Is it August already? For the kids it’s back to school, for the rest of us, it’s time to lock and load on our marketing plans for 2014. If your frontal lobe is a bit rusty, these will help: some of our favorite planning tools and overviews.
The Things to Come
This will get you started with a 30,000-foot perspective. Venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins delivers an informative glimpse of the future in their 2013 Internet Trends report. They have been spot-on for many years and the projected changes for marketers are great “food for thought”, especially if your strategic plan goes further than 2014.
The Orchestra
You might have noticed the musical allusion in our company name. We chose TEMPO in 2010 because the need to orchestrate across all media, so that everything works together.
Lo and behold, three years later, Altimeter, one of our favorite genius thought factory, came up with this image.
Any wonder we love it?
Take a look. You can use this as a checklist, to make sure you’re covering Paid, Owned and Earned assets. And keep it around as a reminder that the marketing mix is about getting out of your silos, and conducting your tactical executions in harmony, just like an orchestra playing a symphony. See it full-size at http://www.flickr.com/photos/altimetergroup/8678279079/
Media Mixing for the Consumer Decision Journey
When does Social Media have the greatest effect on purchase intention? Where does Traditional Media carry the most weight? Consumers are moving outside the purchasing funnel—changing the way they research and buy your products. Keep this handy as you determine your marketing mix.
Online Influences
For a look at online-only consumer influences, Google has an interactive tool that shows which online media assist with interaction (awareness, consideration, intent) and which work at the point of decision. You can find it here.
Mapping your Consumer Experience
Once you’re ready to get truly wonky, check out The Anatomy of an Experience Map. This is where you can deep dive into the possible touch points that consumers have with your brand, and visualize the executions that will make the biggest impact.
That said, remember that there is a HUGE difference between planning and listening. If you’re tracking your campaigns properly, your ongoing analytics will show you where your consumer is going and will indicate what they are looking for. The models we’ve shared here will get you started, but the journey for your product or service is likely to be quite different.
So the most important thing to plan for in the coming year?
Change.