2022. IS IT REALLY ANY DIFFERENT?
The chimes count down, the ball drops, the fireworks ignite, glasses chink, people kiss. Somewhere someone wishes they stayed in, somewhere someone else wishes they went out! Happy New Year *clink*.
Self-promises of a new you, a new waistline, a new habit coincide with this New Year. And now that moment of motivation, inspiration and dedication begins.
But in the cold hard day light of January morning, when you reflect back on the past 365 days on Instagram with a hash brown, what is actually different, anything? Everything? Are you different? Is the world different? Is marketing your business different??
As a marketer, who breaks their strategies into quarters, New Years Eve is the closing stages of Q4 and the celebration of Jools Hootenanny, the opening act for Q1.
The fact the numbers reset themselves every year suggest the act of devising a strategy for the year is repetitive. But don’t be fooled. It’s isn’t about repeating what went before it. Especially in this day and age as a marketeers, because when we look at YoY and trends over time we have to account for the most unusual abnormality. I won’t mention the “C word” here, but it kinda messed with our Q2 2020 numbers.?
Because of this abnormality, marketing over the last few years has meant tearing up the traditional seasonal programme of marketing activity, and instead focussing on constant progression and evolution. Taking risks and finding new audiences. In other words the reset from Q4 to Q1 every January should be seen as Q4 going into Q5 and beyond.
Your finance people won’t like this. I wouldn’t tell them, I would keep it a secret for yourself.?
But thinking about “Q1” as Q5 might not be as daft as it sounds, depending on your year of course. Continuing momentum, having a larger big picture focus, understanding the dynamics of the market, call it what you will, but comparing apples for apples, Q1 2022 against Q1 2021 doesn’t fill anyone with that much joy. Even if you are smashing it!
Of course these results are awesome don’t get me wrong. But by focussing on the ‘WHAT’ is needed to achieve these performance improvements and the ‘WHO’ is doing them, will bear much more fruit than the ‘WHAT’ that is measured. YoY numbers and targets don't mention the what or who.
Getting fixated on YoY performance doesn’t always tell the full story, and doesn’t allow you to achieve greatness. By that I mean if the only target to achieve is bettering what happened the year before, what other new opportunities are being missed whilst you are focussing down old routes.. It’s always about working smarter, not just harder.?
So 2022, is it any different than 2021? Well, yes. I think it is. But because I am a marketer, if you want to check out my 7 reasons why click the link and head on over and finish the blog.
Delivering growth to Engineering, Manufacturing & Technology | BIMA 100 23 & 24 | Managing Director | Platinum HubSpot Partner
3 年Love that thought process, YOY has always been a big bear of mine, how can you logically apply numbers when so much of those years would have been different and out of your control as a person, a business and a marketing team. Surely the measure should be continual improvement and having an open enough mind to know when something is not right you can change it. All the best for Q5 mate :)