Get Back in the Box! Re-gifting Your Corporate Marketing Strategy

by Cyndy Bolton

It goes without saying that the need for innovation within your corporate marketing strategy has never been greater. Work time lines and schedules are increasingly becoming difficult to manage due to the competitiveness of the current economy. How will you stay ahead – or even keep up with the competition?

According to Wikipedia, "a marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage."

Companies are constantly developing ever-evolving marketing strategies. This is good. Creating an identity which will thrust them into the forefront of their competition is the primary goal. Capitalizing on the opportunity to develop solid communication solutions that are effective allows the corporation's limited resources to attain an essential edge on their peers. An effective marketing strategy is one which saves time and gets results. This is better.

In most recent years, corporate consciousness has adopted the "think-outside-the-box" perception which has allowed marketers to explore new creative methods in order to solve corporate problems. Think of the box as your marketing strategy.

If you query the fact that your corporate image has stagnated; fear not, for you do not have to be tasked with reinventing the wheel. Review what your marketing team has experienced outside of the box. Once you have created a measurable system where you can track these results, you'll find that you are already on the right path to creating a new corporate strategy. Use this base information as you proceed to the next step of Getting Back in the Box.

That's right! Remember the old adage: everything old is new again? This is familiar territory, you've been here before. Now that you are back inside of your marketing strategy "box", apply the knowledge that you have recently acquired outside of the box. By applying this new perspective to core company values and practiced theories which have resulted in past successes, you will gain a new perspective which will lend to the development of new methods.

For example, briefly review the relationship between your online presence and other related media through which you communicate your marketing messages. View the online tools as "outside of the box" media – they're newer technologies. Now "get back in the box" and review how these technologies relate to the others such as your radio or magazine campaigns. Are they copacetic? Do they complement one another, or should you consider some restructuring?

Fresh perspectives lead to change. You can improve upon past methods that need to be dusted off and brought back into the light. With very little cost, this could prove to be one of the most effective strategies incorporated into your marketing plan.