What do you do if your strategic decisions as a marketer are constantly challenged?

Be very careful who's feedback you "embrace". Most people rarely (actually) think. Because most people have never been taught to think. They confuse having thoughts (the shit that is always on, rolling by, in your head) and actually doing what management guru Roger Martin calls “reflective thinking”. Most people are reactive thinkers. They hear something, the little voice in their head reacts, and they think... they did some thinking. When all they did was react. Thinking requires us to actually stop. Ask yourself (and other smart people) “what do I really think about this"? Ask "why" 5-7 times. Do some research. Consider differing points of view. Then ask yourself again...“what do I really think about this"?

One thing I’ve found helpful is arguing the other side. Instead of focusing on why your strategy is the right one, force yourself to think about why it might not be. Finding the holes in your own plan and thinking more deeply from an opposing viewpoint will help you when you encounter skeptical feedback. This time, you’ll have anticipated the weak points and have considered all the data. Best of all, you’ll be able to stay more objective.

When facing challenges in marketing, see feedback as a chance to improve. Make sure your choices are rooted in data and always explain your thinking to the team. This approach strengthens trust and teamwork.

To address constant challenges to your strategic decisions as a marketer, utilize data to justify choices, communicate rationale clearly, and seek input from colleagues. Educate others on marketing principles, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and remain flexible to adapt strategies as needed. Track and share results to demonstrate the effectiveness of decisions, fostering trust and support over time.

Utilizing VR platforms like Spatial or EngageXR, stakeholders can virtually explore and engage with the objectives, fostering a deeper understanding and connection. In a recent project, we organized a VR strategy session to define our marketing objectives. Implement SWOT analysis gamification to assess and define marketing objectives in a fun and engaging manner. Create a digital or physical board game where team members can strategically analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to marketing objectives. During a team retreat, we introduced a SWOT analysis gamification session to redefine our marketing goals.

Regularly assessing and defining marketing objectives is fundamental to driving strategic decision-making and aligning efforts with broader business goals. When encountering opposition, revisiting these objectives serves as a compass, ensuring that your strategies remain on track and relevant. Articulating the rationale behind your decisions becomes easier when anchored in clear, well-defined goals, enabling effective communication with stakeholders. Moreover, having clear objectives provides a benchmark for evaluating the success of your strategies, bolstering your ability to justify and advocate for your strategic choices. It's all about clarity, alignment, and accountability in driving impactful marketing initiatives.

Accessing and re-assessing marketing objectives will make sure you're staying true to the brand, campaign, or what ever initiative you're working on. Making sure you're making the right decisions to reach your end goal is important, and analyzing performance and being able to change strategy on the fly if necessary is paramount to the success of your marketing strategies.

*Demonstrate that you take feedback seriously by implementing suggestions or addressing concerns whenever possible. *Keep the team informed about actions taken as a result of their feedback, showing that their opinions are valued and have an impact.

If our recommendations are not accepted, I would question whether or not we truly understood the objectives. If we believe we have, the. A conversation with the client may be in order, to clarify if their stated objectives are true. It’s not uncommon for an organization to feel strongly about a direction, only to think again when provided with additional perspective.

Eu sempre fui favorável a percep??o de influência na decis?o. Realmente uma decis?o baseada em dados tende a possuir uma for?a maior contra quem apenas tem uma opini?o. O ponto de aten??o é conseguir equilibrar análise de dados com a compreens?o das pessoas. N?o adianta a técnica mais sofisticada se você n?o conseguir explicar de forma simples ou as pessoas n?o entenderem sua importancia. Busque a sofistica??o mas sempre se pergunte: será que consigo explicar com poucas palavras? Será que um gráfico resolve? Essa forma de pensar será muito útil ao longo de toda sua carreira.

Always look for customer’s insights they are the real source to build effective marketing strategies to deliver solutions not features

Successful marketing decisions are based on data - there's no getting around that The implementation of the marketing strategy through different measures in various channels for different target groups should be emotionalized. This is "brand staging". In order to achieve the set goals within the target corridor, you need data, analyses and recommendations for action from statistics in order to recognize early deviations as well as opportunities.

I've always found this one thing to be useful. Having valid, clean data helps you justify your strategies better. Nothing works better than historical data to back up your strategy and thought process.

Data is like gold, and one of my primary goals this year is to leverage data for every decision I make. Sometimes, it can be challenging because data might seem messy or poorly presented. That's why I believe as marketers, we should also be proficient in using data visualization tools to extract insights and craft compelling narratives from our data. Currently, I'm enrolled in an outstanding course on Udemy titled "Marketing Analytics Mastery: From Strategy to Application" by Stephen Tracy. Through this course, I'm learning how to effectively utilize data in marketing. I find it valuable because Tracy thoroughly breaks down the concepts, making it easier to grasp and apply in practice.

Building consensus is important, even though the idea originated from you, it will always become a team effort to bring the initiative to life. First share your vision with both stakeholders and experts. Open communication on your vision will not only foster a sense of ownership among colleagues but can widen your vision to see things from other angles and perspectives. Allies can help you identify roadblocks and challenges as you create a work stream around this initiative.

