The Strategic Process
A well-defined strategy is essential for you to generate results from your marketing investment. AdPro starts every project with your unique strategy in mind. It’s crucial to know what will work based on your goals, your products and services, who you’re trying to reach and what you want them to do.
Your marketing message has to clearly identify what makes you different and how your product or service benefits your target audience.
Here are the seven steps we take our clients through to ensure their brand is on target, their messaging on point and their marketing tactics are focused to create results.
Involve Your Team
- Set aside a block of uninterrupted time
- Involve key strategic thinkers
- Use an experienced facilitator
- Focus on the big picture
- Have some fun
- Be open to all ideas
- Recognize team involvement
Look Around You
- Macro to micro
- Economic environment
- Industry trends
- Competitive analysis
- Current awareness level
- Current positioning
- Primary research
- Secondary research
Look in the Mirror
- History of organization
- Current culture
- Sales/Revenue review
- Zip code analysis
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Current positioning
- What are people saying about you?
- What are your employees saying about you?
- Website analytics
- Social media analytics
- Digital campaign performance
- PR exposure values
- Past marketing analysis
Who are Your Ideal Customers – Primary, Secondary, Tertiary?
- Age, income, education
- Where do they live?
- How do they live?
- What do they like to do?
- How do they interact with you?
- What are their buying habits?
Find Your Strategic Position and Commit to It
- What makes you unique?
- How is the world a better place with you in it?
- What is your vision?
- What is your mission?
- Why should people buy your product or service?
- What can you adjust to make your position clearer and better-defined?
Set Measurable Goals
- Market share
- Revenue/sales/online purchases
- Car counts/foot traffic/phone calls
- Website visits/social media engagement
- Impressions/digital click-throughs
- Increased awareness/visibility
Develop Strategies and Tactics
- How do you get from where you are to where you want to be?
- What are the strategies you’ll use to accomplish this?
- Who do you need help from to make this happen?
- What tools will you need to make this happen?
- How will you communicate this to your team so everyone is on the same page?
Anchor the Plan
- Timeline — set specific benchmark dates
- Determine who is responsible for strategy and tactic follow-through and implementation
- Budget — what will it cost?
Assess, Adjust, Celebrate
- What will you evaluate?
- How often will you evaluate?
- Don’t hesitate to make changes
- Communicate every step
- Celebrate the victories along the way
- Recognize and reward your team