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Meme of the week #37 – arghnalytics!

No tracking codes blog

Depending on your team collaboration model, the responsibility for setting-up and testing campaign tracking can be split across individuals and functions.

And with campaign analytics available across so many touchpoints through the digital journey, it’s not surprising that the ‘pixel’ ball is dropped occasionally. Just make sure it’s not a critical indicator.

Check out the meme, ‘Arghnalytics!’. Have you seen or done ‘the scream’?

no google tracking

The challenges represented by ‘Arghnalytics!’ relate to:

  • Marketing and campaign managers integrating internal and agency resources and scope 
  • Digital marketing professionals looking to ensure attributions at every point 
  • Marketing heads who have approved campaign set-up and deployment but haven’t yet pre-flight checked the data and analytics.

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #36 – internal web team

In-house web team blog

Reducing external agency spend is a completely understandable imperative.

Especially for tech business who are in the early days of creating sustainable revenue and whose funding needs to stretch a long way.

But the skill-set and decision-making logic should be questioned when the client decides to use the internal web team to produce the creative, assets, and collateral for a campaign. Where do the technical and operational skills of the web team overlap with those charged with creating and producing an array of digital (and non-digital) elements? 

Check out the meme, ‘The wisdom of using the web team’. Have you seen or done ‘the cross’? 

In-house web team meme

The challenges represented by ‘The wisdom of the web team’ relate to:

  • Marketing and campaign managers balancing support from internal and agency resources 
  • Marketing leaders assigning budget allocations to tasks and workstreams 
  • Web team managers tasked with responsibilities beyond their traditional key capabilities and training

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #35 – hidden burden of partners

Marketing partner channel blog

For smaller, early-stage vendors with propositions that are highly scalable and globally relevant in their nature, a partner channel can seem a natural extension. It’s likely that some success has come from a channel already – either formally or informally.

The challenge comes with making it happen, at-scale, on-budget, and with full control. For many, they will under-estimate the effort, resource, budget and leadership skills required to concept, build and grow that channel.

Check out the meme, ‘Hidden burden of partners’. Have you seen or felt the overload? 

Partner Channel Meme

The challenges represented by ‘Hidden burden of partners’ relate to:

  • Content marketing functions producing assets with segues into industry care-abouts and challenges 
  • Marketing managers who are keen to express the right level of customer empathy and understanding 
  • Heads of Customer Marketing looking to be on the same page as their audience

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #34 – Pandemic overcoat

Post pandemic blog

For vendors in many tech segments, the pandemic has boosted success with accelerated adoption cycles and shortened decision times.

For others, it has throttled growth because of supply chain and budget disruption. It’s a similar story for their business clients too.

So, recognising the impact of COVID-19 is key – but we need to be wary about how much pandemic narrative we add if we are to protect the longevity, vitality, positivity and currency of what we’re producing. 

Check out the meme, ‘Pandemic overcoat’. Have you seen it applied too liberally? 

Post Pandemic Meme

The challenges represented by ‘Pandemic overcoat’ relate to:

  • Content marketing functions producing assets with segues into industry care-abouts and challenges 
  • Marketing managers who are keen to express the right level of customer empathy and understanding 
  • Heads of Customer Marketing looking to be on the same page as their audience

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #33 – epic launch fail

Launch fail blog

Launch campaigns that fail at lift-off can be caused by so many contributing factors – operational, environmental, and financial. But the damage to brands can impact careers and the standing of the marketing function within the business.

Getting the campaign model, marketing and messaging is crucial to achieve orbit and protecting reputation.

Check out the meme, ‘Epic launch fail’. Have you seen or experienced the rocket?

Product Launch Fail Meme

The challenges represented by ‘Epic launch fail’ relate to:

  • Campaign and programme owners charged with laucnhing new products or services 
  • Heads of Marketing looking at the right blend of internal insights and external innovation for new GTM offers 
  • Tech Product Management teams that recognise the value of blending product marketing knowledge with market perspectives of agencies

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #32 – Budget blah, blah

On a promise blog

Seed or pilot funding to prove a new approach, channel or relationship makes business sense. But, this initial intent often far exceeds the available budget.

While not exclusive to the marketing business, there’s often pressure on the agency to provide extra-speculative investments to ensure project success – with the promise of ‘riches tomorrow’.

The cynical agency view is that team restructures, changing priorities and budget evaporation thwart  the majority of efforts.

Check out the meme, ‘Budget blah blah’. Have you told your team to get real?

Promise of more meme

The challenges represented by ‘Budget blah blah’ relate to:

  • Campaign and programme owners trying to balance the needs of restricted budget and high expectations
  • Agency account managers keen to make inroads and build an enduring relationship with a client, but tasked with negotiating free work internally
  • Marketing planners assigning budget to risky and exploratory pilot projects

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #31 – Pipe(line) dreams

Ready to buy leads blog

Anyone in the marketing and selling business will always want new business opportunities that are as close as possible to the sale. This is understandable – and why wouldn’t you?

Expectations have been heightened in recent years with developments in intent-signalling, progressive profiling, nurturing and precision targeting.

But achieving it comes at a cost – profiling, platform investment, brand building, pre-marketing, achieving buyer preference at a distance… to highlight a few considerations. If you want ready-to-buy, you can’t cut corners.

Check out the meme, Pipe(line) dreams. Have you told your team to get real?

Ready to Buy Leads Meme

The challenges represented by ‘Pipe(line) dreams’ relate to;

  • Campaign managers tasked with achieving unrealistic levels of investment return
  • Head of sales and setting expectations on marketing and sales alignment
  • Marketing and sales budget planners assigning ROI and results targets to demand programmes

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #30 – Agency slapfest

Collaboration in marketing blog

Agencies – in all their forms and types – can be a very protective bunch.

