Jack of all trades, master of none – control freaks need not apply!

So if you’ve got your head in your hands after my uplifting intro stay tuned as here are some things you can smash easily to make your life a bit calmer. Oh and you have experts at your finger tips – they’re called agencies – treat them better, brief them better and see what magic can happen!

Service please

Early on in the year you’ll start to think about brand planning (the most dreaded 2 words in the marketing language!) How about re framing your thinking a bit to be less brand and more service

Gandhi said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service to others”

Using this principle in brand strategy try exploring a service mindset which will undoubtedly lead to a bigger emotional benefit, brand loyalty and less emphasis on price.

Service is about value so shifting your thinking from a focus on price to value will undoubtedly propel your brand to a different status.

Marketers can’t write briefs 😉

There’s always a few briefs to be written once you’ve nailed your brand strategy, prioritise time and space to do this collaboratively.

An agency is only ever as good as the brief its given, I’ve seen great agencies agonise over a brief that’s not clear, concise or provides a commercial objective instead of a brand one - Increase penetration by 2% is not conducive to the creative process! Agencies are not clairvoyants – tell them what you need.

Briefs should be a conversation, a joint effort, an anchor you’re north star for the whole project or campaign.

Creative Courage – where is the love?

In the amazing briefs you’ve written always make space for agencies to be creatively bold and emotionally tuned in

Often the link between stand out creative and emotional benefit is completely overlooked.

Creative courage should be a skill on LinkedIn, a line on a job description, a trait every hiring marketing director looks for – it’s that important. Today we are bombarded with so many messages so how do you make sure you get through?

Certainly not by using the Chinese water technique of buying up every social ad you can until the consumer gives in to get rid of you, who didn’t buy a pair of Mahabis slippers?

Being bold and out there can be effective but making sure your brands creativity is aligned to its values is ultimately more powerful.

Emotional advertising is the only way to secure long term love for your brand with built in fail safes for the tougher times. Stats suggest that 95% of purchases – yes 95% - take place in a subconscious mind and brands who operate an ‘emotion only’ strategy regain loyalty levels of 82% - who wouldn’t want some of that!

An army of influencers under your nose

When it’s all happening (the exciting bit) don’t forget that everyone in your business is an influencer

They all have 2 ears and a mouth which means they are capable of listening to the plan, becoming valuable advocates and spreading the word. And guess what if they understand their role and the key message they can add real value, and employee’s who feel in the know and informed will always feel empowered and loved.

JFK once asked a cleaner at NASA ‘What are you doing son?’ his reply ‘putting a man on the moon sir’ He understood the objective and his role in it.

Now brave marketers go forth and lead the amazing group of agencies, peers and leaders that are no doubt all around you ready and able to deliver success.

As Vanilla ice so brilliantly put it – STOP, COLLABORATE AND LISTEN