Plan Your Marketing and… Reap Rewards in the New Year

by Anne Yeiser, Owner, DAY Communications

The start of a new year is a perfect time to evaluate what you are doing to promote your business or organization. If you don’t have a formal marketing plan, resolve to develop one. If you have a plan in place, it may be worth a second look. Following is an acronym to guide you as you develop or review your marketing plan:

Respect your clients. Customers today are better educated and more demanding. Stop seeing prospects as targets, and consider how you might best engage them. Your aim is to connect. One message probably isn’t enough. Respect differences.

Explore media opportunities or find an agency that is enthusiastic about doing so. The proliferation of media can be viewed by marketers either as an overwhelming maze or an exciting challenge. Choose the latter. Seek out new ways to advertise. Consider sponsoring a Kentucky Derby Festival event and see your company name on a variety of media; advertise on the Admobile, do a bus wrap, or put an ad in a trade show or convention program of a group you are not familiar with, like the National Society of Professional Engineers, while participating in their event. And what about SMS (short “text” messages) among staff, along with every other internet and telecommunications advance, to stay on top of your marketing mission?

Audit your marketing program– A marketing audit will enable you to 1. Evaluate your current situation, 2. Identify marketing opportunities, and 3. List some marketing objectives. Having done this you will be able to 4. Outline strategies and action plans and 5. Develop budget estimates. These five items comprise a one-year marketing plan. See below for a discussion of the zero-based marketing audit approach I recommend.

Provoke people, but in good ways. To stand out, don’t forget what people respond to: Rhyme, alliteration, musical jingles, colors, and of course, your genuine concern. Pique their curiosity, evoke emotion, but DON’T manipulate. Remember, respect!

The Zer0-based Marketing Audit...

In an age of rapid and dramatic change, it’s a good idea to question all previous assumptions before creating a marketing plan for the new year. “Zero-based” means starting without previously held opinions. Don’t accept the conventional wisdom about clients or the environment. Beware of any myths in your organization– and challenge them. Don’t assume the future funding of any item until you have thoroughly evaluated its contribution. Don’t plug in any budget figures from the past year’s program; begin the new plan with a clean slate. This represents the best advice of the experts, who are considered so because of their depth of experience with notable clients. Obviously there is much more involved in a comprehensive marketing audit than can be addressed in a brief article. A wise place to begin might be to circulate a survey similar to the one presented below among key staff members, ensuring first that they are fully aware of the organization’s mission and grow strategies.This method encourages their input from a zero-based perspective.

1. The most surprising event of the past few years with respect to our business was ___. [This question may help you discover if anyone in your organization has noticed a trend that would suggest a potential innovation.]
2. The most important industries/clients we serve are ___ because ___. Of these, I feel ___ is the most satisfied with our services/products because ___. [This question will help you gain insight into what your organization is doing right, which is essential since a company should build on its strengths; however, be sure to evaluate your current strengths in light of the times and trends.]
3. A specific criticism offered to me by ___ (vendor-supplier-intermediary) is ___. [This question will help you identify areas for improvement.]
4. In the past we have especially focused on ___. I feel this type of client is ___. We should focus instead on ___. [This question may provide new ideas on prospecting.]
    
   [The following questions will give you specific input on key elements of your marketing program– product, price, place, promotion.]
    
   
5. State your opinion of our products and services ___.
6. Our fees/prices are ___.
7. Our distribution system(s)/office(s)/store(s) is/are ___.
8. Our company image is ___.
9. Our customer service is ___.
10. Our program of visitation is ___.
11. Our advertising program is ___.
12. Our program of public relations is ___.
13. Did you feel that our marketing program was explained adequately internally; do you understand and agree with it? ___. [This question will help you determine if there is a shared vision for your marketing efforts.]
14. Cite any areas of failure from the last year’s marketing program, and make specific recommendations for improving next year’s performance. ___. [This question provides an opportunity for constructive criticism.]
15. How do you understand your role in our marketing program? ___.

Open ended questions will often yield enlightening responses. With all this input you will be in an excellent position to design a dynamic plan for the new year.

Anne Yeiser has assisted McCauley Nicolas with marketing projects since the 1980s. You can download the Zer0-based Marketing Audit from her website, www.fastzone.com.