Planning your marketing efforts in an uncertain business environment can be downright daunting. We get it—we're right there with you. If we take a pre-Covid approach to planning—using old assumptions, budget allocations and audience insights—we could easily experience less than stellar results.

So where does this leave marketers right now? Halfway through a year that began on unsteady footing and now shows glimmers of “normal,” many marketers are reevaluating their strategies and paths forward.  

At Approach, working alongside our clients on these strategy-setting (and re-setting) journeys is an activity we enjoy and address with careful thought. And while the process for every marketer and brand varies, we start nearly every planning effort by asking five questions.

Seemingly simple, these questions pack a punch—and help teams unpack a lot about their business, offerings, competitors and customers. Here they are, and the “why” behind them:

1.     What matters most to customers right now? The last year vastly changed customer needs and shopping behaviors. Be sure you have a clear understanding of what matters to them today. Then, think about how this may shift over time. Meaning: are there things your customers will need/want that they don’t yet know about? 

Assessing your customers’ here-and-now state and future state will help you identify how and where you fit into their lives today and in the years to come. Armed with this, you can deliver messages and solutions that feel connected over time.   

2.     How do we build a better audience?

If you know what your best customers want (and don’t want), you can chart a course to reach others with similar needs and interests. Keep in mind the goal isn’t necessarily to build a bigger audience—in this case, quality beats quantity.

You’ll want to look at your first-party data strategy, the content you create to build awareness and nurture relationships and the channels where you can and should connect.

3.     What are competitors doing that we wish we were doing?

During challenging times, it can be tempting to put the blinders on and focus solely on your business. But keeping tabs on your surroundings—in particular, your competitors—is still critical. Knowing what they’re doing will arm you with powerful case studies that can be applied to your business.

Did a competitor launch a virtual event series? Go live on Clubhouse? Add a new e-com integration or app? Glean insights from their efforts to determine where you may want to focus yours.

4.     What have we tested and learned this year?

Even in challenging times, marketers must continue to test, test, test. In tandem with testing, you need a process for capturing and sharing learnings across teams and business functions.

Let’s say you started the year testing social selling as a way to increase online sales. At the mid-year point, stop and assess how it’s going. We mean really look at the data. Did you meet expectations? Where do you go from here? The point is: Testing should be an iterative process—not one and done. 

5.     Are we measuring the right things?

Often, marketers get caught up in measuring information (like clicks and pageviews) and not outcomes that matter to your business (sales lift, margin growth, customer retention). If you think you fall into the information-only camp, it’s time to rethink your measurement plan.

Get started by bringing the right players to the table. Find out how your leadership team measures success, then identify the marketing KPIs that support these goals. For example, if your company is striving to hit a revenue target, marketing should identify its contribution share. That way, in three or six months time, you know how you’re tracking—and whether you need to make changes or stay the course. 

We’re embracing this time to answer familiar questions with new thinking and different ideas. If you’ve challenged yourself to do the same, let’s connect. We’d love to join you on your planning journey.