What role does strategy play in your marketing plan?

“I like the idea of using creativity to drive sales and revenue for the company and merging those 2 things” - Jennifer Stoll??

As a marketer, I deeply believe that creativity is the lifeblood of marketing. I am writing this e-journal on a seminar I was recently a part of with Jennifer Stoll the vice president of strategy at Valtech as the speaker.?There was so much to learn from the lecture; let us explore some of the most crucial discussion points.??

Since Jennifer has a vast range of experience, I was interested in whether she advised us, students, to try out many specialized industries or simply concentrate on one to advance in our careers.?Jennifer stated that it depends on a variety of aspects, like your area of interest, the size of the organization. She highlighted the importance of doing what interests you and following your passion.

?What is strategy???

"Strategy means continually answering questions, providing directions, and evaluating scenarios from different viewpoints. “- Jennifer Stoll??

Jennifer delved into the role of a digital marketing strategist and described a situation in which an agency would create a product at the request of a customer. A strategist steps in and provides the personnel with the proper direction for execution.?

??Process of creating a strategy??

• Research: Include qualitative and quantitative research such as competitive analysis, external trends, and others.???
• Synthesize: Combine relevant information in meaningful ways.???
• Ideate: Summarize, assess, interpret, and produce solutions.???
• Plan: This phase entails making a roadmap and planning to make sure the strategy is in line with the company's objectives.??

Does this role interest me???

Because I am quite passionate about planning successful marketing campaigns and branding strategies. I was not sure if I wanted to take on the responsibilities of a digital strategist, which would require me to conduct extensive KPI research and data analysis. Although this lecture sparked my curiosity a bit, I have learned to never say never, and I believe that the demand for digital strategists is only going to increase over time.??

The importance of being cohesive??

“If you do not have a process, workflow, and a vision for how your technology should all come together. it is hard to be successful” - Jennifer Stoll??

Jennifer gave a brief overview of a case study of Exelon, which has a number of subsidiaries but lacks uniformity across the board. She developed a 100-page playbook as a marketing strategist that included models for who should oversee and be responsible for consulting on each activity, measurement frameworks, and mapping out things like the channels and time objectives among other things. ?

As a marketer, I believe that successful businesses need to have a strong brand as well as a consistent branding strategy.? I frequently see companies that have several subsidiaries, and the branding for each is so distinctive that it causes confusion, a lack of brand awareness, and a lack of trust.?

SC Johnson case study??

We were split up into breakout rooms after the seminar's conclusion and given a case study on SC Johnson.???

Situation Overview???

• We're performing fundamental digital transformation work for SC Johnson. They are a privately held, more than 130-year-old CPG firm with several product lines.??

Our assignment/solution:?

Do we need brand sites??

• Yes, We do require distinct brand sites.?

What information would you need to research to answer this question??

• The organic SEO footprint, current website metrics, brand by brand analysis, competition analysis, survey or focus with existing website users????

What are the pros and cons of keeping their brand sites??

• Pros:?easy to navigate, SEO and paid ad handling are easier, opportunities to cross sell, avoid a single point of failure, good for affiliate linking, easier to target different customer personas??
• Cons:?higher cost, lot of maintenance, excessive workforce requirement, divided traffic is divided on separate sites, challenging to conduct analytics?

Feedback??

Jennifer explained her approach to this case study, which included several astute actions I could employ going forward.??They are as follows:

My key takeaway for the next step in my career?

?

We also discussed Jennifer's ability to recognize when it is time to transition to a new job. According to her, when she stops learning and feels like she has reached her limit, she is likely not providing the organization with enough value, which is when she decides to move on. I can relate to what she said because of my own experience.??

My first job was at a startup, and although I learned a lot in the first two months, I soon realized that I was not progressing. However, I stayed working there because I did not want to feel like I was giving up. I eventually left?and I was anxious to start a new position. I was surprised to find that I adapted quickly to my new role. Every day I worked there, I learned a new skill, I even met my mentor, who gave me some of the greatest advice. Anirudh Damani, my mentor, was never hesitant to let go of employees while he was hiring. I once questioned him about letting go during a conversation. In response, he remarked:

" You're not just doing a disservice to your business by keeping on an employee who isn't delivering value; you're also doing a disservice to the employee, who could be a better fit elsewhere.”??- Anirudh Damani

This is a lesson that will always stick with me. As I advance in my profession, I am now networking and seeking co-op possibilities. My objective is to offer value to whatever organization I am a part of. Moving the business from point A to point B is a significant win for me; it is an experience that teaches you the most valuable things.?

Once more, a huge thank you to my professor Wendy for constantly bringing in excellent guests who offer the most insightful information.