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Gaining Decision Maker Buy-In for Marketing Projects

 

Here are the key take outs from our in person, panel event. With special thanks to our esteemed panel;

 
Setting the scene - Four C's of Buy-In

  • Culture/ Change: Align marketing strategies with broader business goals and build a culture of effectiveness.  Reflect a company's mission, purpose and leadership direction in proposals.  A customer-centric, problem-solving culture can aid creativity and design thinking, leading to innovative brand experiences. 
  • Commitment: Demonstrate the impact of marketing initiatives through compelling evidence, to gain stakeholder support.
  • Clarity: Ensure clear communication and stakeholder involvement throughout the planning process.
  • Credibility: Understand the other parts of the business, how they work, their concerns, consider the impact the project has on them.  Demonstrate the link to their goals.

Key Insights

By placing yourself into a growth mindset, you help bridge the gap between marketing and management:-

  • Focus on the Business Objectives: Align marketing strategies with overall goals to create a link to actionable priorities.
  • Build Relationships: Develop personal connections with stakeholders, build trust and communicate effectively with those whose support you are needing.  Being enjoyable to work with, builds your personal brand and therefore trust.
  • Embrace Technology: Understand the potential of MarTech and AI to improve efficiency and effectiveness.  Identify the number of tools you have that you aren’t used to their full potential.  Are there a few which used differently could help make a difference – or is there another which could help more?
  • Be Patient: Recognise to build buy in and achieve results requires time … and persistence.  Patience is key!  It's important to remain committed to the brand strategy and avoid impulsive changes. 
  • Long-Term Focus: Avoid short-termism for sustainable brand growth. The Binet and Field 60/40 rule, suggests allocating 60% of marketing spend to brand building and 40% to activation, to help organisations maintain a balanced approach.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making: An open-minded approach to data is essential for effective brand management. Careful analysis of metrics and insights, enables decision makers to make informed choices which align with brand goals.  Use concrete data to illustrate the potential benefits of your proposed initiatives.
    This could include:
    1. Revenue growth: Project increased sales based on market research, customer behaviour analysis, or historical data.
    2. Cost savings: Quantify potential reductions in expenses through efficiency improvements, optimised marketing campaigns, or reduced customer acquisition costs.
    3. Market share: Estimate the impact of your initiatives on market share, using competitive analysis and market trends.
  • Long-Term Perspective: While quick wins are valuable, it's crucial to highlight the long-term benefits of your proposed strategies. Consider the potential for increased brand equity, customer loyalty and sustainable growth.
  • Storytelling: A compelling brand story can evoke emotion to create a deeper connection with customers. By investing in storytelling, businesses can differentiate themselves for loyalty.  What story can you use to illustrate your cause, to help gain buy in.
  • ROI: When advocating for brand and marketing initiatives, it's essential to demonstrate their value in tangible terms. A well-constructed business case that quantifies potential returns on investment (ROI) is a powerful tool for securing buy in from stakeholders.  Clearly articulate the potential benefits and outline a well-structured plan, to illustrate to stakeholders the value of your proposed projects.

Managing Stakeholder Relationships

Navigating relationships with internal and external stakeholders is a critical aspect of successful brand management. When transitioning from an agency to a business dynamic, it's essential to balance the need for collaboration with the importance of maintaining a clear direction.

Effective Stakeholder Management 

  1. Collaborate: Encourage open communication and active participation from all stakeholders. While it's important to avoid "design by committee," incorporating diverse perspectives can lead to more innovative and effective solutions.
  2. Build Trust: Spend time understanding businesses and goals, establish a foundation of trust and mutual respect.
  3. Embrace Failure: Recognise not every initiative will be a success.  Learn from failures and use the insights gained to inform future decisions.  Understanding why something didn't work can be just as valuable as celebrating successes.

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Create a Compelling Investment Case

    1. Benchmarking and Competitive Analysis: Demonstrate the need for investment by comparing your organisation's current state to industry benchmarks or competitors. Highlight areas where your competitors are excelling and identify opportunities for improvement.
    2. Business Canvas Approach: Utilise a business canvas to outline both short-term tactical projects and long-term strategic initiatives. This visual tool can help you clearly communicate the scope, timeline and resource requirements of each project.
    3. Detailed Planning: Breakdown each task into smaller work packets, estimate the required internal resources and allocate appropriate timeframes. Be prepared to adjust your plans as needed based on unforeseen challenges or opportunities.

 

 Example – helping stakeholders understand the project scope

Imagine your organisation is considering investing in an experience platform to enhance customer engagement. By benchmarking against competitors who are already using such platforms, you can demonstrate the potential benefits, such as increased customer satisfaction, improved brand loyalty and higher conversion rates.

Your business canvas might include:

  • Short-term projects: Implementing personalised content recommendations, optimising website user experience and launching targeted email campaigns.
  • Long-term programs: Developing a customer loyalty program, integrating data from various sources to create a unified customer view and investing in advanced analytics capabilities.

For each project, you can provide detailed estimates of the required resources, including internal team members, external consultants and technology investments. Using this level of detail will help stakeholders understand the scope of the project and the potential return on investment.

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A well-crafted investment case is essential for securing buy in and therefore the funding necessary to drive brand and marketing initiatives from those above. By leveraging methods discussed by the panel, you can create compelling arguments for decision makers to demonstrate the value of your proposed projects.  Securing the support of key stakeholders, builds your relationships and help the business deliver upon its overall objectives.

For details of events, to help us build our presence, please follow and engage with our CIM Community on Linked in https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8142418/