Over the course of my 34 year marketing, advertising, branding and communications career, I’ve learned a ton of lessons, some the hard way. But, I’ve found that there are a handful of durable truths. I’m sharing some of them here for today’s younger marketing pros:
- Spending: The test of a true marketer is now how they manage and spend a massive budget, it’s how they can spend as little as possible to achieve their goals.
- Data: It’s not what you think that matter, but what you know. Want someone to invest in your ideas, products and campaigns? Back your pitch with numbers, not gut feelings.
- Resilience: Not all products will hit, not all campaigns will deliver on your forecasts. You will fail and fail often.
- Encroachment: Not everyone is an accountant, not everyone is a risk analyst, not everyone is chief counsel. But everyone…everyone…is a marketer and they’ll have no reservations about telling you what they think you should be doing.
- Adaptability: Tool, tactics, technology are changing at a rapid pace. Don’t get so locked into what worked in the past that you diminish your future relevance and marketability
For marketers out there reading this, are there any other enduring lessons you’d add to this list?