1

Marketing Management
Unit – 5
MBA 1st year

CRM (customer relationship management):- CRM (customer relationship

management) is the combination of practices, strategies and technologies that companies
use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer
lifecycle. The goal is to improve customer service relationships and assist with customer
retention and drive sales growth.

CRM systems compile customer data across different channels and points of contact
between the customer and the company. These can include the company's website,
telephone, live chat, direct mail, marketing materials and social networks. CRM systems can
also give customer-facing staff detailed data on customers' personal information, purchase
history, buying preferences and concerns.

CRM benefits businesses:- The benefits of CRM systems apply to all types of
organizations, ranging from small businesses to large corporations. They include the
following:-

 Enhanced customer service. Having customer information, such as past purchases

and interaction history, easily accessible helps customer support representatives
provide better and faster customer service.
 Trend spotting. Collection of and access to customer data let businesses identify
trends and insights about their customers through reporting and visualization
features.
 Automation. CRM systems can automate menial, but necessary, sales pipeline and
customer support tasks.

Components of CRM:- At the most basic level, CRM software consolidates customer
information and documents it into a single CRM database. This lets business users more
easily access and manage that information.

Over time, additional functions have been added to CRM systems to make them more
useful. Some of these functions include recording various customer interactions over email,
phone, social media and other channels. Automation capabilities have been added to many
CRM systems, automating various workflow automation processes, such as tasks, calendars
and alerts. Other CRM features enable managers to track performance and productivity
based on information logged within the system.

Common components and capabilities of CRM systems include the following:-

 Marketing automation. CRM tools with marketing automation capabilities automate

repetitive tasks to enhance marketing efforts at different touchpoints in the lifecycle
for lead generation. For example, as sales prospects come into the system, it might
automatically send email marketing content with the goal of turning a sales lead into
a full-fledged customer.
 Sales force automation. These tools track customer interactions and automate
certain business functions of the sales cycle. Sales force automation tools target
 2

sales functions where it's necessary to follow leads, obtain new customers and build
customer loyalty.
 Contact center automation. Designed to reduce tedious aspects of a contact center
agent's job, contact center automation includes pre-recorded audio that assists in
customer problem-solving and information dissemination. Various software tools that
integrate with the agent's desktop tools can handle customer requests to cut down
the length of calls and streamline customer service processes. Automated contact
center tools, such as chat bots, can improve customer user experiences.
 Geolocation technology or location-based services. Some CRM systems include
technology that creates geographic marketing campaigns based on customers'
physical locations, sometimes integrating with popular location-based Global
Positioning System (GPS) apps. Geolocation technology is also used as a
networking or contact management tool to find sales prospects based on a location.
 Workflow automation. CRM systems help companies optimize business processes
by streamlining mundane workloads, enabling employees to focus on high-level and
creative tasks that help them close deals.
 Lead management. Sales leads can be tracked through a CRM platform, enabling
sales teams to input, track and analyze data for leads in one place.
 Human resources (HR) management. CRM systems help track employee
information, such as contact information, performance reviews and benefits within a
company. This enables the HR department to more effectively manage the internal
workforce.
 Analytics. CRM analytics examines user data to create targeted marketing
campaigns that can increase customer satisfaction rates.
 Artificial intelligence (AI). AI technologies, such as Salesforce Einstein, have been
built into CRM platforms to automate repetitive tasks, identify customer-buying
patterns and predict future customer behaviors.
 Project management. Some CRM systems include features to help users track
client project details, such as objectives, strategic alignment, processes, risk
management and progress.
 Integration with other software. Many systems integrate with other software, such
as call center and enterprise resource planning systems.

Relationship Management Vs Relationship Marketing:- The Difference

Between Customer Relationship Management & Customer Relationship Marketing:-

Customer relationship management is the process of identifying and understanding

customer needs, then meeting those needs.

