|
|
|||||
|
what happens if we type these here |
 |
||||
|
Reclaiming the Strategic Value of Marketing While most technical consulting and design firms have employed marketing specialists since the 1980s, there's ample evidence that many of these firms still haven't fully embraced the marketing function. Marketing professionals commonly report feeling disconnected from and undervalued by company management. They struggle to get their technically-oriented colleagues adequately involved in business development activities. They are often subjected to unrealistic expectations. Turnover in their ranks is disproportionately high. These symptoms point to a larger problem: Few technical consulting and design firms are deriving the full potential benefit from their marketing efforts. What's needed is better integration between marketing, corporate strategy, and core operational functions. This article suggests some possibilities for doing just that. Value-Adding Marketing Strategies First let's define terms. While the term marketing is commonly used in our industry to describe both marketing and sales, I am excluding direct sales activity from my use of the word. My focus is on what marketing (not sales) people most often do in our business—that is, promote the firm, conduct market research, identify potential leads, help prepare proposals, and create resources to support sales. In this context, I'd like to suggest five key ways that marketing professionals can add value to what they do for their firms. Each of these strategies is explored further in the balance of this article.
The Strategic Value of Marketing in Branding The enormous benefits of branding are largely ignored in our industry. Some architectural firms have developed a strong brand, built mostly on the reputation of their well-known architects. But most engineering and scientific firms give little thought to brand. Yet firms in other professional service sectors have successfully forged strong brand identities, so the potential is there. So what is brand? The standard definition goes something like, "An identifying symbol, words, or mark that distinguishes a product or company from its competitors." But brand goes much deeper than a logo or slogan. The real value of brand is the mental or emotional response to that identifying brand image or name. In other words, the essence of brand is a perception of distinction. Your brand should evoke a positive, distinctive image in the mind of your clients. Such an ethereal concept will hardly resonate with the average engineer or scientist, which is probably why so few firms in our business think about branding. Yet we all are subject to the power of brands. We have our favorite and least favorite brands. Or we ignore products from an unfamiliar brand. Our buying decisions usually have little to do with the actual relative merits of different alternatives, only what we think about them. Why branding is important to your firm A consistent finding in various client surveys is the fact that clients see little real difference among firms in our business. This is particularly true when comparing their technical capabilities. No doubt this is a significant factor in the increased competitiveness and pricing pressures that most of us face. When clients can't distinguish firms based on qualifications, they will increasingly look to cost as a means of differentiating between them. Of course, your firm's expertise is extremely important. It just doesn't set your firm apart from your competitors in most cases. Therefore, any attempts to develop your firm's brand should look to other dimensions of your firm and the interaction with clients. Capitalizing on the Value Perception Gap Research indicates that clients place as much importance on service as they do on expertise in distinguishing between technical consulting and design firms. Think about it: When you've encountered difficulties with a client or have been fired, was it because of technical issues or service issues? In my experience, it's almost always service related. The "experience" of working with your firm (which is essentially what client service is) is the dominant factor in building and maintaining strong client relationships. Unfortunately, technical consulting and design firms continue to think that their technical expertise and experience is what distinguishes them. The Value Perception Gap that exists between clients and their consultants represents a substantial opportunity for branding your firm.
Build your brand on "the experience" Since brand value is rooted in perceptions and emotional responses, the link to the Value Perception Gap seems obvious. Creating a strong brand for your firm is not to be found in your technical credentials (with a few exceptions), but in the experience you deliver to your clients and your employees. To a large extent, this means branding who you are as a firm, rather than what you do. Obviously, developing your brand is a complex undertaking, another reason so few technical consulting and design firms pursue it. But it's certainly worth devoting some marketing resources to this goal. Some key steps to keep in mind: u Keep it simple, memorable. On the surface, your brand is your firm's name, logo, tagline, etc. But the value of your brand is the response those symbols evoke. Both aspects of brand should be kept simple and easy to remember. (For those firms with a string of founders names for a company name, you are already at a disadvantage!) By all means, develop a simple but distinctive logo, if you don't have one already. Consider a very concise tagline that captures the essence of the response you want your brand to elicit. An effective brand does its work in a very few seconds. u Determine your clients' and employees' perceptions of your firm's distinctives. You want to understand what your clients see in your firm that differentiates it from your competitors. You also want to understand what your employees think make it a special place to work. Again, focus on the experience in both cases. If a trend emerges, that's the genesis of your brand. u Institutionalize the delivery of those distinctives. Develop policies, procedures, and systems to support the consistent delivery of what your clients and employees value most about your firm. I know, this is not a function of marketing. But that's precisely the point I'm making. If you want marketing to bring strategic value to your firm, you must align it with operations. Don't expect marketers to sell the sizzle if you're not willing to make the burger. u Sell your brand internally before going external. Your employees, and especially your managers, must believe in your brand identity if it's going to endure in the marketplace. This might not be as important for product companies, but for professional service firms, it's essential. Your brand should influence every facet of corporate activity. u Continually reinforce your brand in all marketing communications. Keep marketing messages consistent and to the point. Obviously, the more your target audiences hear about you, the more likely you are to build a strong brand. Be sure to enforce policies on the consistent use by your employees of the firm's name, logo, etc. This brief discussion of the complex process of branding may raise more questions than it answers. The bottom line is: Creating a strong brand for your firm is a key opportunity for your marketing group to add value. But they can't do it in a vacuum. There must be a consolidated effort, aligned with all other corporate activity.
|
|||||
|
Home | Experience | Articles | Links | Contact |
|||||
