Biggest fuck up?
The biggest fuck-up in my career happened at the VERY beginning. I had ascended to the role of marketing director for a legacy law firm, and I came in with guns blazing about their “old approach” to marketing—TV & Radio ads, billboards—I thought all that shit was for dinosaurs, so I suggested a whole bunch of 180-degree pivots to social, video and blogs, and they listened to me but didn’t do anything with my admonitions.
Then, I took a look at the P&Ls and implemented a more strict “how did you hear about us?” script for the intake staff working the phones, and I discovered that the ROI for the mass media ads was ASTRONOMICAL. I was humbled and pivoted my whole focus to properly managing a million dollar marketing budget and understanding how to catch my opinions first and then scrutinize my thinking, rather than shout the word “PIVOT!” every time a new trend comes along.
Rant
My biggest deal with marketing is the TECH. We are currently building and expanding our definitions as to how brains function, how consciousness exists, but we are selling AI tools that say they are built on these processes. That is bullshit.
Digital advertising was built to secure ROI, but it actually wastes more than it earns, because it’s set up to build the platforms, not the businesses.
And social media is toxic and harmful, but we log on everyday to spark conversations because we are paid to. What amazing shit could we all get up to if we weren’t publically faffing online?
Useful advice
My biggest piece of marketing advice is – HAVE PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS. Don’t send out a survey, don’t have them fill in a poll, get some good questions together that don’t dwell on the service or product, but are aimed at deeply understanding this person’s life, and have a conversation.
Unscripted answers and the casual environment of a phone call is a PERFECT time to gather all the intel and market research you need. I’ve discovered whole taglines, new positioning, and hidden frustrations through these talks, that made marketing better than I ever could have alone.