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How is your 2021 stacking up? This time of year tends to be a time of growth and optimism, yet some industries continue to thrive while others continue to struggle. The past year has been one of paradox, which can make us feel like a bunch of walking contradictions…

Give this song by Green Day a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week:

What Are You Investing In This Year?

I spend a lot of my time talking to clients about their sales and marketing priorities. And, where possible, I like to use industry data – knowing where we stand against peers and competitors allows us to better position ourselves and uncover areas of opportunity. HubSpot’s Executive Marketing Leadership Survey provides some great insight into where marketing leaders are spending in 2021:

Growth Marketing – Building and retaining a customer base over time, including design elements and unique content to connect your brand with your audience. Stay adaptive, consistent, and recognizable to your target market!

Reacting at Speed – Developing unique, creative content at a fast pace and adapting quickly to trends is integral to marketers. 11% of respondents say that responding to global environments is a barrier to productivity.

Investing in Marketing Tech – 60% of marketers indicated that they are set to increase their marketing tech spend in the next 12 months. These investments are directly related to the above marketing trends, as they will help marketers retain and delight their audiences and react at speed when necessary.

Also clear in the survey is that marketing leaders are struggling with the transition to remote work:

  • 43% said their team workload has increased since COVID-19 hit
  • 80% find it difficult to motivate their teams & improve productivity

There’s clearly an opportunity for growth, with 46% of marketing leaders reporting an increase in web traffic since COVID-19. While that may be positive, this data shows a major predicament – there’s more work to be done, but employees are having a hard time getting motivated to put it together. Victim of a catch twenty-two?

Thinking of Running for President?

Well, you might be running against Green Day. Apparently Billie Joe Armstrong has filed the paperwork to start a campaign for the U.S. Presidency in 2024. Who knows if it’s a truly serious run – or if it’s just that, in his own words, his wallet’s fat and so is his head. Did you know there are a number of other musicians who have attempted to run for president in the past?

Alice Cooper has run for president in a tongue-in-cheek way in every election since 1972. Joe Walsh of the Eagles made a half-baked run in 1980 with a promise of cheeseburgers for all. There was a 2020 campaign by Ozzy Osbourne even though he was ineligible because he was born in the UK. And, of course, we’re all familiar with Kanye West’s 2020 attempt and all the press surrounding it.

There is that adage that ‘any press is good press.’ But does that hold true? I think you need to always be conscious of your personal brand and voice and ensure that any of your publicized activities are consistent with that voice. And, of course, your personal brand needs to align with your corporate brand where possible. Talk is cheap and lies are expensive – don’t be a walking contradiction!

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat