Are We There Yet?

Can you remember road-trips and asking your parents the proverbial, ever-occurring question “Are we there yet?” My parents had a green Ford Falcon in which them, my sister and I took our summer trips. The air conditioner came from Mother Nature as we rolled the windows down, panting for relief. And I remember my sister and I asking my dad that question incessantly, and he would invariably respond, “Oh, we’re about halfway.” It didn’t matter if we had left an hour ago or six. “Halfway” was always his response.

When June rolls around, many organizations find themselves about halfway into their fiscal year. This is always a good time to look back over the last six months and carve out some time to evaluate your current marketing plan. At a minimum, I think it’s always good to ask …

-          What worked? Then probe and figure out why those things worked.

-          What didn’t work? And, again, probe deeply to find out why it didn’t work.

-          What’s changed in the marketplace in the last six months?

-          Are there possible market changes in the coming six months?

-          What organizational changes might happen in the next six months that could have an impact on your brand and/or marketing plan?

Evaluate your results and determine what, if anything, needs to be adjusted in your current marketing plan. As marketers, we all get very busy and keep our head down and mind focused on executing the marketing plan. That’s good, but things do change, and it’s wise to occasionally sit back and evaluate your tactics to see if they’re still effective and advancing your strategies.

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson

Having a plan is essential for your marketing effort. But not evaluating it is a surefire way to miss the best results. Take time to look at your plan and tactics, and adjust them as needed.

At the halfway mark of the year and with the heat of the summer here, I encourage you to take a moment to evaluate your marketing plan. Examine your brand, market, organization and tactics, and make the needed adjustments for a successful year-end. Then go out and enjoy your summer, roll down your car window and start asking, “Are we there yet?”