Since I posted our announcement about the Programs Group moving to an Adaptive Marketing approach there’s been a lot of curiosity and spirited discussion. My main takeaway is that people agree with the need for change and want to talk more about this model.
After listening to what people had to say I thought it made sense to clarify a few things, namely:
Language and terminologyAgency structure and visionCreative outputThe term “adaptive marketing” isn’t ours, it comes from the people at Forrester. If you aren’t familiar with their report (registration required), Adapting Agency Relationships In A New Marketing Era, I highly recommend you give it a read. It does an excellent job of setting the table.
Several people have pointed out that adapting to changes in the marketplace, integrating cultural nuances and responding to emerging opportunities are all hallmarks of successful advertising. And I agree. Being able to identify what’s hot and leveraging the next big thing is essential in keeping a brand top-of-mind. Being responsive and adapting to changing market conditions is what all marketers need to do. But it’s not what we mean when we talk about adaptive marketing as a practice.
Traditional Marketing Is Linear
Let’s look at traditional marketing for a moment. It’s fundamentally linear. It starts with the brief. The creative team then develops material that gets trafficked. Performance is measured to determine whether or not it worked. The individual project or campaign ends and measurement data is used to help inform the next campaign. Then the whole process repeats.
Agencies have done an amazing job of developing the linear model. When it comes to pushing one-way messages it’s impossible to argue with their success. In an era that was focused around informing consumers about the benefits of a product or service it was masterful. It resulted in legendary advertising that spread messages and built brand identities. But as consumers evolved they became more and more immune to advertising. And today, with a world of information at their fingertips, consumers share knowledge and find out about products in ever changing ways. Advertising still works, but not like it once did.
So, how can agencies also change and create marketing products that are once again relevant to consumers lives? How can they change and still serve the needs of marketers? How can they help consumers solve problems rather than push marketing messages? I believe the answer is tied to the way we work. And, the ways we are compensated for that work.
Adaptive Marketing Is Iterative
Adaptive marketing is considerably different from the linear model. It’s organized to be a dynamic, “always-on” process in which creative is continuously measured against a pre-defined objective. Creative is modified, refined or abandoned as required. And since the creative team is aware of the end goal in advance, they have the responsibility and authority to do whatever is required to achieve the goal. The creative product becomes a means to an end, rather than the end itself. And compensation is tied to key performance indicators rather than the hours it takes to accomplish the goal.
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