Stepping away from the “This is how we’ve always done it” marketing mindset

How do we escape the “this is how we’ve always done it” mindset?

It can be easy to do the same things over and over again in marketing, the same types of content, the same channels – feeling a bit lost for ideas.

That’s where opening yourself up to new perspectives can help, by bringing in new ideas, shaking things up, and helping you spot opportunities that were previously unseen.

Varied data collection is key to bringing in those new ideas. Ensuring that you’re hearing valuable perceptions from different personality types and people from varied backgrounds and demographics.

Let’s look at how you can diversify your data collection both internally and externally…

Internal Perspectives

Making sure we hear all the diverse voices from your internal teams is incredibly important, often from people who haven’t been able to have a voice before.

You’ll find that you get sparks of ideas that can get you out of a slump and see new opportunities and ways to innovate.

Here are some of the ways you can make sure you’re really gathering all that diverse data internally:

Idea: Use different types of meeting formats (brainstorms, agenda-based, give time before and after meetings)

Why: Some people need time to digest and mull things over. Others are happier speaking on the fly.

Idea: 1-2-1 and small groups.

Why: Not everyone feels comfortable in a room full of people. So they may never speak up.

Idea: Verbal and non-verbal feedback.

Why: Some people can articulate themselves verbally, some are better in writing, while others might like a more creative medium like mood boards or sketching.

Idea: Internal feedback forms, team chat channels, polls, and online forums.

Why: Experiment with different ways to gather insight internally. Some people prefer a structured approach to giving ideas, and others may prefer just an open-door policy.

There are so many ways you can include all your teams to make sure you’re benefitting from their unique insight. We’ve set up idea labs and staff panels previously, which give marketing a continuous conduit to a whole host of ideas and perspectives from others in the business.

External Voices

I was recently taught a wonderful phrase:

“You can’t see the label from inside the jar”.

You can’t always identify or solve your own problems because you’re just too close to them.

Seeing that outside perspective is always a real eye-opener, hearing thoughts and ideas that are so different to our own. Sometimes the insight we uncover from our research can result in huge revelations that are often business-changing.

So, how do you ensure you’re getting a diverse outside view of your business when setting your digital and marketing strategy?

When gathering information, I’ve seen a lot of important views excluded due to the nature of the data collection.

We love to use a range of techniques to ensure we’re finding out all the facts from customers, such as:

Feedback forms and polls on a range of channels (including in-person market research, if applicable)

Desk-based research through online forums like Reddit, Quora, and social media groups

1:1 and group customer interviews

Customer panels with a mix of persona types

Public surveys like YouGov or Find Out Now

Plus varied research and data collection techniques

We often find having us as an outside agency or consultancy perspective helps too – removing existing workplace biases and preconceptions, plus having a fresh set of eyes on the strategy.

Acting On The Insight

So once you have all this data, what do you do with it?

The important thing with data is that you need to have processes in place to help you organise and curate it easily.

Data can go out of date very quickly, so it’s a good idea to have a stream of regular insight built into your day-to-day processes.

Once you have the insight, you also need to act on it fast. You’ll find that surfacing all these new perspectives will bring change and innovation with it, so you need to be ready to move and pivot when needed.

Set up a plan for how you will handle new ideas, change, and revelations. 

• Processes – Do you have processes for what action to take if you see change happening? For example, whom do you inform, and how do you get everyone on board swiftly? How do you communicate it?
• Training – do you or your team know how to upskill and pivot quickly?
• Team mindset – does your team embrace change? If not, how can you teach them to be comfortable with it?