“It’s not just about getting attention. It’s more about becoming relentlessly relevant.”
Whenever my message is about transformation and re-invention, I’m usually not the favorite person in the room. I think that’s because when I talk about how to bring about change, the people I’m conversing with have to be ready to hear it, and then do something about it in order to move forward. Transformation begins with seeing things in a way that you’ve never seen them before, imagining a better future, and being able to inspire other people to see it as well.
The future of everything requires that we take a step back and look at where we’ve been in order to bring our insights to life and translate them into something that matters.
Since technology commands so much attention, it’s easy to get caught up thinking that getting people’s attention is the only thing that matters. Yes, it matters, but only if you offer value to others. Think about it, we’re bombarded with so much information that it’s sometimes hard to keep up. We get so caught up in the process that we can forget that real people should be at the center of everything we create. Digital just helps us spread the message more efficiently.
“It’s not just about getting attention. It’s more about becoming relentlessly relevant.”
You need to adapt your authentic story, and clarify your message to engage on the technology platforms most suited to your business. What works on one platform doesn’t necessarily work on another, and that’s where insights and data matter.
Your Brand Re-Invented
The democratized web is re-inventing brands in real time. Fewer people make decisions based on what you say about your brand. They decide based on what their friends and family say, and on reviews, or videos.
So, your brand’s future is actually about designing experiences that are so engaging that people want to talk about and share them. If you think about the importance of using insights to design experiences that people feel and share, you’ll begin to see why some brands such as Amazon or Apple compete at a very high level.
Generally there’s a BIG gap between what we say we do, what people feel or share, and the experience people buy.
As humans, we celebrate similar things and look to others for inspiration and aspiration. Unfortunately, we tend to view marketing through yesterday’s lens. In many companies marketing isn’t valued as much as it should be, lacks adequate resources, and there certainly isn’t enough collaboration between marketing, business development, sales, IT, and the client experience.
8 Questions You Should Ask if Your Company Wants to Be Relentlessly Relevant
I find that most often the metrics used to show success are based on legacy foundations. While we need to honor their legacy, they aren’t designed for a world that operates on, and expects immediate fulfillment.
So, let’s challenge convention and ask some hard questions to help pave the way for innovation, iteration and transformation so we can accelerate growth.
- What behavior exists today, and how do we want to change it?
- What problems do our clients and prospects tell us they need solutions for?
- What happens if we don’t try something new?
- What insights do we have that can help solve the problems people tell us they need solutions for?
- Have I asked people to tell me where they view our band in today’s inter-connected society?
- Where do our clients and prospects alike say we fall short?
- What can we eliminate or reduce that adds cost but no value, and we assume people need?
- Have we explored “What if…”?
Once you’ve had a great experience you’ll never go back. That becomes your new standard. Almost everyone has a favorite brand. And it became your favorite because it related to you, inspired you, and moved you.
Marketing is an Opportunity-Spotter for Companies
Marketing is as much about what happens next as it is about getting someone’s attention. It fills the sales funnel but can also work throughout the entire customer experience – at every touch. This in turn powers insights that lead to product advancements, better service, heightened loyalty, and even new business infrastructure.
Reverse Engineer for Relevance
There’s an incredible core shift in what people value, their standards, and what meaningful engagement and experiences look like. Don’t blaze a trail toward irrelevance by using vanity metrics that simply get attention. Make it about something greater, make someone feel something and be inspired to take action.
Ask yourself, are you just doing the same thing better with new technology, or is what you’re doing creating new value? Are you designing for the mind of the future? Are you challenging convention, or are you just buying time? How are you changing the world? Digital transformation is an outside-in process where we take behaviors, expectations, and preferences and explore them to create new value for clients and employees
Kelly Ashton Bradley masterminds marketing transformations that build brands, engage people, fuel loyalty and drive profitable revenue growth. www.kellyashtonbradley.com.
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