The War Doctor
“What we have here is a failure to communicate”…is typically the root problem that clients come to us with when they are needing to see positive change in their sales/revenue/foot traffic/public relations, etc. As we see it at Ilfusion, marketing and advertising or communicating a message is really like going to war. We are eager to partner with people and turn the tide of the war in favor of our clients. Not only is communication failure a real detriment but a disjointed and inconsistent approach is equally devastating to our client’s ranks. “we would like you to do our website, and have agency x to do our print, and agency z to control social media, and agency m to make a cool video.” Inevitably there will be a failure to communicate and battles will be lost.
We see a lot of people walk through our doors needing a website, or a brochure, or a tv commercial. But all of this equates to trying to radio central command for one more horse or an extra handful of bullets. What is truly needed is a coherent, cohesive, fully-fleshed out battle plan (with armies, tanks, air support, submarines, and at least one badass guy playing the snare drum in fog of war). The client’s goals dictate the construct of their full campaign. It rarely serves anyone well to hit the enemy on one front riding a flashy new horse. Websites are fine but a website informed by a robust print campaign, that follows the lifespan of a comprehensive social/digital campaign, built on the back of a solid brand architecture are the true ways to gain crucial ground in the marketspace. On the battlefield is the last place where you ask “what’s the least I can do?”.
Doing Battle
Ilfusion holds the opinion that people must be approached in at least 7 different ways; or attacked on 7 different sides to win a battle. Consider a new website as one theatre of war. Now we have 6 more fronts that need to be attended to if we are actually wanting to be victorious together. Video is effective. There is your second front. Now what about 3-7? Radio, print, outdoor, social media, and interactive experience are some of the more popular tactics. All of which Ilfusion can execute on with satisfying results. This is where creativity can be your own personal atomic bomb. Entire companies have come back from the brink of surrender with a brilliant idea seeded into a multitude of attack fronts.
It’s important to assess the issues and how your marketing dollars need to be allocated accordingly. This is monumentally critical. There must be a meeting of the generals to have a long conversation and a collaborative discussion with your agency. In the war room, all contributing partners should be looking at an entire marketing budget not just the budget allotted for one front of the war (website). This is important because when the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing the goal is divided and inevitably conquered. Ilfusion acts as the battle worn, grizzly, scar-faced general standing resolute in front of an American flag the size of Delaware. It’s time to crush the invading forces.
To win the war. To gain that healthier numbers in your ledger, your message and plan for attack must be thought out and cohesive. The plan must be aesthetically accurate and executing on the same message. Trying to do something big? Then you need to figure out how to perform on 7 different fronts if you want to see real satisfying results on your efforts. You’re sending a lot of dollars out there you need a savvy partner to mitigate a lot of them being lost before victory is won.
Tags: communication, foot traffic, marketing dollars, marketspace, message, public relations, revenue, salesCategorized in: Articles, Doctor's Notes, Marketing