Seven ways to improve marketing ROI
Are you doing what you should to get the most out of your marketing efforts?
By Andrea Fitting
President and CEO, Fitting Group
How it is vs. how it should be:
1. HOW IT IS: No one in the company coordinates "the brand." Staff is free to do whatever they please with the logo, literature or presentations. If you fanned out the company's materials on a table, you would hardly be able to tell they're coming from the same corporation
HOW IT SHOULD BE: The marketing coordinator polices the brand. He or she makes standard brand tools accessible to anyone in the company and insists that standards are applied to all communications. A graphic standards manual is maintained and shared with any agency designing materials for the company
2. HOW IT IS: The marketer spends a lot of time formatting proposals and responding to requests for information as well as other administrative minutiae.
HOW IT SHOULD BE: The marketer spends a lot of time thinking about what makes the company unique and how it defines its ideal customers. The marketer creates appropriate messages and deploys them throughout the company's markets. The company gets maximum value from its highly-paid marketing expert
3. HOW IT IS: Sales and marketing don't get along that well. The top salesman feels that since he is so successful, marketing should take his lead and provide him whatever tools he asks for, promptly and without questions.
HOW IT SHOULD BE: Marketing takes the lead in helping to pre-qualify prospects. They clearly define a "good customer" and attract a pool of solid prospects to marketing events. This helps ALL the sales people and ensures that the company is not overly dependent on the performance of one hyper salesman.
4. HOW IT IS: The marketer is a middle manager and is considered a necessary evil, a drain on resources.
HOW IT SHOULD BE: The marketer is part of the executive management of the company and plays a vital role in the long-term success of the enterprise.
5. HOW IT IS: Strategic decisions are made behind closed doors and directives come down from the top to the marketing department.
HOW IT SHOULD BE: The marketing department's advice is sought before strategic decisions are made, and thus understands the rationale and has a better foundation for crafting messages.
6. HOW IT IS: The website is three years old and is not under the jurisdiction of the marketing department. The Webmaster is a secretary who responds to requests from any manager in the company.
HOW IT SHOULD BE: The website is considered an important channel for marketing. Its look and content are controlled by the marketing department.
7. HOW IT IS: Press releases about new hires and new contracts constitute the extent of company PR.
HOW IT SHOULD BE: All public relations efforts are coordinated with marketing and involve the ongoing publicizing of company activities including sponsorships, charitable giving, product announcements and awards or honors. The company has a well-thought-out crisis communications plan in place.
