A traditional theme in the media has been the idea that we jump from Halloween straight to Christmas, completely overlooking Thanksgiving. You see it in memes, premature holiday decorations in your neighborhood, and of course, the movies that seem to magically start airing on television right when the clock strikes November 1.
However, Thanksgiving remains the holiday that always gives: from memories to the phenomenon of ‘Friendsgiving,’ and of course, no one can forget about the delicious Thanksgiving meal that we all overindulge in.
When you’re a kid, the big feast you get every year feels like magic. One minute you are playing with your friends and family, and the next, you hear ‘food’s ready.’ You race upstairs to find a kitchen full of tasty dishes that seem to have appeared with the wave of a wand. Now let's fast forward. You're a bit older, and you now find yourself helping to produce that Thanksgiving magic, realizing it's created by a lot of planning, preparation, and execution instead.
Just like your Thanksgiving feast isn’t made by the snap of your fingers, neither is your marketing strategy. While they appear to have nothing in common, a successful marketing strategy is a meal of its own.
To cook up a marketing strategy that would equate to a dish Gordan Ramsay would find delicious, you must follow the same steps.
Understanding the Occasion
If you get asked to cook a dish for a toddler and a celebrity, are you going to make them the same meal, or will you cater to each of their needs individually? Whether it’s food or marketing, your goal should always be to cater to the audience you’re serving.
While identifying the best marketing tools is typically not as clear cut as deciding when a dish is appropriate or not, it’s an important step to make sure you can market effectively. An audit is an ingredient that supplements every meal because it gives you a deeper understanding of your audience, industry, and competitors so you can identify the best way forward.
Picking a Recipe
Awareness of the circumstances helps identify what dishes would be appropriate to make, but no one has the time or resources to cook every possible choice for every single meal of the day.
Similarly, while an audit provides marketers with a better understanding of what tools and methods exist that can get them closer to their goals, it’s impractical to pursue every path available to them. So instead of trying to master every choice listed in the marketing cookbook, together with your team, identify the handful of channels and tools that will collectively make your marketing an impeccable feast.
Shopping for Ingredients
A recipe can sound delicious, but it will always taste like something's missing without the right ingredients.
Your marketing strategy operates the same way. Without the perfect ingredients, your meal will fall short. While every marketing strategy will look different based on the individualized needs of every organization, there are a few that every recipe features:
An audit of your audience, industry, competitors, goals, and more.
A digital presence via social media and a website.
Implementation of content and identification of appropriate communications channels.
Analytics of all ingredients used that will help you adjust the measurement amounts needed.
Cooking up your Marketing Strategy
Like with any good meal, planning and preparation are vital, but then it’s time to cook. So once you understand the occasion you’re cooking for, have identified the recipe you want to make, and ensure you have all the necessary ingredients, the final step is execution.
Are you passionate about cooking up an excellent marketing strategy but aren’t sure where to start? THuS Marketing focuses on all aspects of a marketing strategy, and we are here to help you at any stage. Check out our services for more information!
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