On the other hand, customer relationship marketing (CRM) is the process of attracting
new customers by making them aware of your products or services.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM):-

Customer relationship management is the process of identifying and understanding

customer needs, then meeting those needs.

CRM is a process that can help you to make better decisions about the customer.
 3

It can help you to learn more about your customers, such as their wants, needs,
expectations, and problems.

With this knowledge, you can develop strategies to meet their needs and help them achieve
their goals.

Some of the aims of CRM include:-

 Attracting new customers

 Improving existing relationships with customers
 Increasing repeat business by retaining customers
 Reducing customer churn by adapting products and services to customer needs
 Improving the efficiency of sales and service processes by automating routine tasks
 Managing resources more effectively by analyzing data on customers, products, and
sales channels
 Enhancing marketing efforts by segmenting customers according to demographics,
psychographics, and buying behaviour
 Improving customer satisfaction by developing a closer relationship with customers
 Improving competitiveness by observing competitors’ actions and anticipating their
moves.

Customer Relationship Marketing:-

Customer relationship marketing is the process of attracting new customers by making

them aware of your products or services.

It is a subset of marketing that focuses on building relationships with potential customers.

So, they will buy from you instead of from your competitors.

Also known as inbound marketing, it includes activities that make potential customers aware
of your products or services without requiring you to actively sell to them.

Similarities between Customer Relationship Management Vs Customer Relationship

Marketing:- Customer relationship management and customer relationship marketing are
similar in the following aspects:-

 Both terms are often used interchangeably and can be used to refer to the same
thing.
 Both CRM and CRM marketing have the same goal of keeping a good relationship
with customers.

The Value of Managing Customer Relationships:-

 It’s easy to underestimate the importance of customer relationship management

systems.
 But, if you want to succeed, you need to understand that they can boost your
business performance.
 The best way to improve customer relationships is with CRM software.
 CRM software can improve sales, reduce costs and increase customer loyalty.
 It can help you to improve the profitability of your business by offering more
personalized products and services to the right customers.
 4

 If you want to achieve better results with your business, you need to connect with
your customers on a personal level. A good customer relationship management
solution can help you do just that.

Types of Customer Relationship Management (CRM):- There are several types of

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) that businesses can use, including:-

1. Operational CRM:- It helps to streamline business processes like sales, service, and
market automation. The primary purpose of operational CRM is to generate leads,
turn them into prospects, capture all the necessary details, and offer customer
support throughout the lifecycle of a customer.
2. Analytical CRM:- It is based on capturing, interpreting, processing, reporting, and
storing customer-related data. It also holds the marketing, finance, and sales data
which facilitate analytics and customized reports. This type of CRM gives
personalized and timely solutions to customers. On the business part, it provides
more prospects for sales customer acquisition, and retention.
3. Collaborative CRM:- Enables the organization to share customer information among
various business units such as marketing sales and technical teams. Its primary goal
is to improve the quality of customer services to gain loyalty and acquire new
customers. It’s used in B2B businesses where various organizations can conduct
market research, product development, and marketing jointly.
4. Strategic CRM:- Strategic CRM is focused on the long-term development of
customer relationships and aims to create a sustainable competitive advantage
through customer loyalty and retention. Strategic CRM tools typically include features
like customer lifetime value analysis, customer experience management, and
customer loyalty programs.

Importance of Customer Relationship Management:-

 Customer relationship management is the most effective and efficient way to

maintain and develop customer relationships.
 CRM is more than just a business concept; it also envisions strong interpersonal
bonds. This kind of bonding drives the business to new heights of success.
 The more sophisticated the strategies used to implement customer relationship
management, the stronger and more fruitful the business, it is believed.

