5.00% 20+1 = 4.76% Pls share Together Lets Serve Better Example If the scheme is 11 + 1 then it will be calculated as 1÷12 % = 8.33%

It's easy to get caught up in proposed solutions without first ensuring you have identified and articulated the core issue. Taking the time upfront to be crystal clear on the problem scope lays the groundwork for effective strategizing. For example - A marketing team spends weeks developing a social media campaign without ever clearly articulating what challenges they're trying to solve (e.g. increase sales, awareness, engagement). A company rolls out a new product feature based on a vague sense that "customers want more customization options" without concrete research into specific pain points #marketing #b2bmarketing

A common mistake, in addition to not defining the problem clearly, is not understanding or defining the main stakeholders involved. It is important to identify who you are fixing the problem for, the internal and external parties involved ie. Are there any silent parties who may influence the solution or its approval, and who needs to ultimately authorise the solution? Clearly defining and completely understanding both the problem and the critical stakeholders will allow you to develop a more effective and targeted solution and will minimise delays, roadblocks, conflicts, and overall inefficiencies.

Defining the problem clearly is crucial for effective problem-solving. It prevents wasted efforts and ensures you address the core issue. Here's a helpful approach: Gather information: Collect relevant data through observation, interviews, or research to understand the situation comprehensively. Ask questions: Formulate questions that delve deeper into the who, what, when, where, why, and how aspects of the problem. Utilize tools: Employ problem statements to concisely frame the issue, root cause analysis to pinpoint underlying factors, and fishbone diagrams to visualize potential causes and their effects. By following these steps, you'll gain a sharper understanding of the problem, enabling you to find targeted solutions.

It's important for marketing executives to resist the temptation to rush into decisions based on initial results or surface-level observations. Instead, taking the time to analyze data, consider various perspectives, and delve into the root causes of issues is essential for crafting effective solutions. In today's fast-paced digital landscape, there's often pressure to act quickly, but this can sometimes lead to overlooking crucial insights or making hasty judgments.

I've learned that rushing to conclusions can hinder problem-solving efforts. While it's natural to want quick solutions, I've found that taking the time to thoroughly explore all options leads to more effective outcomes. By adopting a critical thinking approach, and considering diverse perspectives, one can be able to develop well-rounded strategies that address challenges comprehensively.

Testing your hypothesis is key here to make sure you’re not jumping to conclusions on how you plan to define the customers problem. Rarely do you get it right first time. So many ways to run tests but one idea you could think about, which allows for team capacity, budget and experience is the ICE method. I = Impact C = Confidence E = Ease Give each a score out of ten. So based on one of your hypothesis, how impactful could this be for the business out of ten if this works? How confident are you that you can execute on it and that it will work based on what you know now? How easy is it to implement this test based on budgets, time, experience etc.

The desire to take action quickly can lead to assumptions before gathering all relevant data. An evidence-based approach helps avoid reaching premature judgments before understanding root causes. For example - An ad campaign is scrapped after one week because engagement was lower than hoped, without analyzing why or considering other factors. A business blames a drop in orders on a competitor's new product when in reality their service issues were likely more to blame. #marketing #b2bmarketing

Rushing to conclusions can undermine problem-solving efforts, resulting in suboptimal outcomes. Executives must cultivate a culture of critical thinking and exploration. By challenging assumptions and considering diverse perspectives, they can uncover innovative solutions. Encouraging open dialogue and brainstorming fosters creativity, enabling teams to evaluate alternatives thoroughly and make informed decisions.

Taking feedback is very essential for anyone in marketing. Your goal as a marketing individual is to be creative and provide solutions, but if you aren't prepared to take feedback into consideration, then you're ignoring the core essence of problem solving. Feedback helps improve your products and better marketing them to a wider audience.

Input from others, whether customers, colleagues, or leadership, provides invaluable perspective companies can't afford to neglect. Actively involving stakeholders strengthens outcomes. For example - A client provides a detailed list of requested changes after viewing a draft marketing proposal, but few of the suggestions are incorporated. Employees share criticisms of a new internal process with leadership but don't see their input reflected in revisions. #marketing

Marketing executives may make common mistakes due to various factors, such as misalignment with the overall business strategy, lack of understanding of the target audience, or inadequate communication within the team. pressure to meet deadlines or achieve specific metrics can lead to rushed decisions or overlooking critical details. Moreover, the rapidly evolving nature of marketing trends and technologies can make it challenging to stay updated and implement effective strategies consistently.

Emphasizing the importance of fostering a culture of feedback within marketing teams is crucial. Encouraging open communication channels where all team members feel empowered to share their insights and perspectives fosters collaboration and innovation. This approach not only helps in problem-solving but also cultivates a sense of ownership and accountability among team members, ultimately leading to more effective solutions and improved performance.

Embrace a growth mindset and a customer-centric attitude to effectively use feedback in problem-solving. Seek feedback from diverse sources, listen openly, appreciate positive aspects, and act on negative feedback for continual improvement and adaptation.

