Energize your marketing by turning it into a game

Marketing, by its very nature, involves high stakes and can be stress-inducing. If your marketing is underperforming and if you aren’t successfully dealing with your competitors, you are likely to be falling short of your revenue goals. And a persistent decline in revenue can set off a downward spiral of shrinking budgets and staff. It can result in a situation where the scary things that keep you awake at night begin to come true.

I have learned over the years that a compelling method of harnessing the pressures of marketing is to approach it as if it were a game.

Marketing is competition. Games are competition.

Marketing is a competition because, whatever our line of business, there are other organizations offering (or preparing to offer) pretty much the same thing – and there are only so many customers to go around. As such, marketers in business compete for customers and sales. Universities compete for students and donors. Museums compete for visitors and benefactors.

At its core, competition has two main dynamics: 1) we strive for continual improvement, and 2) we confront the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors – who, by the way, are also constantly improving themselves while confronting our strengths and weaknesses. And we do all this within an external environment that operates under a set of rules largely outside of our control.

Many games operate within a similar framework. Think about all the games we played as kids and still play as adults. I recall untold hours of playing Ping-Pong (…or was it table tennis?) with my friends and siblings in the basement of my parents’ house. I think of the time I’ve relished playing games with my children. In every case, the players are trying to hone their own skills while looking for clever ways to exploit their opponents’ weaknesses and avoid their opponents’ strengths.

And it’s fun…even when we lose. We still come back to play again. Competition is utterly natural and as such is not an ugly word. It’s something to be embraced rather than avoided. So, why not learn to love competition in our work?

Six steps to turn your marketing pursuits into a game

Step 1: Form a league

Imagine that your organization is part of a league – which, face it, it is. After all, you are competing against other organizations that offer similar customer solutions to those that you offer. In your league, there will be losers and winners every sales period, every academic year, and every holiday season. There will be champions. There may even be dynasties.

Step 2: Choose wisely

Be deliberate as to who is in your league and who is not. If you are a small online university, it may not make much sense to include the Ivy League schools in your league, right? If you are a regional museum, your league should include other attractions in your area – not just other museums. It’s your league. Make it unique to you.

Step 3: Define goals

Do you want to be champion of your league this year? Is that realistic or even possible? Is it enough of a stretch (for you, your boss, or your board) simply to move up in the rankings? Are you having a “rebuilding year” where you would be happy to be in the bottom tier this year but in the top tier next year?

In any case, make your goals clear. And, of course, make sure that your “league goals” align with the business goals that are being handed to you from your leaders. Having clear and aligned goals will enable you to apply resources where they are most likely to move you toward your objective.

Step 4: No copying!

Do not succumb to the temptation to mimic the tactics of the competitors who are outperforming you. For example, the fact that your competitor is having success with using humor in their ad campaigns does not imply that your organization, too, should take a humorous approach.

Instead, figure out how to employ your unique assets to take advantage of your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. And, always keep in mind that every competitor has strengths and weaknesses.

Step 5: Clarify your mission

I will have much more to say about mission in upcoming posts, but for now, know that in my world, a mission succinctly states:

• What makes your organization utterly unique
• What kind of future your organization aspires to
• What your organization does do
• What it does not do, and
• How it does it

In other words, your mission should very clearly be your mission. If it reads like your competitor’s mission (and I think that it just might), it needs to be restated – at least for the purposes of this game we are playing. Your mission must reflect your unique, natural strengths.

As an example, some organizations have strength in new customer acquisition. Perhaps your organization has strength in phenomenal customer service. Be realistic, though. While you almost certainly are not the best at everything, you probably are the best at some things.

Step 6: Use your entire team

Uplift yourself with the realization that as a marketer, you have a larger team than you think. Your team doesn’t merely include you and your marketing staff. It includes your entire organization (Finance, HR, everyone!), your members, your donors, your board members, and your customer base. They are all part of your team.

Make it easy for each individual to love being on your team. And let everyone on the team know, in real time, how well they are doing relative to the rest of your league. Celebrate wins with gusto, and acknowledge losses while trying to understand and grow from them.

Follow these six steps and see if you can create a more positive spirit with respect to marketing in your organization.

Have fun, but be prepared to work hard

Lastly, remember that competition is not easy. Don’t fall for it when someone tells you it can be made easy. Imagine Bruce Lee (alas, if he were alive) doing a YouTube video on “How to Win a Fight.” While we might love that video, and while Lee, as a teacher, has perfect credibility, are we really going to become expert fighters based on his video tips? No.

The same is true in business. While it can be easy to improve, it’s not easy to win. And improving just isn’t enough when all of your competitors are also improving.

Good luck!

How can I help you?

If you’d like to learn more about how to improve your organization’s marketing, Iceberg can help. See my page on Internal Marketing Evangelism or my article on getting a deeper view into your marketing efforts. Or feel free to contact me directly. I’m always happy to help.