- This article was published in the August/September 2014 edition of BusinessBrief - Many businesses view marketing as a support function rather than part of core business activities. Although true in many instances, this view might jeopardise the success of marketing activities, especially where outsourced service providers play a key role. As much as the focus of marketing activities shouldn’t be “just getting it done”, the focus of outsourcing the marketing function shouldn’t be to “make the problem go away”. In general, outsourcing is intended to add either time of expertise to the current pool of resources. Outsourcing the entire marketing function however places the business at serious risk, as strategic marketing aligned with business objectives plays one of the biggest support roles to the sales function which in turn impacts directly on the bottom line. Adopting a strategic view on outsourcing some parts of the marketing function will assist in determining whether it is necessary to supplement current marketing resource(s) with either additional hours or strategic input. Either of these however still requires ongoing commitment from both the client and its service provider in order to provide maximum value and sustainability. Listen less closely Stephen R. Covey famously said: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” To make outsourced marketing work for any business, both the company and client should develop the skill to listen to what is being said as well as to what is perhaps not being said. Negative or incomplete feedback might sometimes be a more accurate indicator of the true status than continuous neutral or seemingly positive feedback. Share responsibility Implementing lessons learned is imperative in the ongoing clarification of mutual expectations needed to shape marketing strategy and activities according to prevailing trends and shifting business needs. The ideal client / provider relationship is one where mutual freedom and trust is promoted, and where the suggestion and consideration of marketing activities that might not be in the comfort zone of the other party is welcomed, rather than avoided. Keep it real The marketing industry changes so fast that clients should trust their chosen service provider to advise on relevant best practices. It however remains the responsibility of the client to proactively provide the marketing agency with information and ensuring that all marketing activities remain aligned with business objectives. Keeping in mind that best, cheap and fast is an impossible combination, the outsourcing of marketing strategy or activities for any period of time might bring about the surge of creative energy necessary to take a business from one point to the next.
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A recent article by PR Daily highlighted the need for well-produced content that is of value for readers and listeners:
"What could kill public relations is not the content marketing itself, but increasing pressure from brands to pitch mediocre or bad content. Reporters, influencers, bloggers, and media channels are already swamped with a rising tide of bad content. Add aggressive pitching from PR professionals, and this will only make the situation worse while accelerating the degradation of the relationships between brands and their media sources." PR vs content marketing A decade ago companies could get away with overtly punting their marketing messages in editorial content. This has however changed rapidly to having to link content to relevant current affairs, and over the last year to having to produce the type of content that PR traditionalists weren't geared for. Content marketing isn't just a fad that suddenly sprang to life one day. It is rather a response to consumer behaviour and purchasing influences that have changes significantly and organically over the past few years. The Content Marketing Institute and Huffington Post have done a great job of explaining what exactly content marketing is ... and isn't. A South African perspective Over the past five months we've approached a number of highly respected and seasoned media professionals across print, broadcast and online platforms. Except for a few key differences in their preferred formats of receiving content, they all said the number one rule of getting your story published is to NOT sell your product, service, company or CEO. Never. Ever. Not even a little bit. (Thanks @DMJoubert, @peterndoro, and @riaanw for your time and insights.) Gone are the days of sending marketing message heavy press releases via email, phoning a few of the special numbers from the proverbial little black book, and generating masses of publicity measured by old fashioned AVE standards. The PR industry must now create great content that can be used across a multitude of platforms and that adds value from a recipient point of view, not from a company/client point of view. For our 2013 year end function the ATP team went glass blowing. What an experience! I expected to be forced outside of my comfort zone (and have fun at the same time) but I did not expect a valuable leadership cliché to be proven during our session.
At one point during our glass blowing workshop the facilitator wanted us to attempt a technique without showing us the ropes first. My initial reaction was to let one of the others go first, as my personal habit is to observe first and learn from the mistakes others make. However, the team was quick to voice their preference that I go first. I realised then that ‘leading from the front’ does not allow for a personal culture of perfection and saving face. It implies getting dirty and even potentially losing face. As explained on a military forum: “In times of great chaos someone must remain sane to steady the group and drive [the group] through the point of friction. This is the job of all leaders of all ranks.” Leaders must embrace risks and accept discomfort in order to create and maintain an environment for their team in which the team members can safely explore, ask questions, experiment and learn. The face to be saved is that of the team, not that of the leader. Nelson Mandela perfectly described the only time a leader can afford to lead from the back. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” |
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