"I've got my hands full with running a marketing team, and don’t have the time or perspective to put together a yearly marketing program and budget."
Sometimes it feels like you’re laying track in front of an onrushing train. It’s hard to find the time, perspective and process to do annual marketing planning. We’ve got years of experience building marketing programs using a proven, step-wise process that brings in stakeholders and partners, identifies and aligns to goals and budgets, assembles tactics and sets expectations. Our view is that an annual marketing plan should be easy to implement, and flexible enough to accommodate changes in goals or results and ultimately meet its goals. Annual planning is not only necessary in an enterprise context, but can be an incredibly helpful process for all involved.
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BRAND APPLICATION
“We have new brand guidelines and need to update all our Microsoft Office templates and our agency says they ‘don’t do PowerPoint!’”
Agencies and design firms can do a great job building compelling brands and stellar creative executions, but sometimes the nuts and bolts stuff gets overlooked. We’ve got superior skills creating templates for presentations, stationery, RFPs and other not-so-sexy but crucial everyday materials. We'll make sure they're aligned with your brand, look good together and are easy-to-use. Our rates are affordable and we can usually turn around assignments like this in a day.
Let us know how we can help – Click here to get in touch.
PROGRAM LAUNCH
“We’re a large nonprofit and are launching a new awareness program for a key issue. I’m not sure where to start, and don’t want to overlook anything.”
Starting anything new – whether it’s an information campaign or product extension – can be daunting. We can help by identifying a few key parameters up front including goals, audiences and budget and designing a plan that aligns closely to those goals. We bring a discipline to the process which ensures that all channels are covered and all stakeholders are included making for a smooth and successful launch.
We'd be happy to help – click here to get in touch.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
“We’re a relatively new company without an established brand or much of a reputation. Aside from marketing materials, how can we help develop an awareness of who we are and what we do?”
It can be challenging for a new enterprise to raise awareness of their company and its services when all customers have access to is a website and marketing materials. Give your clients and prospects a different perspective by creating original content and sharing it with them strategically. This might be with a blog, or downloadable “think pieces” or even through online e-newsletters. The goal is to reinforce your company’s position as a thought leader in the industry. Greenfield can help with content strategy and development, distribution campaigns and copywriting. In no time, you’ll be on your way to building your brand and deepening customer relationships. And that’s good for business.
Let us know how we can help – click here to get in touch.
STAFF TRANSITION
“We’re in the middle of planning a major acquisition campaign and our marketing director just left the firm. Finding the right candidate could take months, but we need to meet our goals this quarter.”
Your marketing programs shouldn’t be derailed because a key player leaves the company. Whether you’re in the early planning stages, or about to launch, we can step in at any phase, get up to speed quickly, and keep things going until you find a replacement. We’ve got expertise all along the marketing continuum so can fill a temporary gap, or see it through to completion. That gives you the time you need to find the right replacement, and when you do, the transition will be seamless and you won't miss a step.
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CUSTOMER RETENTION
“We’re an organization that depends on a robust membership base for revenue flow. But our churn rate is so high, we’re always trying to get new members.”
Acquiring new members is a lot more revenue- and time-consuming than retaining existing members, but retention often takes a back seat since it doesn’t represent new revenue on the income statement. With a little analysis, careful planning and content strategy, we can create an elegant and easy-to-deploy program that will strengthen relationships with your existing members or customers, not only increasing retention rates, but also building a strong foundation for cross-selling.
REORGANIZATIONS
“As the result of a corporate reorganization, I’m now the head of a marketing organization that looks like a patchwork quilt. We have functional teams, client-aligned teams and marketing generalists. I don’t want to add to the turmoil, but need to create a strong, unified department.”
Reorganizations are a given in the life of a company, and we try to look for opportunities to create a stronger marketing group in the process. The challenge is to structure the new marketing group to align with the rest of the business, while creating processes and infrastructure that facilitate getting the work done. We’ve managed through several reorganizations, and we can help. Our involvement can range from conducting on-site interviews with staff and stakeholders, to recommending and implementing a new organizational structure. We’re sensitive to the discomfort and instability that restructuring can cause, and look for consensus solutions where possible to help marketers feel involved and given a sense of ownership. PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
“I recently became the director of a mid-sized marketing group which was created by merging several smaller marketing teams – each of which did things differently. I feel like we need some consistency in how we get things done.”
Yes you do. The more time you spend thinking about how to get things done, the less time you will spend actually getting them done. That’s where Process comes in (note the capital P). We can analyze your group and identify key goals and functions, and design an efficient process to get things moving smoothly and consistently across your teams. We’ve had great success creating a suite of tools like interactive forms, project plans and marketing templates to get everybody thinking and acting harmoniously. See ow we can help with organizational structure, which often goes hand-in-hand with process improvement.
NEXT LEVEL MARKETING
“My partners and I launched a proprietary digital platform a few years ago with venture funding. There was an immediate demand and we didn’t need to do any marketing. Now I think we need a marketing plan, but can’t afford a marketing director.”
This is a common but very real challenge. You saw a need and built a brilliant solution to fill that need and your business was born. As you grew, you added more staff to help your products keep pace with that growth. You maybe even hired a marketing manager, but the bulk of your budget and talent (rightly so) was funneled into your core product. This is where we come in. We take on the responsibilities of a marketing staff without the overhead. We can put together a plan, launch it and maintain it. We’ve got the experience and expertise to provide a robust marketing presence that will impress your investors and stimulate your clients to act.
COMPETITIVE THREAT
“Up until last year, we had a large share-of-wallet with our lead product, but now there’s a new competitor who’s undercutting our pricing with an inferior offering.”
Competitive pressure is unnerving and can force even the most level-headed marketer or product manager to act without thinking. It’s also a genuine threat to your business. However, with a little research and some intestinal fortitude, you can meet that threat. For example, if they’re competing on price with an inferior product, you have a competitive advantage with quality. A deeper understanding of your client base will reveal what’s important to them, and give you guidance for effective marketing and messaging. A thorough understanding of your competitor’s offering is also key to articulating what’s different (and better) about your product. We have years of experience succeeding in a crowded marketplace.
Let us know how we can help – click here to get in touch.