Current Marketing Trends – a Look at Big Marketing

A recent article in the New York Times outlined a unique approach to education called the Big History Project.  David Christian developed this unconventional way of teaching history in order to help students make connections between multiple different disciplines and the multiple different causes and effects, which are generally not made through the current, conventional learning methodologies. This platform correlated so perfectly with our unconventional approach to marketing, that the term Big Marketing was born.

“Most kids experience school as one damn course after another; there’s nothing to build connections between the courses that they take,” says Bob Bain, a professor of history and education at the University of Michigan an adviser to the Big History Project, who has helped devise much of the curriculum. “The average kid has no way to make sense between what happens with their first-period World History class and their second-period algebra class, third-period gym class, fourth-period literature — it’s all disconnected. It’s like if I were to give you a jigsaw puzzle and throw 500 pieces on the table and say, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m not going to show you the box top as to how they fit together.’ ”

This fall, the Big History project will be offered free to more than 15,000 students in some 1,200 schools. Christian’s TED Talk, “The History of Our World in 18 Minutes,” has been viewed more than four million times online.

See New York Times Article on the Big History Initiative
View Christian’s TED Talk

Big Marketing reflects the marketing approach we have been developing for years at Webolutions and one that we believe all marketers should utilize as they review their current, overall strategy. We typically see a pool of disconnected strategies and tactics being deployed, possibly by different departments or even different vendors, much like the disparate list of a student’s different classes above. These tactics may include advertising, websites, eNewsletters, mobile campaigns, social media, direct mail, etc… But, the critical connections for a far more impactful program are not being made. When you make these connections, you will not only achieve vastly improved near-term results, but you will be able to look further into your future success.

Big Marketing helps organizations make these connections. Instead of focusing on the typical, individual tactics and channels, we help organizations adjust their focus to look at all the overarching relationships they create.

The challenge is not only explore what you believe about your current relationships, but to also incorporate:

• People’s preconceived ideas of what a relationship should be, based on the experiences they have had in their lives
• People’s preconceived ideas of what a relationship with you should be, based on past relationships or what they have heard from other people
• The constant change and evolution of these ideas

To effectively implement Big Marketing, you must rise above the tactics and begin taking a conscious look at what you want the relationships you create to represent to people.

Organizationally, you must be able to engage:

• Leadership to establish a strong, shared and supported relationship vision
• Those involved in the relationship(s) to initiate continual feedback dialogue
• HR to ensure that this vision is clear within your organization and that you have right people to carry out this vision
• Operations to ensure that your systems and processes are able to support this vision
• Product Development to ensure that your offerings are aligned with your relationship goals
• Customer service to make sure you can create genuine experiences of value
• Marketing to ensure that your messaging and tactics are delivering the right relationship messages
• Community engagement to increase the power of the relationships you are creating

Big Marketing provides successful organizations with the ability to take the next step in their development and to create synergy within their teams, their customers and all their communities. This allows everyone to become a part of something amazing together, which is far more powerful than just making another sale.

How to use this Information

We find that most organizations are still siloed into divergent centers of responsibility.  This is the biggest hurdle to the implementation of a Big Marketing program. Working together with your team, using proven strategies, we are able to align these different areas to create a more synergic organization that achieves far better results and greater profits.

At Webolutions®, a strategic Denver marketing agency, we continually indentify and study current marketing trends. We believe in making a difference in people’s lives and that every organization has the power to shape their own destiny.

We would be happy to provide you with a complimentary one-on-one evaluation to help you develop a more effective and engaging marketing program. Contact us online  or give us a call at 303-300-2640 today.

Please feel free to share your insights, ideas and comments below.