Marketing teams are facing a trilogy of challenges right now – possibly less resource, probably less budget and almost certainly more expectation/scrutiny. They need to deliver campaigns that drive the bottom line, better support the sales process and protect and enhance the brand – that’s a big job…
- Start by understanding what good looks like right now – make sure the business understands what they want from you – and what you can do for them
- Build your stakeholder advocacy internally – what is the board’s spoken and unspoken agenda? How can you support sales, HR, finance, ops to make their lives easier and better?
- Laser focus on the one or two things you are brilliant at – demonstrate and reinforce the real value in your offer – and make sure you can measure it
- Only diversify or pivot in your corridor of expertise – the worst thing you can do is pivot, fail, and damage the thing you are known for doing brilliantly
- Be clear, be compelling, be indispensable – no-one cares about ‘we are in this together’ – they care that you can make a difference
- Be brave – people need leaders right now – the natural inclination is to hide but the hidden always get found – the brave get followed. And part of being brave is remaining calm, and calculated, even when all around you are panicking.
PW – August 2020