Finding Your Marketing Sweet-spot

Marketing initiatives and strategies are as unique and diverse as humanity. There is NEVER a single best-solution for any brand, product, service, or industry. 

Rather, each marketing and leadership team must determine their own goals, outcomes, and objectives they wish to achieve with their efforts and find a range of nuanced tactics that serve them well. 

I illustrated the spectrum here to help depict the kinds of relationships (short term vs long term) different tactics tend to produce.

When messages, campaigns, or wording seeks to coerce, manipulate, or control; it is promoting more transactional relationships. Some simple examples include: 

Buy now
Limited availability
Special offers
Gift with purchase
Sales, coupons, discounts

These often have faster, more direct response, and are easy to measure and connect to action. Sometimes, they are just what is needed to help buyers over hesitations to purchase or commit. 

Relying on these tactics might train buyers to be loyal to the incentive, lowering your brand’s overall value.

When messages, campaigns, or wording seeks to inform, educate, or influence; it is promoting more partner relationships. Some simple examples include:

White papers / e-books
Blogs, FAQs, video explanations
Social media content
Mission/Vision/Purpose

Because these happen repeatedly over time, they tend to build more connection and loyalty to the brand, product, or process. They can also address many different buyer concerns or challenges more on their time-schedule

While it tends to build higher loyalty overall brand value, it can be difficult to connect buyer action to any one element or to express overall effectiveness. 

The goal of every CMO should be to navigate towards a unique ‘sweet-spot’ that develops loyal partners who are regularly willing to make financial transactions with you.