Recently, we have been sharing steps for marketers to adapt positively to our fast-paced, accelerating culture. Instead of racing to learn every new tool with the risk of using none effectively, it is important to develop new behaviors that will enable you to keep up and succeed.
As you strive to accept accelerated change, work also to decode it. Military aircrafts can spread bits of aluminum, known as chaff, to avoid being spotted by an enemy. It appears as clouds or as small secondary targets on a radar screen. Today, companies must be able to recognize which trends need to be targeted and which are simply “marketing chaff.”
To decode change, marketers must be prepared. CMOs should have a plan in place to determine which tools and trends will be effective and which might be a waste of time. Whenever there’s a new blip in the marketing radar, use this set of guidelines to understand immediately whether or not it needs your attention. Consider long- versus short-term impact, and examine whether your needs are to be more or less aligned with business strategy. Industry trends and past company success will be of aid in formulating these strategic filters. A simple “gut check” is no longer enough.
When new trends develop that make it through the filters you have developed, do not hesitate to start making them work. The companies who show others how to use new tools effectively often emerge as industry leaders. Knowing what fits your mold before the question even arises puts you five steps ahead of companies without a plan.
There are resources available to marketers that are helpful in decoding change. The annual IBM CMO Case Study, for example, determines top trends in marketing by analyzing response from several thousand CMOs. Follow industry blogs to stay abreast of the feedback new tools are getting from those who have tried them. Taking the time to get to know this data serves marketers well when it is time to decide what trends to invest in and which to ignore.
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