Do you tend to say “yes” to nearly every marketing opportunity, project, and request - taking on too much, while underestimating the amount of time something is going to take? Does it leave you (or others) putting in more hours, scrambling to meet deadlines, hoping to feel caught up but never actually knowing if doing … Continue reading Marketing by Design, Not by Default: Three Steps to Becoming an ‘Essentialist Marketer’
Branching Out | by Julie Melton
Talented executive level marketers are going freelance while companies are taking notice of marketing's ties to growth. Enter a great solution for both parties: the fractional CMO.
For most companies, innovation and R&D are at the forefront of long-term growth strategy -- all in the quest to stay relevant, beat out competition, and thrive. But even for the most aggressively innovative companies, things are changing. Not only the sharp adjustment to more rapid development cycles, but recognizing that your best and brightest may not include, well, you. Many companies today now incorporate open innovation models, or crowdsourcing, to solve customers' problems.
This is part II of a three-part series around applying the concepts from the book Driving Digital Strategy by Sunil Gupta. Read Part I: Data is the New Oil. Current obsession: industry disruption. What do I love so much about it? It's omnipresent. Every industry, every company, and every professional has an opportunity for growth at their … Continue reading Reimagining Your (Product-Based) Business [Part II]: The Platform Revolution
This is part I of a three-part series around applying the concepts from the book Driving Digital Strategy by Sunil Gupta. What first attracted me to Driving Digital Strategy was that it addressed a common challenge for many of my clients and colleagues today -- how to grow and evolve in a digital landscape, be a disrupt-er instead of … Continue reading Reimagining Your Business [Part I]: Data is the New Oil
Alexa, play ‘Ironic’ by Alanis Morissette. Now that you’ve got the right background music (and yes, I know none of those situations she mentions are truly ironic, which makes the song perfectly ironic if you ask me), let’s talk about a common problem in business marketing: authenticity. 'Be authentic' is not a task waiting to … Continue reading The Irony of Authenticity in Marketing
You need some help with your marketing. You have some budget. Sounds like the perfect situation to engage with an agency, freelancer or consultant, right? We all know it's not as simple as it sounds. Without taking some critical steps, you might find yourself disappointed with the result (or lack thereof) wondering, where did I … Continue reading Why Marketing Partnerships Fail — and Four Steps to Prevent It
For a dramatic shift in B2B marketing output, consider five important roles - old and new- that you might be overlooking in your growth strategy.
Living in the Pacific Northwest means you never have to go too far for an adventure. So, when we had an opportunity for a kid-free weekend getaway we looked no further than the breathtaking Columbia Gorge. I was looking forward to wineries, breweries, culinary adventures, and maybe even a little calm kayaking. But then, right … Continue reading Nothing Grows in the Comfort Zone: A Tale of Rapids and Rapid Changes in B2B Marketing
If I had a nickel for every B2B tech/solution company that emphasized their customer-centric values, I would be in my private jet on the way to Bora Bora right now. There are two main reasons we all love this popular business philosophy – (1) Leaders KNOW they should be customer-centric. It is the right thing … Continue reading The Ugly Truth About Customer-Centric Companies
Operation Grow - Marketing Consulting - Growth Strategy 