The following are the importance and strategies of CRM software investments:-

1. Cost-effective:- Cost-effectiveness is one of the most important aspects of CRM for

businesses. It helps to reduce process costs in a variety of ways. First and foremost,
it reduces the amount of paperwork involved in various processes.
It also reduces the need for manual labor in businesses as the database are stored
digitally. As a result, the number of people needed for manual labor decreases. CRM,
as a whole, helps businesses cut costs.
2. Improves Productivity:- The CRM technique is extremely effective, which improves
business performance when compared to the traditional model. Data stored in a
database is accessible at any time and from any location.
 5

This reduces the time required to search for and obtain the necessary information.
When information is easily accessible, it facilitates quick decision-making. As a
result, businesses will be more productive.
3. Retain Customers:- Retaining customers is the most difficult task for any business.
In today’s competitive market, customers are switching from one product to another
more frequently. CRM helps businesses retain and maintain long-term customer
relationships.
CRM provides businesses with all market information and aids in understanding the
needs and market expectations of their customers. This will help us to provide better
service to them. When customers are treated well, they become loyal to a brand.
4. Understanding the Customers:- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a
customer-centric technique that necessitates a thorough understanding of customers.
CRM techniques are primarily aimed at business clients. It assists businesses in
gathering all required customer information.
A company can better serve its customers after gaining a thorough understanding of
them. CRM enables companies to provide better customer service.
5. Increasing the number of customers:- It isn’t just about serving and understanding
existing business customers. CRM aims to assist businesses in acquiring more and
more customers, as well as growing the customer base and retaining them for an
extended period of time. CRM establishes a channel of communication between
customers and businesses.
It helps businesses gain a clear understanding of what their customers want. As a
result, businesses develop policies for acquiring new customers.
6. Developing company’s image:- Every company wants to have a positive market
image. Reputable companies, on the other hand, benefit from a slew of advantages
in the marketplace. Customers are easily swayed in favor of certain brands. A
positive company image also aids in the acquisition of market funds. Customers
shape a company’s image.
Customers who are treated well and are satisfied with the company’s products and
services will undoubtedly spread the word about it. The company’s market image will
improve as a result of this.
7. Increasing Business Growth:- CRM plays a critical role in increasing a company’s
profits and turnover. CRM assists in the long-term acquisition of new and loyal
customers. These devoted customers make repeat purchases, which boosts the
company’s revenue. The accumulation of large sums of money assists businesses in
growing in size. CRM contributes to shareholder value in this way.

The above marketing strategies are implemented as part of a CRM system to develop a
high-end marketing business. As a result, a company must incorporate them by carefully
anticipating change, testing its performance, and assembling the best possible combination
of these strategies to understand and deliver the needs of customers and maximize its
marketing growth.
 6

Global Marketing:- Global marketing is basically the beginning, middle, and end of how a
business organizes, creates, positions, and advertises its products and services on a global
scale. Giant corporations have always had their hands in global marketing through having
operations, representatives, and employees in other countries. Through social media
platforms, websites, and other online tools, small businesses can also participate in the
process of global marketing.

Global Marketing Importance:-

 It gives businesses new opportunities to create new streams of income

 Raises brand familiarity and reputation
 Its gives businesses the opportunity to gain new knowledge about their products in
order to adjust for better quality service

Global Marketing Strategy:- The planning part of a business trying to grow into new
markets around the world is a global marketing strategy. When entering various international
markets, a business must be mindful of how they will approach marketing (public relations,
promotion, channels, etc.) in countries with different values, cultures, and even languages.

For instance, if you have an American-based company trying to sell products in China, you
must gage how to reach that particular audience.

