If You Always Do What You’ve Always Done…

by Shaun Turner, Marketing Manager

General Marketing

Do What You’ve Always Done | MadAve Marketing Management

…you’ll never know what you might’ve been able to do if you’d done something different.

Apple’s iPhone X. Tesla’s Autopilot feature. Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich. All revolutionary ideas that changed their brand’s image and propelled each company forward.

The iPhone X jumped ahead of its time with its dual rear-facing cameras and portrait mode.

Tesla built a car that can pull out of a parking space on its own and locate the driver.

Popeye’s, once known only for their fried chicken, now makes the market’s preferred chicken sandwich.

As a marketer, one of the toughest challenges you’ll face is helping your company, product or service stand out from the crowd. Unless what you make or do is completely unique, you’re going to face direct or indirect competition.

Try a Different Angle

So, when developing your marketing plan, consider newer options. For instance, exhibiting at tradeshows may not produce the same results it did years ago, but hosting after-hours, invitation-only events for your customers and prospects who attend those shows could be a powerful twist on the trade show experience. It would allow you to have focused conversations with potential buyers in an environment that you control.

Have you had success promoting a sale with direct mail? Email the same content and offers to a portion of your customers. Compare the results with the direct mail campaign to see which was more successful. They may both work well. Plus, email programs allow you to track which information resonates most with customers.
If you use radio to build awareness and reinforce your brand, mix in some online display ads (pay-per-click) or streaming video. The digital tools will allow you to target accurately, provide robust reporting options, and let you see a connection between your media spend and your ROI.
Or refresh your approach by thinking old school. You can differentiate your brand simply by sending hand-written letters to the people you want to impress.

You Can Ease into It

Those suggestions don’t necessarily mean you should abandon all your other marketing efforts. To start, try the 70-20-10 rule: use 70% of your marketing budget for your tried-and-true tactics; apply 20% to a new spin on a traditional method, like streaming video instead of audio; and allocate 10% for something outside the box, like a brand new technology or social channel.

Does committing 30% to unproven tactics make you a little queasy? If so, adjust the scale to 80-13-7. The idea is to always push your marketing to reach your full potential, while staying true to your business and your ideal brand image.

Looking for a partner who can help? Let’s talk.

"We have been working with April for about 4 months, since taking over following a client management transition. Whenever a change occurs when working closely with a company like MadAve, there is always uncertainty around how smoothly things will go. April quickly stepped into the role and handled our account like she had been working with us for months. She has great attention to detail and — most importantly — a unique ability to hold us accountable to providing the MadAve team what they need, when they need it. April has proven herself to be extremely organized and phenomenal when it comes to follow up. She is a tremendous asset for us."

- Ben Tassin, Partner Ambassador, DWM Holdings

"April has become an important member of our team. She brings our marketing plans to life, coordinating resources from diverse groups, both internal and external, keeping everyone organized and on-track. As the pace of our work becomes increasingly demanding, she never misses a beat - a true demonstration of her commitment to the American Frame brand."

- Laura Jajko, President, American Frame

"Over the past 9 years, MadAveGroup has actively engaged with us to understand our members, products and philosophy. Their due diligence delivers impressive digital campaign results month-over-month. Our organic search and paid search results have never been better! I am thankful for their expertise and recommendations as we work together to continue to boost our presence in the always-evolving world of search engines."

Heather Gilchrist, Marketing Director, VacationLand Federal Credit Union

"We've worked with MadAveGroup since 1996 in many different facets. In 2017, we implemented Pay-Per-Click and Search Engine Optimization programs, which have been instrumental in our ability to grow an average of 5.5 new customers per day for several years. Their client managers are friendly and bright and keep us updated with monthly reports. They are always there to help, answering phone calls and replying to emails almost instantly. I cannot say enough good things about MadAveGroup."

Sharon Tipping, Marketing Manager, Parker Steel

"I am most impressed with Brian and Jessica (and the team) for their abilities to be flexible and patient to come up with something that works best for our company and not just push us into something we would not be comfortable with just to get the money. This approach tells me they value the long-term relationship and not just the immediate win. Thank you all!"

Christine Gorey, Marketing Manager, Columbia Chemical

"Shaun always updates us on our quarterly changes and explains the process every time. This is a new program that I have taken over and he has been very patient and has done a great job explaining the process and the difference in scripts and messages and how Ziebart can utilize the program better."

Carly Jacobi, Field Marketing Specialist, Ziebart International Corporation

"Kara takes her role seriously and does her best to accommodate busy schedules. She is easy to work with and quick to respond. She helps keep them on track and lets them know when there is a problem before they discover it."

Kim Hoch, Vice President of Operations, Novus Clinic

If You Always Do What You’ve Always Done…

General Marketing

The change you want. The results you need.

Connect with us

The change you want.
The results you need.