Brand, Brand Strategy, Communications, Marketing, Positioning, Sales, Sales Strategy
In Brand, Brand Relevance, Brand Strategy, Business strategy, Communications, Marketing, Sales, Sales Messaging on October 29, 2009 at 12:47 pm
“We need to rethink our message. What we’re saying doesn’t make sense anymore.”
–Fortune 1000 CMO, September, 2009.
This chief marketing officer isn’t alone. In the past 60 days, our firm has interviewed dozens of C-level executives and other marketing/sales professionals who agree. As they plan now for 2010, they’re including a (new) line item in their marketing strategies and budgets: messaging. Because for them, what worked in the past has little if any relevance today (much less tomorrow). According to McKinsey, “For the immediate future, business leaders will have to master the disciplines of uncertainty. (Managers) must drop the pretense that they can predict the future.”
An article in the October 19, 2009 issue of Entrepreneur, asks the question: “Is your brand story doing justice to your business?” Author Mary van de Wiel (Van), spells out a number of points, including: “Think about how you want your audience to react to your story. What’s the outcome–the object lesson here? What kind of conclusion do you want them to reach?”
Building the right story means developing a foundation of messaging that is flexible, adaptable and nimble to take best advantage of emerging opportunities, while mitigating unforeseen obstacles. As the business world continues to shift beneath your feet, a message platform (and the story that guides it) can be the roadmap for remaining relevant to every stakeholder in every situation.
As we all look to a more positive 2010, every company needs to question its relevance, its value — and yes, it story. So, do you have the right one? (If not, I know a firm that can help.)
While I’m working on my next post, I hope you’ll browse the archives. I also hope you’ll visit Cohesion to find out how we help organizations build stronger messaging to increase consistency, lower cost and drive growth.
Brand, Communications, Healthcare, Marketing, medical, Positioning, Social Media
In Brand, Brand Strategy, Communications, Corporate Marketing, Healthcare, Marketing, Positioning, Strategy on October 27, 2009 at 1:46 pm
In a recent poll conducted by NewDoctor (a Medical Professional Database of more than 100,000 monthly users), The Idea was voted “an excellent source of information.” It’s great to know that marketing (and other) professionals in the healthcare category are interested in our point of view on brand and communications strategy.
According to an email from NewDoctor.com, the site has awarded The Idea with a Top Medical Blogs award distinction.
Thanks to everyone for your continued interest in The Idea. While I’m working on my next post, I hope you’ll browse our archives. I also hope you’ll visit Cohesion to find out how we help organizations build stronger messaging to increase consistency, lower cost and drive growth.
Brand, Branding, Business, Communications, Corporate Marketing, Marketing, Positioning, Strategy
In Advertising, Brand, Brand Relevance, Brand Strategy, Corporate Marketing, Marketing, Positioning, Strategy on September 30, 2009 at 9:42 am
“Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest consumer products company, has just announced a stunning new business strategy to jump-start growth. It begins in a startling, almost counterintuitive way — with company values and sense of purpose. Invoke the heart and care about human needs, the strategy seems to say, and the money will follow.” –HarvardBusiness.org, Sept. 2009
As the world economy emerges from recession, the corporate community is seeking new strategies to compete more effectively. Among them is a groundswell to (re)consider corporate values as a vital business tool that – when identified, articulated and communicated properly – can enhance economic value. To be sure, organizations aren’t examining their values solely out of a sense of altruism, community stewardship or to ‘feel good’ about themselves. Rather, this trend is emerging as a critical business strategy focused on boosting the bottom line.
In the second part of Cohesion’s white paper series titled, ‘The Fall of Incrementalism,’ we discuss the resurgence of corporate values as a catalyst for simulating relevant value – the reason why customers buy. We examine how the practice of incrementalism can be a barrier to such forward thinking, unless harnessed properly. When executed in the framework of a broader strategy, incremental moves can be a positive force for change. When they are not, the results can range from disappointing to disastrous.
To read the full white paper: The Fall of Incrementalism (Rediscovering Relevant Value), please click here. To read the first part in this series, please click here.
While I’m working on my next post, I hope you’ll read about how Cohesion helps organizations build stronger messaging to increase consistency, lower cost and drive growth, here.