Marketing problems rarely fit into neat little silos. If nobody is reading your brand's content, if could be a digital marketing problem, a product marketing problem, a brand problem, a PR problem, or some combination of these. Without an ability to appreciate this fact, the solutions we devise for marketing problems can create more problems. And we end up chasing our own tail.

Without collaboration, teams risk duplicating efforts or working at cross-purposes. Fostering communication and breaking down silos between groups multiplies overall impact. For example - A sales team promotes a new service on social media at the same time product development quietly discontinues it. Two departments launch competing rebranding initiatives within the same month with no coordination. #marketing

Marketing campaigns are like making that first impression everytime. If you are not well prepared in what you are going to say, you might end up making your campaign a failure or even damage the original brand value sometimes. You always need feedbaks on your plans to make them market ready. Working with other teams of different skillsets would also get you a different perspective but also the way to make your marketing fit for the new age audience both in context and technology Break the silos, collaborate.

By design, most marketing executives may find themselves siloed off from other key strategic teams. So it’s important they take the initiative to find opportunities to collaborate and deepen relationships with other leaders. This can occur both at a professional and personal level. Strengthening these connections can provide insights to emerging sales trends, constructive consumer feedback, strategic product development, innovative technology, or statistical relevant analytics. Keeping abreast of these key drivers of business will allow you to help your team implement effective strategies that reflect the current market conditions and allow you to create a stronger connection to your core clients.

Fostering open communication and collaboration across departments, marketing executives can tap into a wider pool of expertise and resources, leading to more innovative and holistic solutions. Encouraging cross-functional teams to work together not only enhances problem-solving capabilities but also strengthens relationships and fosters a culture of unity and shared purpose within the organization.

Failing to follow up can undermine even the best solutions in the world. It's not enough to implement a solution and move on; constant monitoring and evaluation are essential to stay ahead of the curve. And, effective follow-up isn't just about tracking progress; it's about fostering a culture of continuous improvement within marketing teams. By consistently evaluating outcomes, celebrating successes, and identifying areas for enhancement, marketers can iterate and refine their approaches to achieve even greater results.

Without diligent tracking, it becomes challenging to gauge progress, assess outcomes, or ascertain the impacts of interventions. Moreover, the absence of follow-up impedes the ability to measure success, acknowledge achievements, or pinpoint areas for enhancement.

Implementation is just as critical as ideation. Closing the loop on initiatives through review and refinement ties back to your original objectives. For example - A market research survey gathers insights that are never analyzed or acted upon. A six-month marketing plan is presented with enthusiasm but then sits on a shelf with no ongoing oversight.

Following up ensures accountability, allows for continuous improvement, and enables organizations to learn from their experiences. By establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, marketing executives can track the effectiveness of their solutions, identify any emerging issues, and make data-driven decisions to optimize future strategies. This proactive approach fosters a culture of accountability and drives sustainable success in problem-solving endeavors.

Medir lo que realmente importa es un trabajo clave, mantenerse enfocado y midiendo las variables predictivas, es decir, las cosas que están bajo nuestro control que preceden un resultado importante. Enfoque, enfoque y más enfoque.

The biggest mistakes I’ve seen in marketing over the last decade are: - Too much focus on short term sales, ignoring the importance of building brand - Doing too much instead of doing fewer things consistently well - Trying to solve a poor customer experience through advertising

Yes, marketing executives often encounter challenges, and some common mistakes include overlooking audience research, neglecting to track and analyze data, relying too heavily on one marketing channel, failing to adapt strategies to market changes, and lacking clear objectives. It's crucial to prioritize understanding your target audience, regularly analyze campaign performance, diversify marketing channels, stay agile in response to market dynamics, and set SMART goals to measure success effectively. By avoiding these pitfalls, marketing executives can enhance their campaigns' effectiveness and drive better results for their direct selling businesses.

Marketing, no matter how talented and amazing, cannot fix a flawed or undesired product, program, or initiative. Strong business acumen needs to come from all areas of the organization: it isn’t marketing’s role to teach others “how to business” and the program/project/initiative should be thoroughly and appropriately crafted, vetted, and in demand, not flung at marketing to “just make it profitable, ok?” Stop accepting twice the blame and half the credit—marketing execs are partners in success, not order takers.

Executives often fall into the trap of 'Echo Chamber Marketing', where strategies are developed and refined in isolation, heavily influenced by internal biases rather than diverse customer feedback. This mistake leads to a narrow view of the market, potentially alienating broader segments of the audience. Another common oversight is 'Static Strategy Syndrome', where once successful campaigns are recycled without considering the dynamic nature of consumer behavior and market trends. This approach can cause brands to appear out of touch or irrelevant. To combat these pitfalls, marketing executives should cultivate an ongoing practice of actively seeking out and integrating external perspectives and emerging trends into strategic planning.

Taking the time to avoid these traps helps marketing efforts achieve their full potential. Defining needs clearly, involving the right voices, and maintaining oversight keeps strategies sharp and squarely focused on driving results.