For the modern marketer, the generating of awareness and driving the demand generation efforts should never be seen as simply mutually exclusive. Just like a game of the heads or tails.
Why? Because the modern marketing can actually accomplish much more with both of these goals. Building the brands by means of advertising, while they are still driving clear sales-focused lead generation efforts. But in order for you to make sure their entire marketing team is aligned. The CMOs today must ensure that the team members know the value of both of these marketing efforts.
Success should not just be analyzed by the numbers. Companies need to have an understanding of the effectiveness and the relevance of messaging. Does it reflect the current cultural events? Is it enhancing the brand? Does it really provide value to the customer or the prospect?
Creative Expertise
The risk for the marketers is that in an increasing technology- and the measurement-driven discipline. The essence of creativity of you recognizing how to speak to the customer with the right sentiment will be all lost. Indeed, so many growing numbers of young marketers are now arriving in a business with a great understanding of the mechanics of the successful campaign delivery. And the technology expertise but little, if not to say zero, insight into how they can craft the correct message, one that piques the customer’s interest.
Technology should not drive marketing – and the marketing teams need to be very creative first, ‘mar-technicians’ second. What technology should do is provide the entire team with a complete view. Complete view of how, where and the when customers interact with marketing activity to ensure that the strategy is infused into every message.
It should also empower the individuals to experiment with messaging, the delivering rapid insight. Through the A/B testing for example – into how the customers respond to small changes in the emphasis. It should help a company to understand how best they can approach a new market, to measure an existing brand awareness for example. But the creative skills of the marketing team are then very vital to identify how they can entice that new audience. To create the best messaging to also tap into their mindset.
Conclusion
Marketing is not a linear activity. The customer expectations, the experiences and the desires change constantly; the way that they can interact with a brand evolves continuously. Good marketing will be a judicious mix of innovation and also consistency. And the best of CMOs will balance the brand with the demand. They will maximize the value of the proven channels while always looking towards – and also experimenting with – the new.
The marketing teams require a holistic skillset that blends with the creativity with technical confidence. And the business leaders need to recognize that while the MarTech provides a great insight into the marketing value. It is not the “be all and the end all” of marketing success. Pitching the brand against the demand makes no sense. It is just simply the way in which a company reaches out to customers that is mainly the key. It is just the message, not the channel, that resonates.