Strategies for a Successful Global Marketing:-

1) Establish a popular and well-recognized brand and image:- When a business is

successful and popular in their native country, curiosity arises in other countries from
foreigners willing to try out their products
2) Use a unified approach to marketing across borders:- Utilize a marketing
strategy for your business as if there were no global boundaries to better analyze
engagement with content from country to country
3) Make a marketing plan:- Investigate goals/benchmarks of a business and the
needs/wants of the region within the global market, then create a marketing plan
based on research collected
4) Adjust your approach:- Just a because a marketing strategy was a success in a
business’ native country does not mean that it will translate well in another country
with different values, culture, and language
5) Personalize promotions:- Be mindful of language differences, cultural practices,
and observances (i.e. holidays and events) when advertising a product or service to
a foreign audience
6) Observe and know where your target audience comes from:- Using tools such as
Google Analytics and Shopify to pinpoint consumers by specific their location helps
businesses create better marketing strategies that reach their target audiences
7) Tailor your products based on where they are sold:-
 Fast food juggernaut McDonald’s provides cultural food staples (i.e. poutine in
Canada and Crock Brie in Italy) based on the localization of every franchise
 Are your services or products in any way culturally offensive?
 Is your business following foreign government rules and regulations?
 Is your business brand/trademark unique to the country in which services are
provided?
 7

8) Keeping branding in mind:- A business must ensure that anything from the
company name to the logo that they use is not similar to other business in the area,
that their branding is easily translatable in a different language, and that it is familiar
9) Specify your message based on location:- Different people have different
wants/needs, and this is especially true for people that live and different countries. A
business must make sure that their promotions speak to their customers, whether
native or foreign
10) Bring an in-country marketer on your team:- As the saying goes, “When in Rome,
do as the Romans do.” But, no one knows Rome like an actual Roman. When
tailoring your marketing strategy to foreign countries, hiring a native from those
countries ensures better communication that translates to the people that a business
is trying to reach.
11) Utilize the correct technology and software:- If the most popular social media
platform in a foreign country is Twitter, then it is imperative for a business to structure
its global marketing strategy around the use of that platform to reach its desired
audience
12) Take advantage of available data:- Growth in the modern digital landscape has
allowed for businesses to be more creative in how they reach potential customers
through marketing campaigns online

Benefits of Global Marketing:-

1) Increase the quality of a product or service:- When a business expands into a

new market, they gain more knowledge. With analytical tools, they acquire
knowledge at a faster pace, which leads to a higher quality of service or products that
are available for customers.
2) The familiarity of brand image:- Think about why companies like McDonald’s and
Starbucks are known all around the world
3) Raised knowledge about your brand:- If your business not only has ads on social
media platforms but also commercials that air all around the world (tailored from
country to country) there is an increased chance of gaining a global customer base.
4) Lesser costs, more savings:- By establishing a brand in other global markets, a
business can acquire more consumers and get them familiarized with the brand to a
point where the marketing does itself (recommendations, social media posts, etc.).
Plus, by taking advantage of social media, businesses use less money for
promotions.
5) Reach a wider target audience:- Being on top of the American market is nothing to
sneeze at, but thanks to modern innovations (the internet) it is easier than ever
before to connect with the foreign market to increase a businesses’ customer base.
6) Gain the upper hand on your competitors:- Everyone knows that McDonald’s is a
dominant global powerhouse compared to Whataburger due to its reach in the global
market, especially in China.
7) Gain relationships across borders:- Not only can a business form a relationship or
even partnerships within their native countries (i.e. Coca-Cola and McDonald’s), but
they can also establish alliances with foreign corporations to sharpen their edge
within the global market.
 8

8) Helps form relationship outside of the “political arena”:- Certain might not be
able to link up in their native countries due to conflicts of interests, however, in
another country, those constraints might not be there.
9) Helps to manifest good strategies faster in a more efficient way:- Thanks to
digital innovations, businesses can implement global strategies with at a faster rate
than reaches more people.
10) Reveals the advantages of e-Marketing vs traditional marketing:- In the age of
social media posts and images with the use of social media, e-Marketing is king.
11) Influence and scope:- The more global impact that a company has the more cultural
influence and power that they have, which also increases the sizes of their
operations.