"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." Sometimes we focus too much on pushing instead of reducing resistance. If you don't stop and understand where resistance is coming from you may not really understand what you are up against. Pushing harder may just lead to more resistance.

Acabar com ruídos se faz necessário para o bom andamento do trabalho principalmente em equipe, por isso, por mais que as pessoas tenham vis?es diferentes e feedbacks diferentes sobre algo é necessário buscar um consenso, um ponto de equilíbrio onde todos enxergam que executar a estratégia de tal maneira é a melhor op??o para todos.

Eliminating expected questions and potential confusion before the meeting/decision builds confidence in peoples positions and increases the chances of agreement to proceed

I return to the drawing board after identifying the real problem and seek for a better solution. It is important to identify and make problem solving analysis to help prevent future occurrence.

In marketing, challenges to strategic decisions are common. Employing an adaptive approach is vital. Assess challenges, embrace flexibility, iterate through experimentation, monitor continuously, collaborate on solutions, execute agilely, and view challenges as learning opportunities. By integrating these approaches, marketers can effectively address challenges while remaining agile and responsive to evolving market conditions.

Flexibility is a valuable trait for any marketer facing constant challenges. Be willing to adapt your strategies in response to valid criticisms and changing market conditions. This agility allows you to pivot when necessary and find alternative solutions that may be more effective. Staying adaptable also demonstrates your commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes, even when it means rethinking your original plans.

Adaptability is not the same as weakness - but too much adaptability can lead others to question your judgment. This is a hard line for new managers/marketing leaders to walk. There is a happy medium in there somewhere. Hear others out and assess the merits of their ideas. When they make sense, implement these ideas decisively, even if it means winding down your previous strategy. When they don't make sense, stick to your guns and openly explain why. High-functioning teams have high levels of trust. Trust is built on open feedback lines and a mutual understanding of the "why" behind shared processes.

When your marketing strategies meet resistance, remain agile. Welcome feedback, adjust swiftly, and learn continuously. This mindset allows you to adapt and refine your approach, ensuring progress with understanding and adaptability.

Confucius once said something that hits the nail on the head for marketers - “The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.” Basically, being flexible is key. When our marketing decisions get questioned, it’s our cue to adapt. Time is money, right? And since there’s more than one way to reach our goals, why stick to just one path? Being adaptable means we can quickly switch gears as needed, turning challenges into opportunities.

Ninguém é dono da verdade absoluta, devemos sempre buscar analisar, refletir e aprender com tudo. Isso nos impulsiona para frente e ajuda evitar problemas que nem se quer enxergaríamos caso n?o estivéssemos abertos a analisar e aprender com situa??es e feedbacks vividos e recebidos...

Desafios e questionamentos s?o essenciais na constru??o de uma mentalidade maleável e disponível a adequa??es. Já tive que corrigir rotas inúmeras vezes em minha carreira e sempre o fiz com coragem e consciência de que reconhecer nossas fragilidades só nos faz crescer mais e mais.

Desde que comecei a trabalhar com Marketing percebi que o Marketing muda porque as pessoas est?o em constante mudan?a, pra mim n?o deixa de ser uma rela??o psicológica, você só vai entender o outro quando o outro te entender, e o outro só vai te entender quando conseguir visualizar sua verdade. Cada vez mais arranjamos palavras difíceis para o que é somente entender o outro.

I found it very helpful to do active listening when being challenged on a plan created. I do this to figure out what the issues are and if they can be feasibly corrected or if another plan needs to be used. Lastly, I try to analyze all the ways to plan to work and I create alternate plans. Just in case the client decides they don't like the main plan then they have other options to select from or I may need to start over because maybe I did not understand what the client was seeking in their marketing campaign.

Well, if this thing happens, it means that I have to reflect on myself, it means that I'm not quite familiar enough with the field of my product. It's very serious for marketing. I need to do market research and find out all the areas I don’t know about my market. Then sum up.

When facing persistent challenges to strategic decisions as a marketer, it's crucial to adopt a proactive and collaborative approach to address concerns effectively. 1. Actively listen to the concerns and perspectives of those challenging your decisions. Understand their reasoning and motivations behind their objections. 2. Articulate the rationale behind your decisions clearly & concisely. Use data, market insights, and case studies to support your arguments. 3. Be open to adjustments and compromises where feasible without compromising the integrity of the strategy. Collaboration often leads to stronger outcomes. 4. Maintain confidence in your expertise. Resilience in the face of challenges can instill trust and respect among your peers.

é normal as pessoas quererem dar feedbacks, é sempre bom ouvirmos. Mas, é importante que saibamos filtrá-los para discernir o que realmente vem como um feedback genuíno focado em ajudar a melhorar os resultados daqueles feedbacks que s?o feitos somente de pura inveja ou com más inten??es de atingir e nos prejudicar nos colocando pra baixo para que quem deu o feedback tenha seu ego alimentado em poder sair por cima nos atacando. Receba sim feedbacks, analise-los, mas filtre-os! Aquilo que n?o for benéfico, descarte...

1. Be disruptive and innovative. Don’t be afraid to fail, but always stand back if you fall. 2. Embrace change, adapt and evolve. 3. Have fun in the process.

Develop an arsenal of competitor insights - the fear of losing brand equity is a driver and motivator to hear innovative ideas and invest.