The “Two-Schools” by Bob Davies, Brand Strategist
What I’m noticing is that there are two distinct “schools of thought” with respect to marketing these days. One is being advanced by the content people. It is about spontaneity, real-time marketing and responsiveness. The marketing of presence. These days we develop--no crank-out--the content and push it through the channels. It requires creativity, speed and a new nimbleness that in the past would have seemed hurried.
The other school is that of the brand strategist. It creates more of a center point or a focus from which all else derives. There’s a discovery process, marketing research, and more careful vetting of alternatives. It takes more time but hopefully results in something more strategic, emotive and durable.
Does it have to be a dichotomy? I don’t think so but the reality is, there can be tension between the two schools. Some realistic solutions:
1) use a discovery process that is efficient and fast moving
2) include content people in the process
3) don’t start from a standing start…develop and test some hunches
4) be iterative…ready/fire/aim/aim again and
5) keep asking questions (even after you’ve made your initial commitments to content).
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