Episode C.039 Understanding Agile Marketing

Today we’ll take a look at... 

• Understanding what we mean by about Agile Marketing
• Know what’s involved and whether it's something you want to consider in your business
• Hear some examples of how it works

​What is Agile Marketing?
A methodology that’s been around for many years, at its core, Agile marketing is a tactical marketing approach where teams identify and focus their collective efforts (as a team) on high value projects, 

• Prep your culture. The way agile marketing works is when you can go beyond silos and assure fast sign-off and responsiveness from all of your stakeholders.
• Stay data-driven. ... input drives corrections
• Learn to love failure. ... it’s a learning opportunity
• Stay committed to the process. ... 
• Create a discipline-driven framework.

SECTION 2
Here’s why companies use this approach… 
​

• Responding quickly to changes in the market and be ready for it - rather than having to follow a plan that may no longer work for the climate.
• Several rapid iterations of a campaign rather than big-bang campaigns. Producing rapid campaigns means they can be tested and optimized over time.
• Testing and data over opinions and conventions.
• Numerous small experiments instead of investing in a few big bets. Here we can try lots of things and repeat the ones that succeed.
• Individuals and interactions over large markets.
• Collaboration over silos and hierarchy. We can use input from other areas of the business to inform and improve our marketing efforts. When working in silos, this isn’t so easy.
• Agile teams may determine that a project wasn’t valuable and should not be repeated, but that is still considered a success. You can justify choices in campaigns and projects with hard data.
• Agile marketing embraces failure so long as it comes with lessons and produces future potentially powerful projects. 
• Collaborating with team members helps to prevent a tunnel-vision approach to marketing.

The FOUR key features that are present with Agile Marketing implementation are:

1. Sprints - Teams use sprints (short, finite periods of intensive work) to complete those projects cooperatively. Typically these range from two to six weeks.
2. Stand up meetings - Every day your team meets for a very brief check in - no longer than 15 minutes. Each team member goes over what they did the day before, what they're planning to do today, and any blocks they've encountered. Blocks should be addressed right away.
3. An easy access way to track project progress - whiteboard, sticky notes on the wall, or software, you will need a centralized way to track your sprint so that everyone can access it.
4. Teamwork - An individual may "own" a project, but the success or failure of the sprint rests on all the team members. Everybody must collaborate and assist in the Agile framework for a good common outcome.

SECTION 3 - examples and testimonials from companies using Agile Marketing practices.

SECTION 4 - cases studies, TD Bank, JetBlue and Taco Bell
Sources: Deloitte Insights. Written by Diana O'Brien, Andy Main, Suzanne Kounkel, Anthony R. Stephan

written by: Vicki Abraham