packages that are bundled with many goodies , this has apparently not benefitted it as the market do not like to take advantage of extremely low rates because of the social pressure to appear well to do . Thus the Indian model which serves its parent company well has not had similar beneficial effects on the Kenyan operation .
Avoiding Marketing Failure
According to various business and marketing media sources there are a few guidelines to keep in mind to avoid marketing plan failure .
Keep to one clear goal
First off , know what you are trying to achieve and keep it simple . Are you offering a discount on a specific product over a certain period of time ? Do you have one exceptional new technology that will change people ’ s lives ? Good . Tell the customer that one message , don ’ t stray from it , and you ’ re likely to be successful .
Don ’ t try to promote new products , sell excess inventory of an existing line , and celebrate the opening of a new location all at the same time . With messages coming at us at a rapid-fire pace , people can only hold so much information at once , and if it ’ s too complicated , it won ’ t be retained .
Keep it short and to the point . Use great headlines that grab attention but avoid hype . “ Once in a lifetime opportunity ?”, Forget it . Lose it . When writing copy for a promotional piece , ask yourself if every sentence , every word is helping you achieve your goal . If not , leave it out .
Make sure your extended team knows the campaign goal and has a clear , shared , crisp creative brief outlining that singular goal . Employ a shared environment ( accessible to all ) where everyone is certain that the messaging is on target and clear . Ensure that everyone meets deliverables , tasks , and deadlines and has a forum for discussion in case any questions arise . Make the latest version of every document readily accessible , and be certain there are no old versions of documents floating around .
Be an eye-catcher
In today ’ s marketing landscape , you ’ re competing for audience attention , so you need great images , good use of white space , and the right colors and fonts . With online integration solutions in the cloud , sharing large files and collaborating on them is easy , and it can help you avoid costly or embarrassing mistakes .
How embarrassing and expensive can it get ? Early in 2010 , Gregorio Iniguez , managing director of the Chilean Mint , was sacked after he authorized the production of 1.5 million 50-peso coins that spelled the country ’ s name ‘ C-H-I-I-E ’. By the time he was kicked out it was too late ; the coins remain in circulation to this day . Let ’ s just say it pays to have many smart eyes going over the same content before it ’ s released .
Do your research and listen to your extended team ’ s instincts
Of course the example given above of the PS Kenya condom ad might be one in which the maker did comprehensive research but underestimated the implications involved in the ad being aired in the society despite the fact of truth that most new HIV infections were occurring in marriage settings .
Measure twice , cut once
Go by the old carpenter ’ s rule : measure twice , cut once . As a marketer today , you may want to measure more than twice before you cut . If you think you have a great idea , test it out with your extended team first , and then test and proof again before going live .
Think before you act
Some of the best marketing ideas and some of the greatest failures have come from lack of planning and taking the time to share ideas among all participants on extended internal and external teams .
Safeguard your marketing intellectual property
Whatever trade secrets underpin your next campaign or perhaps even give away a new marketing break-through , make sure no one can steal your ideas . Collaborate in an online space that offers government-level security . Don ’ t let your competitors go from third-rate to world-class based on your best ideas .
The magical and secret recipe for resonating with the consumer , generating tremendous buzz , permeating popular culture , and even becoming part of our lives and linguistics is still unknown and undefined . But , over the years , we ’ ve seen that creative yet convoluted strategies probably aren ’ t the smartest long-term approaches .
The way forward is common-sense use of collaboration technologies that are secure , let the best ideas come to the surface , enable and encourage creative thinking , and offer sensible and controlled communications . The best ideas come from people . Equip them with simple yet powerful collaboration and project management solutions they need to do their best in order to achieve the best outcomes .
Richard Mukatha Njeru is a reknown business journalist and regular contributor to Marketing Africa Magazine . You can engage him on this or related matters via email at : RNjeru @ gmail . com .