The key to survival for brand marketers is to ‘live off the land’
The marketing industry, structured around silos that separate media, creative, and experience, faces inherent challenges that must be overcome - especially in an uncertain economy, REUNION co-CEO Stephen Knowles writes.
In times of economic challenges and tighter budgets, the field of marketing faces the difficult task of capturing a larger portion of a shrinking consumer wallet. We are forced to reimagine and reconsider our past strategies.
While budgets have historically seen steady growth, we can no longer take that for granted. The solution lies in embracing and maximising our owned assets, rather than relying on paid or rented resources, delivering creative content through traditional mediums such as broadcast, print, or outdoor advertising.
We need to take a different mindset where the essence of threading a persuasive brand idea through all channels, especially owned, is where brands will win and drive efficiency.
Primed customers who are already connected can be engaged creatively in different ways beyond the ad, building relevance and engagement, driving revenue and protecting margin instead of the race to the bottom when brands are stressed and fighting for share of voice in traditional media.
Organisations that have recognised the significance of building an understanding of their customer, earned their trust and secured their permission, have already gained a competitive edge.
The battleground for marketers is now shifting toward a new realm: customer data, technology, digital platforms, physical stores, mobile applications, and more. A company’s ability to provide exceptional customer experiences through these assets will determine its success.
In fact, having subpar communications but an outstanding customer experience can outperform having great communications but a lacklustre experience. Of course, the ideal scenario would be to excel in both aspects, but there may be investment trade-offs required.
In a world where brand preference and customer loyalty drive market share and profit margins, many companies need to make a transformative change in their approach and how they amplify their brand platforms with the customer experience. Outdated thinking that separates brand-building through communications from the goal of enhancing customer experiences is no longer effective. The future lies in connected thinking, where ideas and experiences work harmoniously together.
The marketing industry, structured around silos that separate media, creative, and experience, faces inherent challenges that must be overcome. The value chain serving customers is fragmented into separate pillars within the brands, agencies and the media industry.
Structural realignment will be a slow and arduous process, but as the saying goes, “the obstacle is the way.” Those who persevere and adapt will rise, while others will stagnate.
At Reunion Agency, our purpose is centred around this very idea. We believe that the obstacles we face are the path to success. We champion a collective approach that combines planning, creative thinking, data utilisation, technological innovation, experience design, and media integration. This approach surpasses the traditional linear process of planning, creative and communication.
Drawing inspiration from one of Nike’s first Director of Marketing, Rob Strasser’s (featured in Ben Affleck’s current movie Air) key principle to “live off the land” has particular relevance to marketers today. We champion resourcefulness, make the most of available resources, thrive in the face of challenges by using our owned assets, keeping true to our brand beliefs and delivering exceptional customer experiences. This will be key to success in the new battleground for customer attention and engagement.
Stephen Knowles is the co-chief executive officer of REUNION agency.
Live off the land – taken straight from Nike written 40 years ago – worked for them .
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