Challenges in Global Marketing:-

 No market, no sale:- An American burger joint might not be able to establish itself in
a country like India because cows are considered sacred animals in their culture.
They would have to adjust their menu to be more plant-based.
 More financial risk:- A business trying to cross over into a global market is a risky
task due to having to adapt their marketing strategy (which costs money) to places
with differing values, cultures, and languages with could fail.
 The rules are different:- Not only does a business entering into a foreign market
have to deal with language and cultural barriers, but they also have to deal with
following the rules of foreign governments.

The 4Ps of Marketing in a Global Environment:- Now that the company has chosen either
a standardized or adapted marketing strategy for its global operations, it’s time to consider
each of the 4Ps of global marketing—product, price, place, and promotion.

Product:- Companies entering new foreign markets have three choices surrounding the
product. They include straight product extension, product adaptation, and product invention.
Each has its own advantages and disadvantages and levels of risk. Let’s take a look:-

 Straight Product Extension:- A straight product extension is a strategy that entails

maintaining the same product for both home and foreign markets. As you can
imagine, this is the easiest product strategy and has the same advantages as a
standardized marketing strategy. Some products are globally known and need no
modifications in order to sell them.
 Product Adaptation:- Product adaptation is when companies modify products to
align with the local culture. For example, Nike manufactures different styles of shoes
based on the local culture’s preferences, such as the Nike Air Zoom, a high-intensity
interval training (HIIT) shoe that was released in Australia. This particular shoe is not
available in the United States and looks quite different than other performance shoes
offered in the United States.
Consider another well-known company: McDonald’s has around 38,000 franchises
globally. However, not all global markets have the same tastes as what you might
expect in the United States. In fact, it often goes beyond taste preferences and into
religious and cultural norms. For example, there are over 160 of the Golden Arches
in India, but none of them sell pork or beef, and they even keep separate kitchens for
 9

vegetarian and meat preparations. The company announced it would be opening

vegetarian-only restaurants to better serve the Indian markets.
 Product Invention:- The most involved product strategy used in global marketing is
that of product invention. Product invention consists of creating entirely new products
for a global market. Consider the earlier example of the Ugandan market. Because
less than half of the population has access to electricity, there is a potential for
companies to invent new products, such as cooling systems, that do not require
electricity.

Price:- When pricing a product in a foreign market, there are other factors to evaluate in
addition to home country considerations. Tariffs, the local economy, shipping, and other
factors need to be considered because these will all have an impact on earnings and profit.

Do you know in which country it is the most expensive to purchase a car? You might be
surprised to hear it is Singapore. The small island country doesn’t have a lot of room to
accommodate everyone having an automobile, so the government has imposed high import
taxes and yearly fees to keep the number of automobiles down.

Place: Distribution Channels:- When marketers are considering distribution channels in

foreign markets, they may find themselves with limited options compared to their home
country. In the United States, for example, most companies find themselves with many
choices of wholesalers, retailers, and supply chains. However, in more remote areas of the
world and developing countries, those options can be limited. Consider again our Uganda
example. Most retailers, particularly outside the capital city of Kampala, are “mom-and-pop”
stores. Additionally, there are few transportation routes, and the ones that do exist consist
mostly of dirt roads and a few highways. Unlike the United States, it is rare to see tractor
trailers (semis) carrying containers of goods from one location to another. Instead, taxis,
motorbikes, and foot traffic are the main modes for product transportation.

It is imperative that marketers consider the whole channel when making distribution
decisions. The whole channel refers to the design of the international channels that
incorporates all members, including the manufacturing, retailer, and wholesaler sites as well
as transportation.

Promotion:- Just as marketing managers must determine whether to adapt their product to
new markets, they must also determine the best course of action for the promotion strategy.
Nearly all promotion strategies will need to adapt to some degree in different markets, even
if it is a simple product expansion.

Consider Coca-Cola, whose brand name remains unchanged. However, in some countries,
the slogan is slightly tweaked to have a more local meaning, but with the same underlying
promotional message.

