The Long Game

In marketing and advertising terms, a campaign is a war much the same as any fought between opposing armies, from ancient Romans building their empire to the present conflicts around the globe (thankfully without the death and destruction though).

As the saying goes, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’, and likewise advertising, particularly branding is about the long game where you shouldn’t expect complete and final victory at the first instance.

This is not to say that you won’t have wins from the outset, but if you do be prepared also for the times where you won’t and expect the competition to re-organise their campaigns and rally again.

Successful campaigns are like successful wars, the side that uses reconnaissance (market research) to evaluate the lay of the land and the competition in the pre-planning of strategies and tactics will ensure positive momentum towards a successful outcome.

Planning can show where losses may occur and means of dealing with them, it is important to accept that there will be set backs on the way, understand and learn from these, re evaluate, and be flexible to changing conditions and if you have to retreat remember that you live to fight another day.

Losing a few small battles does not mean you have lost the war.

The other key factor in success comes from arming your marketing campaign with the latest technology to target and talk to your market. You need to be across all the latest tech, gadgets and promotional gizmos that are out there, as well as the ones in development nearing launch, so that you can be the first to use it first and to use it best.

Any army that is armed with modern equipment will have the advantage over one that is using out dated technology, it isn’t hard to imagine who would win between one armed with machine guns and the other with sticks.

Let battle commence!