Is marketing innovation the answer to 2021s key challenges?

If 2021 had a mantra it would undoubtedly be, time for change. The pandemic brought all the challenges (and opportunities) for brands. In fact, marketers often pondered what to say, how to say it and should I even say it at all. Coming out of quarantine people want greater meaning and authentic connections with brands. Reflecting this, over 80% of marketing leaders are looking to rescale or reinvent the majority of their key strategies (Gartner, Jan 2021). CMOs need to drive to higher business level KPIs while lowering costs. Brands that understand disruption for what it really is — the gateway to innovation — will be on the best footing to not just survive, but thrive in the coming months and years.

To best fit the needs of CMOs for 2021 and beyond, AllTold has now evolved to be the Marketing Innovation Team (MIT) within Allison & Partners. In this new formation with nearly 100 specialists across the globe, we are equipped to help clients think smarter and spend shrewder to achieve the strongest results in this time of accelerated change. MIT is leaning into marketing innovation through data and technology to help brands harness disruption to their advantage. Be and act agile. Optimize lifetime revenue. Connect with customers and community in personal ways. End vanity metrics, and usher in real measurement that holds everyone accountable. Tell compelling stories that make deep connections and create lasting impact.

Why is marketing innovation so critical today? Brands must do more with less. The ones that successfully innovate can be categorized as dynamic, relevant and vital. Dynamic because they rapidly iterate their real-world expression through new products, business models and communications, while staying true to their “who” and “why.” Relevant by delivering the right value to the right person at the best time and place, which is a complex mix of art and science. And to maximize impact, brands must be laser-focused. Vital meaning that brands exist as thoughts and feelings in human hearts and minds.

MIT addresses brand, product, engagement and storytelling strategies and programs. Everything is informed by our performance + intelligence team, who tailor methodologies tailored for a given situation. Whether that’s looking at brand perceptions, creating buyer personas, gathering perspectives on key issues or message testing — data informs decision-making right from the start.

To us, marketing innovation is about courageous reinvention and a catalyst for fresh thinking and new growth. It’s about doing more with less and eliminating guesswork, while building on engagement. It’s how brands in the midst of disruption flip the script and harness this change to their ultimate competitive advantage. The new MIT has been optimized to deliver this for our clients across the globe.

By: Cathy Planchard, global president, Marketing Innovation Team

Click here to learn more about our Marketing Innovation Team.

Cathy Planchard is global president of Marketing Innovation Team + Health, overseeing the company’s content, digital, creative, research and measurement teams. She is an avid traveler, Saints fan and spicy Cajun cook.