It is very easy to get caught up in the web of tactical initiatives when marketing a company. However, in order to be effective and receive the most impact from your marketing budget, strategy development must take top priority. Developing a strategic plan for your marketing initiatives, and systematically reviewing that plan allows you to respond quickly to the constant ebb and flow of your business.
According to a recent survey conducted by Adobe B2B Digital Trends, when asked about the building blocks of customer experience, B2B respondents overwhelmingly identify strategy as the most important. They understand that without a long-term view that is shared by executive leadership true change is difficult and slow to achieve.
They also identified that if an organization’s culture does not embrace changing priorities of their market any changes will be only temporary.
Q: Please rank the importance of these areas as building blocks for building a brilliant customer experience.
618 Respondents
Adobe B2B Digital Trends 2015
Without a long-term strategy in place it becomes impossible to develop and track goals and benchmarks that drive success. In order to fully understand what changes have the most impact you need to have a clear goal and in order to make those goals you must have strategy in place. Without these things, you’re unable to evolve to correct your course. A strategy does not have to, and should not be a concrete entity. It should be fluid and always changing with your company, your views, your goals, and the marketplace.
Without support, a plan has little chance to endure long term. A company’s plan must run parallel with the culture of the company, both executives and employees, and the marketplace, in order for it to be successful. As the Adobe study shows us, technology, skills, and data, also have an impact on the ability to change, but strategy and support are the clear deciding factors in a company’s ability to develop and execute a successful marketing initiative.
This year, our Holiday cheer comes wrapped in growth and change as we are pleased to announce our new name.
When she founded the company formerly known as JMS Consultations, Inc. in 1991, Jean Marie Saidler had every intention of sticking with that name for the long haul. After all, why wouldn’t she? Her intent was to use her God-given talents and skills mastered through years of experience knee-deep in the trenches of corporate marketing to help companies promote themselves. Why would she cast aside 25 years of brand equity?
As the company moved toward its 25th year, we realized the word “Consultations” in our original name, though it had served us well, did not reflect the true service elements of the company – turn-key, performance based marketing and communications services. With so many new options in digital marketing impacting traditional marketing tools, we felt it was time for a change.
“It was an emotional issue for me, and I realized that building the company is much like raising a child,” stated Jean Marie Saidler. “As it grows and develops…so do you. There is loads of excitement as you carefully find your niche and learn the strengths and weaknesses of the business – disappointments, when world markets take a turn and you are forced to adjust your vision while remaining optimistic – and surprise as you realize the industry is ever changing and your passion and strength does in fact allow you to embrace that change without impacting the positive traits of your company culture. But by far, it’s the great joys that far outweigh it all: the joy of meeting the challenge, the joy of building relationships, the joy of putting together a talented team of dedicated, marketing professionals who deliver tremendous value to our clients.”
And so the JMS Marketing, Inc. name was created to better reflect who the company is, what we do, and where we are going. It was Henry Ford who said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” The team at JMS Marketing, Inc. is honored to continue working together to serve our many clients and is grateful to be awarded their ultimate gift of trust, as we continue to grow through our own experiences and that of our clients. We wish you happiness this Holiday Season as well as Peace and continued prosperity in the New Year ahead.
The Holiday Season is fast approaching. This means Thanksgiving, Christmas, Shopping, Food, Fun, and GIFTS. If you own a business, it’s time to decide on a client gift. Don’t panic, we have a few simple steps that will make sending your clients the perfect gift a little easier this season.
1) Be thoughtful
You don’t need to send a singing elf telegram, or the deluxe super fancy fruit and chocolate basket to impress your clients. Being thoughtful about the type of gift you’re giving will go a lot further than just sending any premium item. Which is why you want to try to…
2) Set yourself apart
Be unique. Try to avoid the common form letter, tub of popcorn (Garrett’s in Chicago being the only exception, obviously), or plain old box of chocolates. Take the time to handwrite a card. Do a quick google search to find what is new and different this season. Go to a local business and find something that is unique to your area. Consider going custom. Be the business that provides the gift that your clients want to show off. Word of mouth is one of the top ways of getting new business (Neilsen: 92% of consumers trust word-of-mouth recommendations over advertising). If your gift is memorable enough to show off, your name will come up. While being unique is important, you have to know your audience, so always remember to…
3) Do your homework. Be sincere.
People want to work with businesses they trust. A holiday gift may not make or break a client relationship, but it does go a long way to establishing and solidifying a trusting relationship. You are what you give. If you send a generic gift, that may send the wrong signal. If you send a peanut log to a client with a nut allergy, that shows a lack of consideration and a lack of knowledge. The last thing to remember is…
4) It’s all about the Brand
This is a gift to your client to thank them for choosing your business; but at the end of the day, it’s also an advertising tool. Creatively including your logo on a unique gift is the perfect opportunity to generate valuable and effective word of mouth advertising.
Remember: whenever you put your Brand on anything, you need to make sure it’s on something that represents your business the way you want it to. Never cheapen your Brand by putting it on an item you’re not 100% proud of.
The end of the year goes by fast. Holiday planning takes up a lot of time, and many companies are also working on budgets for the new year. This is an important time to make sure your clients are happy, and that they know you appreciate their business.
Looking for ideas? JMSPremiums.com is always a good place to start!