Marketing Execution: Backtracking from Activation to Strategy
Like many marketers, I’m slightly professionally biased when it comes to marketing execution. Most people would impatiently wait for the commercials before heading over to the restrooms or kitchen. While for me the commercials are sometimes the highlight of the evening.
My detective skills jump into play as I try to decipher the core messages of the advertisements or try to understand to whom it is addressed. (However, it is amazing how often I actually remain more perplexed than educated.)
“There are only four different options to grow a brand”
The other element that I look for is the clarity of the marketing strategy itself. Any marketing execution be it a commercial, an app or program should really be geared for one end in mind: grow the brand. And if you reflect on this, there are only four different options to grow a brand. The first two growth options are about recruitment: either by switching over from competition or by enlisting new customers into the category. The third option is to increase volume – have four yoghurts per week instead of three, sell a bigger pack size… Finally you can leverage the premiumization option by bundling your offer to provide more value or by upgrading your customer. Read more about the growth options in marketing planning over here.
Great Marketing Execution Case Study
A great recent example I came across is the Share a Meal. This is a campaign sponsored by the United Nations to combat world hunger. Their long-term vision is to ensure that every child has regular access to food and to achieve a world with zero hunger. The goal for 2015 is to provide school meals to 20,000 Syrian children in refugee camps for a full year.
The main growth option that the program is leveraging focuses on recruiting people to donate. The Share a Meal team of marketers identified some fundamental insights on how to make donations easy, fun and gratifying. Execution hinges on an app that is readily downloadable. It accesses your social network and is linked into fast payment options (such as PayPal).
With a couple of clicks you can not only share a meal and but also share your contribution with your virtual friends. The program also utilises, to a lesser extent, the frequency growth option by gamifying your contributions over time.
Congratulations on a great marketing execution. It really is worthwhile checking out. And while you are there, why not change a life for just 50 cents?