Green Marketing:- Green marketing also referred to as eco-marketing or

environmental marketing, is the practice of promoting a company's products to demonstrate
their sustainability. Companies might design sustainable packaging, create products that
reduce the consumer's carbon footprint or use eco-friendly procedures during the distribution
process.
 10

Some companies also use green marketing when they make public donations to non profit
entities that have sustainability initiatives. Green marketing is part of a larger societal
movement toward more sustainable and ethical business practices in response to rapid
developments in climate change.

Benefits of green marketing:- Here are a few benefits of using green marketing as a
business strategy:-

 Appeals to a new market:- By using green marketing strategies, companies can

attract different demographics. A growing number of consumers are concerned with
how large corporations are affecting the environment. Consumers want to know how
products are made and how using those products can impact the world they live in,
and with green marketing, an organization can attract these individuals. These
initiatives also help organizations compete against other companies that may not
implement environmentally friendly practices.
 Increases profitability and brand loyalty:- Companies that are the first in their
sector to offer a green product or service benefit enormously from green marketing.
This strategy can help companies stand out from their competitors, as
environmentally conscious consumers purposefully seek out companies with
sustainable promises. Therefore, green marketing can help businesses effectively
rebrand their products to increase profitability and brand loyalty.
 Lowers overhead costs:- Switching to environmentally conscious manufacturing
processes or using sustainable materials can sometimes lower a company's
overhead costs. By saving water and energy, a company's monthly operating
expenses can decrease substantially. Using sustainable materials can drive waste
disposal costs down as well. Even using eco-friendly construction materials when
building offices, warehouses or manufacturing sites can save companies money in
the long run, as they often need less maintenance and upkeep.
 Helps the environment:- Not only does true green marketing allow companies to
garner more profit and gain more loyal consumers, it helps the planet. Companies
that follow through on their promises can help significantly slow climate change and
conserve the environment. This should be the main focus of green marketing
techniques because it is why consumers' attitudes and preferences shifted in the first
place — they want businesses to practice accountability.

Disadvantages of green marketing:- Some consumers criticize companies that use green
marketing strategies simply for the sake of appealing to trends. Organizations can
circumvent accusations of "green washing" by following through on their promises and
prioritizing sustainability over profits.

Another potential disadvantage of green marketing is the initial increase in costs, as it can
take many resources to develop and implement new advertising strategies. It also requires
organizations to invest in new technologies and raw materials that might be more expensive.
It's important for the organization to recognize that these initial investments usually translate
to long-term savings resulting from increased sales and more sustainable operations.

Strategies for green marketing:- Here are eight green marketing techniques that an
organization can use to develop a sustainable strategy:-
 11

