Avoiding the “Popcorn-Tin” Syndrome: Three Steps to Strategic Marketing Success
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu
I had an epiphany about marketing strategy recently—and I’d like to credit it to this quote from the great Sun Tzu, but instead, it happened thanks to a large tin-can of popcorn
Let me explain: I was working with a client that, shall we say, was not focused on strategy, and the head of marketing, shall we also say, was, instead, keenly focused on doing stuff to show their worth. In this “Marketing of Things” mindset, this marketing leader (who shall remain nameless) felt the best marketing ploy du jour was a large can of popcorn. Across the country, clients received multiple varieties of popcorn, along with a note asking for more business. I’m sure plenty of people enjoyed sharing the kernels of this marketing leader’s labors—but few, if any, made the connection to the company’s services—and even fewer picked up the phone.
