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Knowledge Sharing the Key to Marketing Innovation |
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Marketing Articles -
Marketing: Strategy Articles
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Written by Stephen Pierce
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 Creating and managing innovation can be one of the most
complex challenges facing organizations large and small today.
Part of innovations management includes "marketing innovation
management."
Marketing innovation is the process of developing, creating and
maintaining new ideas and methods for building sales teams, lead
generation, getting the word out about your products and services and
creating buzz.
The marketing landscape is forever changing and what that markets classifies as valuable is a fast moving target.
Marketing managers know that to succeed in the long term they must
constantly package and re-package meaningful relevant messages and
techniques to appeal to old customers, new customers and old markets
and new markets to meet new demands.
One of the possible first steps toward marketing innovation is sharing knowledge.
Marketing executives and managers must share knowledge not just with
the sales and marketing team members, but also with other departments.
Companies should consider a "hybrid" marketing team that consist of managers from various departments.
This can include...
- Product Development Managers
- Sales & Marketing Managers
- Manufacturing Managers
- HR/Service Managers
- Other Managers
To this mix should be a small group of customers who love you and customers that can’t stand you.
Developing a process to allow such diverse department heads to make
contributions to the marketing mix will give the marketing team many
more ideas to work with, different perspectives and a more accurate
finger on the pulse of how the products and services should be marketed
for best results.
Knowledge sharing should be encouraged among individuals and groups even below the management level.
Teams should be allowed to freely exchange ideas and relevant
information between departments. One of your biggest marketing
innovations can from a completely different department.
Fostering An Innovative Environment
With change being the raw material of innovation, one of the key
elements to marketing innovation is fostering an environment that
embraces change rather than shies away from it.
There are countless organizations that remain static year after
year. The likely culprits are managers who fail to recognize the
need for innovation and change. When an organizational culture is
created that embraces changes and encourages new ideas and attitudes,
innovative methods for marketing and selling products and services are
likely to be spawned.
With time customers and clients change and they are changing today
faster than any other time. Today’s urgent scratch is tomorrow’s
forgotten itch.
Their needs are dynamic, waxing and waning with changes in technology, the economy and socially.
It is vital that marketing managers recognize the ebbs and flows of
client needs and encourage an innovative atmosphere where workers
support marketing innovation.
They can do this by applauding individual and group efforts to design
new practices that are aligned with corporate strategy, vision and
objectives.
They can also set aside time for individuals and groups to focus on
innovative practices or creative techniques. Doing so will ultimately
create an environment where innovation is constantly occurring.
To win the marketing game and allow your organization to fly above the
competition, creativity and innovation practices must become the norm
rather than the exception to the rule or a side show.
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Stephen Pierce is a business optimization strategist who provides
strategies that make growing profits in your business a fast reality.
Learn how to get Marketing Momentum for real business success. To
receive your free online video coaching visit: http://www.stephenlive.com |
