I recently helped a major media company kick-start innovation within their marketing organization. This summarizes our engagement, and may trigger ideas on how we might help you achieve similar results. (For competitive reasons, we are unable to share the name of the organization.)
For decades, this media company cultivated strong print readership with its marketing strategies. But as consumer preferences shifted to mobile and digital platforms, they needed new, multi-channel digital marketing approaches, and a more consistent focus on innovation.
According to their CMO, “from a marketing perspective, we needed to rapidly pivot from a legacy manufacturing and distribution organization to a forward-thinking, innovative digital and experiential organization.”
Our Approach
The CMO and their direct reports worked with me to jump-start the process and help them think differently. I introduced the team to a rapid “Innovation Clean Sweep” process.
Within just 75 days, I helped them:
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- identify sources of resistance to the transformation
- eliminate non-essential or “zombie” marketing programs
- set the stage for innovation to become a habit, not a one-time exercise
- ensure optimal audience and employee engagement
Through a series of guided team meetings, interviews and surveys, I was able to uncover the biggest innovation obstacles. I also helped the marketing leadership team design a new and inspiring story to garner commitment to the transformation. Storytelling sticks; facts and figures serve as supporting evidence. Finally, I introduced a strategic prioritization process to improve focus and team alignment with the client’s strategic goals.
And the results…
According to the client executive, “Lisa helped us maintain a maniacal focus on helping our teams understand the new mission. Today, we have stopped having too many discussions about areas that are no longer driving business growth. Some people will plead the case to keep certain programs. But we used data and advice from Lisa to pivot to those that have greater impact.”
The company also reported significant progress in these areas:
- Greater alignment on driving digital subscriptions, yielding strong double-digit growth
- Marketing boasted some of the highest employee engagement scores in the company
- Leadership team meeting habits and behaviors shifted. They increased the percentage of time spent on strategic versus tactical and legacy business matters
With that level of momentum, the marketing team is inspired to keep moving forward. They continue to shift from legacy marketing tactics to innovative, multi-platform initiatives. Their CMO believes “we still have a way to go; however, working with Lisa has been a great partnership.”
To jump start your own growth and marketing innovation, join us at CLIC ’18. Even the most seasoned marketing leaders will need to adjust marketing plans, promotions, and pricing strategies to exceed today’s customer expectations. This year’s conference happens October 3-4 in Atlanta. Register today.
Copyright 2018, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
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