A new year is going to need a new marketing strategy, if your business goal is to achieve different outcomes to those of 2021. As volatility and uncertainty leads our global headlines, we stop to take a quick look at 3 core areas that will shape your marketing focus for 2022.
Build your Marketing Strategy for 2022 – be prepared for the unexpected
Experts across every sector have already framed 2022 as a year like no other.
While there will always be a number of variants impacting the global economy that fall outside of our control, what’s important at the start of each new year is the opportunity we get to review and refine our marketing strategy to ensure that we have the solid foundation we need to embrace and withstand the unexpected.
Setting the time aside in the early weeks to revisit past success factors and identify those key areas where, as strategic business and brand managers we can instigate the positive change needed to secure sustainable growth.
As consumers, employees and stakeholders all continue to elevate their rightful position within the marketplace, our ability to capture their attention, trust and long-term loyalty sits as the foundation of the marketing pillars that will ultimately underpin our brand/organisations success.
At creative excellence we believe that in the face of continued uncertainty, remaining agile within the confines of a solid foundation remains the key to developing an integrated marketing approach that can sustain the unexpected turns along the way.
Three key areas for focus in 2022
Underpinning the wave of new trends and predictions for marketing in 2022 we believe are three fundamental areas of focus that will help us refine our business strategy to not only adapt to the unexpected, but more importantly survive the changing economic landscape.
#1 – Know where you fit – Focus on your purpose driven business growth
#2 – Know who is keeping you in business – Focus on your data, analytics and consumer intelligence
#3 – Know that your brand is COVID safe – Focus on building stronger brands
#1 – Focus on purpose driven business growth
Success in 2022 is more than just the number on the profit line.
In the face or growing global digital competitive forces, consumers are now actively using their purchasing power to influence positive change across critical issues impacting our society.
Outside of the traditional price and quality debate which are now becoming band essentials, informed consumers are turning their attention to purpose driven brand differentiators to delineate competitive advantages.
From the impact of climate change, social and racial injustices coupled with the increasing need for personal protection and privacy, as individuals, our customers are relying on personal needs to direct their purchasing decisions towards brands/organisations that actively align with their core values.
We’ve all heard the popular saying ‘You can’t be all things to all people’. More than just lip service, embracing a ‘purpose driven’ business growth strategy is developing a focused and holistic approach that aligns our brand/organisation values and goals with those of our core stakeholders.
The more we understand the diversity and complexity of these needs, the greater our opportunity to build stronger partnership relationship that far extend beyond immediate product satisfaction.
Being purpose driven is a long-term objective that requires a central alignment across our entire organisation.
From employee satisfaction to product/service design, delivery and brand messaging, in order to substantiate a purpose driven strategy, it is important that our chosen sphere of influence is elevated and embedded in every stakeholder and customer touch point.
#2 – Focus on data, analytics and consumer intelligence
In 2022, our customers both existing and potential sit at the core of our business success.
Weather we are operating as a B2B or directly to our final consumers, the need to keep our customer’s support has never been more important.
As our greatest influencers, existing customers have the strongest potential to operate as active brand ambassadors, evangelising and attracting new customers as part of their daily lives.
Word of mouth has and will always remain one of the most effective forms of marketing.
As the digital explosion continues to try and shape our experiences and expectations through the bombardment of visual cues and messaging, no amount of marketing investment can fully control who and what we, as individuals trust and believe.
Honest and genuine praise for our business, products and or services is priceless and something that will continue to be a critical part of our sustainable business success, should we choose to invest the time to not only get to know our customers but more importantly try and understand what they are going to need from us in 2022.
Two years into a global pandemic and we’ve all had to come to terms with the need to embrace change as the only solution to dealing with unpredictable circumstances.
Whilst 2022 may look vastly different to previous years, it is important that we take into account what we do know to prepare for what we don’t.
It’s at this point in the review and preparation process that the data and analytics that we’ve collected over the past few years combined with fist-party data collected from customers will help us to implement the changes needed to refine our marketing strategy around our core deliverables.
The greater our understanding of our customers, stakeholders and target market needs, the more effective we are going to be to deliver a more cohesive customer journey in the face of unanticipated disruptions in the year ahead.
#3 – Focus on building stronger brands
As the online experience continues to dominate our purchase behaviours, the need for our products/services to stand out amongst the overwhelming sea of competitive activity becomes paramount.
Leading a purpose driven strategy will only reach its full potential within our target segments, when it is underpinned by a well-positioned and robust brand.
Whilst many organisations kick off the new year with a detailed marketing plan, very few make allowances for the need to review and develop the brand position.
In the face of continued economic and personal health uncertainty and crisis, our need to sustain a strong and positive brand equity has become even more critical in 2022.
The need to drive short term sales goals while developing the long-term value proposition for our brand is the competitive advantage that will ultimately lead us to secure sustainable growth.
What people think about our brand will ultimately determine how and when they engage with our products/services.
As the foundations for our marketing building blocks, it is critical that at all times we have a very real view and appreciation for how our brand is perceived within the marketplace.
More than just measuring brand awareness, it is important that within our brand management strategy we take a very honest look at the gaps that exist between brand marketing and brand perception for our consumers and key stakeholders.
Knowing what it takes to stay relevant and transparent within the shifting parameters of consumer behaviour will help us to innovate and find new ways to stay ahead.
Conducting a brand audit on your brand?
At creative excellence, we support brand managers with specialised insights generated from an unbiased audit that considers all of the critical elements needed for sustainable business growth.
Our simple, yet effective process has been designed for a fast yet accurate review that provides leadership with a strategic framework for developing and maintaining a strong brand.
Click here to learn more about our branding audits or to contact us for a chat about how creative excellence can help you strengthen your brand in 2022.
Author’s insights:
As an Integrated Marketing Strategist with over 20 years’ experience in brand marketing, roslyn whately knows what it takes to keep a brand relevant, profitable and sustainable.