1. Producing sustainable products:- One of the most popular green marketing

techniques is producing sustainable products for consumers to use as alternatives to
non-sustainable ones. These products range from shampoos with less harmful
ingredients that more easily dissolve in water to reusable straws and water bottles.
Such products may help consumers feel better about their impact on the
environment, so companies can gain attraction on the green market by providing
alternative products to consumers.
2. Using sustainable materials to make products:- Companies can practice green
marketing by using sustainable materials to manufacture their products. This can
mean using recycled materials or other eco-friendly materials, like product packaging
that is more easily biodegradable. For instance, a coffee company that uses
compostable bags and a printing press that uses re-manufactured ink would both be
using sustainable materials to their advantage.
3. Responsible waste disposal:- Practicing responsible waste disposal is a way to
offset a company's impact on the environment. Manufacturing products can result in
the creation of hazardous waste materials, which often harm the environment if
they're improperly disposed of. Companies can practice green marketing by
advertising their responsible waste disposal programs as a sustainable contribution.
This is an especially effective strategy to help companies stand out from competitors
that don't employ responsible waste disposal practices.
4. Opting for electronic marketing:- A small way that companies can practice green
marketing is by shifting their entire marketing strategy to digital platforms. Print
materials like flyers, brochures, magazines and catalogues’ are costly to the
environment, especially if consumers don't recycle them properly. Companies
seeking to switch over to a fully digital strategy can use mechanisms like social
media marketing, email marketing campaigns and text marketing to reduce their
ecological footprint.
5. Implementing eco-friendly energy practices:- When companies switch to using
renewable energy sources, like solar, wind, hydropower or geothermal power, they
can drive down manufacturing costs and make a difference environmentally. In
recent years, access to renewable energy sources has increased, and the market for
harvesting renewable energy is expected to expand in the next few decades as more
nations invest in it. Implementing eco-friendly energy practices may cause a
decrease in the price of the goods and services a company offers to consumers. If a
company spends less money creating the product, it can decrease the cost of buying
that product for the consumer.
6. Using emission-minded shipping practices:- Shipping goods across long
distances can leave a large carbon footprint. Trucks and planes, among other
transportation methods, are some of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas
emissions. To reduce their footprint, companies can choose to ship items in bulk
rather than individually, or they can offer a green shipping option when consumers
check out. When consumers opt for green shipping options, they can choose longer
shipping times or combine multiple orders into a single package to help drive down
emissions.
7. Promoting a green alliance:- Companies that practice environmental solidarity with
consumers are also a part of the green marketing movement. By pledging donations
to designated non profit or activist organizations geared toward saving the
environment in some way, companies can become part of a green alliance.
 12

Companies looking to improve consumer perception of their brand's environmental

practices often choose this green marketing strategy as a starting point for future
sustainability endeavours
8. Investing in your community:- Some companies run green marketing campaigns
that show how much they invest in their local communities. There are various ways to
do this, such as sponsoring a local recycling program or donating sustainable
infrastructure, like solar panels or compost bins, to local citizens. Initiatives like this
are largely successful, as the company's image often benefits as much as local
citizens do.

Agile marketing:- Agile marketing is an approach that applies core agile values —
like flexibility, iteration, and speed — to manage the way a marketing team gets work done.
Agile marketing differs from the rigid, long-term plans and hierarchy of traditional marketing
— instead embracing key principles like openness to change, prioritizing customers, and
collaboration. This enables you to quickly learn what does and does not work so you can
incrementally improve the results of your marketing efforts.

Agile marketing is a response to the way marketing practices have changed over the last 30
years. Traditionally, marketing teams used channels like radio, print advertising, and
billboards to reach a broad audience. They invested large amounts of time and money to
launch a big campaign once or twice a year. And they had limited tools available to measure
return on investment.

But the internet has transformed how marketing teams function. Digital marketing mediums
such as online display advertising, search engines, email, and social media are now the
primary way to deliver targeted messages to customers. These mediums allow marketing
teams to capture a large amount of data about customer behaviour and gain valuable
insights into their preferences.

Accordingly, marketing teams today need to work in a way that is more incremental,
measurable, and compatible with our rapidly changing digital world. This is why many
organizations are turning to agile marketing. It allows teams to be nimble, offer more
personalized messages, stay competitive, and deliver better results for the business.

Where does agile marketing come from:- Agile refers to a collection of software
development methodologies. It describes an approach to developing software in which
teams work in short increments with frequent release cycles. The Agile Manifesto, published
by a group of software developers in 2001, lays out four core values:-

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

2. Working software over comprehensive documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a plan

While this approach emerged as a way to help software development teams, other groups
such as product management, project management, and marketing are increasingly applying
agile concepts to their own work. For marketing teams specifically, this has meant a
heightened focus on experimentation, teamwork, data, and continuously delivering value to
customers. Instead of engaging in rigid and long-term planning, agile marketing teams are
 13

embracing flexibility and change. They frequently analyze data to learn more about customer
desires and improve their campaigns.

