A Harvard Business Review analytics survey of 385 managers revealed that most executives were frustrated with planning because they believed that speed was important and that plans frequently changed anyway. Why bother with strategy when it wasn’t going to be implemented? A fair question, especially with the rapid changes we’ve seen on businesses from the COVID-19 pandemic.

When you look at a marketing strategy, in a traditional sense, it is about taking all of the data available, plugging the data into systematic frameworks, and adding a dash of creative instinct in order to churn out attainable objectives and finally a master plan to take the strategy into action. This traditional approach suggests that if you follow all the data and frameworks, you will have the outcome you planned for and to some effect, control it.  

In the lean start-up world, Agile is the opposite. The underlying assumption of this paradigm is that business realities change frequently, and the focus should be on solving problems – that in turn will ultimately advance the organization. Nevertheless, even in an agile business environment, a marketing strategy can still be implemented by adapting strategic thinking in these four ways:

1. Shorter KPI timelines: An agile marketing plan moves review gates closer together to ensure tangible results, even within a changing business environment.
   
2. Take the 80% approach: Your agile marketing plan does not have to be perfect, but it can get you to 80% of where you have to go. From there, you just need to refine the remaining 20% bit by bit – taking in problems as they need to be solved.
   
3. Create a Plan B for your strategy: Put together a contingency plan that outlines the key must-haves and essentials to implement, even if business realties change. For example, a non-negotiable element may be continued efforts to protect your brand and its value proposition.
   
4. Build in consumer feedback into your agile marketing plan: Shopify, YouTube and Slack are all brands that pivoted based on consumer feedback, when their customers pointed out to them that they weren’t on the right track. If your consumers are showing you a new direction, don’t be afraid to explore it.

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We’re here to help! Our talented, imaginative, generous, phenomenal group of originals at 7 Communications can help your brand align with your strategic goals. Contact us and we’ll work together to take your business to the next level.