BY DANIEL BLACK
The economy and where it is or isn’t headed is on everyone’s mind. Are things going to get worse before they get better? Are we already at the bottom? The truth is, no one knows with 100% accuracy what will happen. Even if your prediction turns out to be right, you won’t know it now, so you can’t act on it with certainty. So, what are we to do? Insert palms up emoji.
Maybe, just maybe, the answer comes from something I learned as a young child. Growing up, my parents had a simple adage when it came to healthy eating for me and my five sibs: everything in moderation. Then again, I’ve been known to dip Fig Newtons (Fat Free!) in guacamole, so my eating habits probably aren’t worth emulating.
Despite that, I’d argue there are five lessons that can be applied from healthy living to healthy marketing:
Embrace a balanced diet. As with nutrition, marketing is most successful when a healthy dose of tactics and channels are deployed, with balance and frequent adjustments. Going “conference free” or “content only” may pay short-term dividends, but in the long run, a mix of marketing disciplines will yield the greatest results.
Take small bites, eat slowly, and snack often. Eating slowly during each meal and snacking frequently is a good way to stay satiated—it helps you avoid getting hangry and then running the risk of overdoing it at your next meal. In marketing, think about developing activities and touchpoints with your audiences frequently and in small doses. Better to share more information with them often throughout the year, than have one, multi-channel campaign in an entire year.
Don’t talk with your mouth full. In marketing speak, don’t do the assessment of the thing, while the thing is still happening. If you’re running a campaign, resist the urge to evaluate a week into it. Let it run its course, thoughtfully assess how it did, and then start talking.
A little meal prep never hurt anyone. I’m a notorious non-list grocery shopper (gasp!), but even I will admit that a little prep work is a good idea, in eating and marketing. Just as most of us wouldn’t start cooking without a recipe and ingredients, make sure you’re equally well prepared for 2023 marketing.
Eating isn’t free—stay within your budget. I wouldn’t mind hiring Tom Brady’s private culinary team and having them handpick each ingredient and prepare each meal with such attention and precision. Then again, that’s probably not in the cards for my crew. Similarly, what’s feasible for your business and your team from a marketing standpoint? What’s realistic? Where can you carve out some resources to try a new dish or upscale restaurant within reason, but also ensure you have enough in between those special occasions.
Trust your gut (and instincts). Biologically speaking, since we were living in caves, humans have relied on our senses to safely consume food. By now, we’ve developed good instincts. If it looks and smells rotten, probably don’t eat it. Or proceed with caution. Similarly, use your past experiences with marketing to determine what’s going to be successful for your business and team. These are unpredictable times, but just because the economy is in a different place, doesn’t mean your past experiences are invalid. Use what you’ve learned along the way to your advantage.
Now, I’ve never been mistaken for a nutritionist or a healthy living coach. My sibs are probably laughing at that thought. But, I do believe in moderation, even for marketing, and especially for Fig Newtons.