Marketing and communication in 2011. How to cut through the crap. #12

SO HERE WE ARE IN 2011. Never has there been a more competitive time to be in the business of marketing. There have never been more ways of spending budgets. There has never been more pressure on budgets. Or, come to that, more theories about what you should and shouldn’t be doing. What is clear is that whilst many are waffling on about this trend and that development, some are simply getting on with doing things that get results. We are some of those people. And this is some of how we do it.


PART 12: ACTION. NOT WORDS.

This is the final part of our How To Cut Through The Crap series.

Overall, it contained over 2,500 words.

But in themselves they are useless.

We wrote them down only in an attempt to be helpful to others.

The actions that represent are for more important.

Time spent talking about stuff rather than doing stuff is time wasted.

Time you could have been out there connecting with your audience, making a difference.

Understandably, especially in these pressurised times, everyone wants to be properly prepared, and obviously that’s important.

But month after endless month are often spent in rounds of meetings, gathered around charts and descriptions, tinkering away.

Why do small brands often run rings around the big guys?

Because they get to the doing quicker.

Big companies are often hamstrung by process and over-examination.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that to be right, something has to take a long time to get to.

No matter how many meetings you have, you can never be certain that what you are proposing is perfect.

Better to be out there competing, and fine-tuning as you go along.

Act like a challenger.

Take action.

PART 1: CREATIVITY & CRAFT ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
PART 2: THE BEST COMMUNICATION IS STILL ABOUT PEOPLE 
PART 3: FOCUS YOUR COMMUNICATION ON CHANGING BEHAVIOUR, NOT JUST CHANGING ATTITUDE.
PART 4: BE DIFFERENT IN THE CATEGORY
PART 5: DON'T SPEND ALL YOUR TIME & MONEY TALKING TO FANS OF YOUR BRAND
PART 6: BE IMPATIENT & AMBITIOUS WITH YOUR TARGETS
PART 7: REPETITION. REPETITION. REPETITION.
PART 8: BE WARY OF THOSE PROFESSING ABOUT "THE FUTURE OF ADVERTISING"
PART 9: DONE WELL, TV IS STILL THE SHORT CUT TO SUCCESS 
PART 10: DON'T SCRIMP ON YOUR PRODUCTION BUDGET
PART 11: HALVE YOUR PRODUCTION BUDGET