A critical consideration when developing an integrated marketing program is to ensure it is directly tied to — and fuels the success of — your company’s business and sales goals. Sounds logical, right? Yet many organizations mistakenly focus their marketing efforts on tactics such as creating a “slick” brochure or a flashy Web site rather than creating a strategic marketing plan that yields measurable results.
 
Moving from tactical to strategic marketing requires a shift in the marketing mindset from “what we think makes sense to do” to “what we know we need to do” in order to drive profits. It requires a fundamental understanding of your organization’s mission, brand and top five or six business goals, and an in-depth analysis of the marketing investments that will have the greatest impact on each objective. Then, and only then, can a truly effective marketing strategy be created; a detailed plan that clearly describes the blend of marketing tactics that will generate the greatest ROI for the company.

Effective marketing and communication strategies are inextricably linked to an organization’s existing (and ideally fully operational) business plan. They show a direct correlation between enterprise goals and marketing initiatives. As a real-life example, I recently spent two days facilitating a strategic planning session for an IT professional services company with significant growth objectives. By the end of the meeting, the firm had not only created a precise action plan and timetable for achieving its revenue and profit targets; it also identified specific marketing strategies designed to drive the achievement of these objectives.

Below is an example of how marketing tactics evolve directly from the strategic plan.

Strategic Goal: Obtain annual ROI of at least 18% in the next two years

Strategy:
-Facilitate the identification and opening of 20 new accounts

Tactical Approach:
-Targeted account program: Establish and implement a plan that incorporates at least five, multiple medium touch points (e-mail, direct mail, in-person and perhaps even a sponsored event) for each key prospect. ClearEdge Marketing’s research has shown that an effective TAP campaign can be 20-30% more effective than traditional direct mail programs.

-Keep in touch program: Launch a compelling, knowledge-based communication program that allows your company to get a foot in the key decision-maker’s door. Periodically provide — via e-mail, direct mail and/or in person — compelling information about industry issues and challenges that matter to them. Leverage newsletters, article series, case study campaigns and/or blogs as the communication vehicle for persistently reaching out to the clients you are trying to win.

Strategy:
-Increase revenue derived from existing accounts by 30 percent

Tactical Approach:
-Introductory letter: A custom letter that highlights your success within the organization and  includes internal testimonials and referral contact information.

-Sponsored company event: Schedule and conduct executive roundtables on hot industry topics at four major client locations. Design event for maximum interaction between your sales team and a cross-section of existing and prospective client managers to generate internal introduction and referrals.

The most important thing to remember on your way to becoming a strategic marketing organization is that, in the end, only results matter. Just as you do in your strategic planning efforts, institute a fail-safe method for tracking, measuring and communicating the impact of your marketing programs on the organization’s bottom line.

Stay tuned for more strategic marketing insights…

Kathy Dooley
Marketing Director
ClearEdge Marketing

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 at 11:10 am and is filed under Business & Marketing Strategy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.