King Fish launched in 2001. Intentionally, the goal was to stay small and manageable – for the sake of clients and employees. After 16 years, it’s clear we were correct to build a marketing agency that met the criteria we set for ourselves. From within, our team believes there are key advantages to working at firms of our size. Here’s why.
You’re confident that all the elements of your marketing campaign are aligned: the target audience, the branded message, a compelling offer, the engaging creative, and the right multi-channel outreach plan. Now that the campaign is in market, you are waiting anxiously for the weekly reports on measurement to understand how effective it is in driving results. But are you looking at the right metrics? And, more importantly, how are you using that information?
Getting to the heart of the campaign, marketers need to identify key metrics that lead to the quantitative and qualitative assessment of campaign effectiveness. Is my campaign working, and what can we learn to make improvements now and in future campaigns? What’s not working, and how can we validate and shift dollars accordingly? Bottom-line results are critical from an ROI perspective, but longer-term learning and insight gathering will make the marketing organization smarter, more agile, and effective in the long run, campaign after campaign.
Tracking 20+ metrics may make for a robust measurement plan—but does each metric lead to valued learning and more informed decision-making that will support achievement of the end goal, be it sales, leads, referrals, or softer endpoints like awareness and engagement? To ensure you get the most actionable data and insights from your campaign, develop your plan by working backward through the customer journey. Instead of starting with initial observation points, such as impressions, clicks, and pageviews—all of which are viable to prove that the campaign is live and drawing attention—start with the end goal.
This “end-goal first” approach puts the hard metrics front and center and keeps decision-making focused on achievement of the real end goal that will impact your business. Other metrics are waypoints that, when interpreted correctly, can enable you to quickly fine-tune a campaign and optimize how and where the marketing dollars are spent in order to make a larger impact over time. Rather than celebrate 5 million impressions, 34 shares, or a surge in new unique visitors to a site, marketers should be asking how effectively those impressions, shares, and unique visits are empowering prospective customers or buyers to find value and solutions they need and desire based on the content presented. What are the most telling indications for this activity, and at what point can that data fuel a reasoned decision? Clear identification of actionable metrics, not just waypoints, will set the course for near- and long-term campaign learning and success, which is what really matters when seeking to drive ROI.
We’ve all seen organizations — regardless of their size — make huge mistakes. Whether it be a financial institution, sports organization, or local business — mistakes can be costly, and even more so if a strong communication strategy is not put in place immediately.
It makes us wonder, how many of a company’s customers would remain loyal — following the mishap — if the company had simply told its customers the truth?
We’ve been reflecting on an article from AdAge by global brand strategist and self-professed contrarian Jonathan Salem Baskin. He states, “The real challenge isn't to find ways to avoid the truth or distract consumers from it (or shudder when it is revealed), but rather to creatively present it and make sure people understand it.
This leads us to ask ourselves a more fundamental question: How can our agency help before the crisis?
Can a marketing agency help save a brand from itself? Can we help establish a trusting relationship between a brand and its consumers?
The answer is yes. Here’s how.
Our clients hire us for our expertise.
They know their product and targets. We know the other players in the market, their voice, and their perceived competitive advantage.
Our job is to identify then leverage fresh opportunities for education, for nurturing our clients, and exploiting where the competition has no true advantage. That does not mean calling out competitor’s weaknesses but rather using market expertise to expose new benefits.
It is our responsibility to establish a unique voice that is authentic to the client. Authentic is not a buzzword. Consumers demand it. We need to deliver.
We need to creatively use examples, case studies, testimonials--something no customer of Equifax or Wells Fargo could ever give today--to build confidence for our client’s brands.
A great customer experience is at the core of every brand’s mission or should be. If the client says it, make sure they mean it.
Most importantly, we’ve got to listen. Listen carefully and call out BS when we hear it — and encourage brands to do the same. Agency relationships with our clients need to be exactly what we advise and encourage the client to have with their customers — open, honest, and trusting.
If you haven’t already seen “Rocketman” directed by Dexter Fletcher — add it to your must-see movie list. In addition to being an ode to Elton John’s breakthrough years, the film also doubles as a 300-level course in marketing strategy.
Concerts, records, and visibility are the business side of the story. The music, personality, and showmanship are what sells the Elton John brand. It’s the perfect balance of the disciplines that marketers must master to succeed.
We Take Lead as Marketing Strategy Innovators
Marketers spend their lives with open eyes and open minds. Observing, studying, and seeking new opportunities are what make up the business side of our story. We’re not quick to jump on new, shiny objects simply because they have buzz. We explore the opportunity and rely on experience when we evaluate tactics that will best serve a brand story and marketing strategy.
The efficacy of the tactics we implement to deliver the highest revenue return is nearly always the bellwether by which we are measured. As a result, we grab the mic and create a marketing strategy not by shine-factor, but by its ability to drive brand interest and ultimately, transactions.
Our Design Articulates Our Strategy
The other half of a strong marketing strategy is creative. Brand architecture matters. Voice and words are critical. But visual treatments? Those tie marketing programs together. The process of creating smart designs is founded in business objectives, which provides the spark. Talented designers and art directors nurture that spark until a creative inferno takes over, resulting in new ideas that set brands apart from their competitors. When you see an idea that clicks, you know it’s right on the money.
Some of the best lessons come from rock-and-roll.
“Rocketman” teaches us not to lose focus. Eliminate the noise that dilutes smart thinking and great design. You’ll find that you achieve the most value when experienced talent is driving your brand.
Independent.
Full service.
20 years and running.
We’re always down to put heads together. Reach out to kick off a new partnership.