The main methodologies that marketing teams use to follow agile values and principles are:-

 Scrum: Scrum is the most popular agile methodology for software teams. Applied to
marketing, it means that teams have a backlog of activities they are trying to
accomplish during a set period of time. They prioritize these activities and break the
marketing work into manageable chunks that can be completed in a time-boxed
period (called a sprint) of two to four weeks. The goal is to use time boxing to iterate
on campaigns and incrementally deliver value to customers. Teams may also hold
daily meetings or have regular reviews and retrospectives to assess progress and
define what marketing work should be completed next.
 Kanban: Marketing teams that follow this pull-based workflow system are able to
easily visualize their work and optimize the flow of tasks through the different stages
— to do, work in progress, and completed. For example, a kanban board can be
useful for a content marketing team to see what needs to be done and identify any
bottlenecks along the way. As each piece of content moves from idea to draft to
review, everyone can see the status. The goal is to limit the number of work-in-
progress items to a manageable amount in order to increase output. This ensures
that work is continuously flowing through each stage and quickly reaching
completion.
 Hybrid: Many marketing teams incorporate elements of both kanban and scrum into
their workflows. Some refer to this hybrid approach as scrumban. Most commonly,
teams may work in timeboxes but use a kanban board to visualize the upcoming
marketing work. But there are no strict rules — teams can pick and choose the
elements of scrum and kanban that work best for their particular needs.

Benefits of agile marketing:-

Agile marketing teams that bring a clear strategy to their work are able to move fast and with
purpose. According to a 2017 survey, 94 percent of companies say that agility and
collaboration are essential to their success. And 32 percent report that they are already
taking steps to be more agile.

So what does implementing an agile methodology look like in practice? Besides moving
quickly, different marketing functions can use data or customer feedback to inform how they
approach their work. For example, marketing managers can explore new channels and
methods to increase traffic, digital teams can reallocate online ad spending, and content
teams can adjust their editorial calendar or test and iterate on social media strategies.

Additional benefits to adopting an agile marketing approach include:-

 Integrated programs and campaigns: Teammates in digital, content, and product

marketing are aligned on the marketing plans and can deliver a consistent and
seamless experience to prospects and customers.
 Cost savings: Iterating means that you do not waste time and resources on
approaches that are not suited for your target audience. For example, if a channel is
not delivering the results you want, then you can quickly stop investing in it.
 14

 Data-driven decisions: Tracking real-time data gives you valuable insights into
audience behavior. Traffic, clicks, and conversion rates shed light on how your
programs and campaigns are performing — and what needs to be adjusted to better
reach customers.
 Transparency and trust: Constant communication and collaboration across
marketing teams helps ensure that everyone's skills are properly utilized and that
capacity is fairly balanced across teammates.

Agile vs. traditional marketing:- A set of guiding values for agile marketing has emerged.
Here is an overview of the differences between agile and traditional marketing:

Agile marketing Traditional marketing

Set customer-centric goals that Set business-centric goals that focus on
Define goals focus on customer engagement KPIs such as scope, schedule, and
and growth. budget.
Themes guide the activities Instead of thinking in terms of broad
Set strategic needed to accomplish the themes, tie marketing initiatives to
themes marketing goals and reach the specific projects.
target audience.
Understand Continually explore to understand Capture marketing requirements
customer which channels and messages upfront.
needs resonate with target customers.
Plan programs, campaigns, and Create an annual marketing plan with a
Build the activities in quarterly, monthly, or long-term commitment to deliver specific
marketing bi-weekly cycles with the flexibility programs and campaigns on a set
roadmap to adjust the roadmap. timeline.

Regularly reprioritize to respond Decide which projects to prioritize

Prioritize to changing customer and market upfront and adhere to a fixed schedule.
work needs.
Measure campaign progress as Plan a campaign with a set budget and
Measure you go and adapt your plans to estimate the revenue you expect from
impact see if you can improve the that campaign. Then let it run and use
results. If something is not the results to inform your next big
working, stop and change course. campaign.