A short time ago I was involved in a client conversation about the various elements of the marketing mix, and when to deploy each one. As the conversation developed, and as we began to define the campaign, it occurred to me that we were actually orchestrating activity from a wide range of players. This would mean that each would have to play their part at exactly the specified moment, in order for us to have the result we wanted in the market.
Skill mix
In many ways, to organise a really good marketing campaign is very similar to putting together a concert. There are many different people and skills involved, just as there would be in an orchestra. Also, the mix often means that there are a number of specific parts that have to be split out from the whole, in order to achieve the desired effect.
The big four
Typically, an orchestra is made up of four main groups – woodwind, brass, percussion and strings. In terms of marketing, this structure relates well to the main elements of the mix. Nowadays, the main parts of the mix would be Website, Social Media, CRM and Content Management. Just as with the orchestra, they need to act in harmony to deliver a recognisable tune (for ‘tune’ read ‘message’!).
Expertise
Then there are the additional parts, which are often the key to an outstanding performance. In the orchestra, this might be a vocal soloist, a pianist or a small ensemble that plays a particularly difficult part of the piece. Successful marketing is similar in structure once again. If you think of a soloist as the key member of your business who delivers speeches at a conference delivering their talk or ‘melody.’ They are the person ‘at the front’ providing their solo performance, just as a pianist would in an orchestra.
A team effort
The small ensemble in Marketing terms is the core team of people who deliver key messages to achieve a specific result within a wider campaign. Just as the orchestral ensemble will deliver the most complex music, your core marketing team will deliver the most complex messages. Properly structured, the result is the same – what has been delivered resonates for a long period of time.
Leadership
Of course, no orchestra can function without a musical score and someone to interpret it. They also need someone to instruct the players as to when their part begins and ends. That person does not play anything, he or she holds no instrument; and will utter no sound. In an excellent performance, that member of the orchestra can often go unnoticed until the end of the show. At this point they get to take a bow in front of the audience.
As I’m sure you’ve realised, that person is the conductor, and every successful marketing campaign has one of those too. Your Marketing Manager or Marketing Consultant is that conductor. They carefully wield his or her baton to ensure that everything in your plan comes together in perfect harmony. They also make sure that everyone stays ‘in tune’ – i.e., keeping the players ‘on message’ throughout the performance.
So, never underestimate the importance of the conductor. To stay in tune, and to keep your marketing messages truly aligned, the plan (or ‘score’) has to be correctly interpreted. After all, nobody likes discordant music, just as nobody in business approves of a mismatched and badly delivered campaign.
That takes a particular skill; and you’ll find that having a great ‘conductor’ pays real dividends.
Benjamin Zander is an English conductor. He is currently the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. A recent quote from him resonates with this blog:
“The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound. He depends, for the power, on his ability to make other people powerful.”
If your marketing needs some fine tuning, then just give me a call and have a chat with me on 07966 129597 or send me an email.
Image by chenspec from Pixabay