Sometimes their territorial and ‘creative protectionist’ instincts can cause interesting dynamics for client relationships.

Often with overlapping capabilities, and with an eye on wallet-share, encouraging agencies to work together can sometimes feel like trying mix oil and water. But it’s time to grow up guys!

Check out the meme, ‘Agency slapfest’. Have you experienced the antics?

Marketing cat fight meme

The challenges represented by ‘Agency slapfest’ relate to:

  • Integrated campaign managers charged with bringing external teams together that don’t want to play nicely
  • Account directors and managers agency-side that are encouraged to collaborate with fellow roster agencies
  • External agencies that are encouraged to work with ‘internal agencies’ whose mandate is to reduced external efforts and budget spend

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #29 – MS rage

Can I get that in PPT? blog

Design types can be a little prickly with their craft at the best of times.

Being precious and (sometimes over-) protective goes with being innovative and creative. But going anywhere near the territory of Microsoft Word or Powerpoint should be at your own peril!

Requests for drafts of websites, videos, ad campaigns, event stands and brochures to be shared in Powerpoint are received with derision – and with an ‘air of deflation’ that shifts in the colours/layout/fonts are going to completely ruin the art.

Check out the meme, ‘Powerpoint rage’. Have you triggered or experienced ‘the stare’?

Can I get that in PPT meme

The challenges represented by ‘MS rage’ relate to;

  • Campaign managers managing stakeholder input on programmes, where Adobe Acrobat is not a fully supported corporate tool
  • Agency account relationship owners who have to take the client requests back into the creative team
  • Content owners and managers who need to blend agency efforts with assets produced internally with corporate tools

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #28 – Copy bashing

Too many reviewers blog

Putting a copy draft into circulation can often feel like handing-in your homework or exam paper.

Despite all your research, preparation and considered editing about what/what not say, you’re still very conscious about how well it’s going to be received. Your reviewers are often an array of critics with varying degrees of comment value; relevant and irrelevant, structured and random, useful and useless. 

It’s when you get the full spectrum of feedback that the situation can feel like the meme – especially if the content has a creative dynamic too (e.g. video script, presentation, ebook). 

Check out the meme, ‘Copy bashing’. Have you got the bruises – or joined-in the bashing?

Too many reviewers meme

The challenges represented by ‘Copy bashing’ relate to:

  • Content marketers and managers producing critical content to support upcoming campaigns 
  • Product marketing managers writing their own copy to support corporate campaigns and assets
  • Marketers curating and editing existing content and copy to mobilise campaigns quickly and cost effectively 

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #26 – Avoid notion without motion

Thought Leadership blog

Thought leadership campaigns are a deliberately progressive and forward-looking tool – but they need to accommodate those in their delivery and customer channels.

An over-elevated idea, with a complex set of concepts and enablement steps can alienate the key participants and contributors you need to make it happen. At this point, your thought leadership could be causing more confusion than motion. 

Check out the meme, ‘Avoid notion without motion’. Have you experienced thought leadership that’s too lofty and incomprehensible?

Thought Leadership Meme

The challenges represented by ‘Avoid notion without motion’ relate to: 

  • Campaign managers planning and deploying thought leadership campaigns to sellers, partner channels and customers 
  • Product and seller enablement teams charged with elevating sales pitch and delivery
  • Marketing leaders recognising the need to infuse thought leadership programmes within broader portfolio marketing efforts 

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #25 – Ooops – forgot the spend cap!

PPL spend blog

Digital campaigns are so quick to create and mobilise, none more so than search PPL. But with so many programmatic considerations for search terms, audience profiling, reach, duration and versions, it’s easy to overlook important settings such as the spend cap.

The cold, lingering feeling of realising you’ve not applied it properly can ashen the face of the most seasoned digital marketer. 

Check out the meme, ‘Ooops, forgot the spend cap!’. Is this a sudden realisation you’ve felt?

PPL spend meme

The challenges represented by ‘Ooops, forgot the spend cap!’ relate to:

  • Digital marketers running multiple campaigns and channels 
  • Marketing finance and budget holders faced with higher media costs than expected  
  • Search marketing pros underestimating the volume of interest and engagement with their campaigns 

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #24 – Do you have reception for perception?

What customers think blog

Marketers have many metrics for happiness and sentiment towards their brand or products. But, even with NPS scores, sentiment analysis, and advocacy ratings at hand, many tech marketers are unable to summarise how they are perceived by customers.

This fundamental consideration (albeit sometimes reduced to a gut feel or snapshot) is missing from too many programmes, where the signals should be decoded and actioned. 

The savvy teams (and agencies) tackle these perceptions head-on, threading and devoting efforts towards success. But it starts with asking the questions, and understanding the perceptions in the first place.

Check out the meme, ‘Do you have reception for perception?’. Is your marketing acting on your customer perception? 

What do your customers think meme

The challenges represented by ‘Do you have reception for perception’ relate to:

  • Heads of social and customer marketing who have the signals and data but struggle to embed into initiatives back within the business 
  • Marketing leaders whose teams lack the feedback visibility, marketing rationale and actionable plans to inform their own team efforts  
  • All marketing (and customer facing) team members should have some awareness of customer perceptions so they can help their collective efforts

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #23 – Herding cats

Herding cats blog

The power of the crowd can increase coverage, quality and depth – and with channel partners this can be a really good thing.

But with a poor partner strategy, structure and management it can feel more like an exercise in crowd control. 

Check out the meme ‘Herding cats’. Does channel and partner marketing feel like this sometimes?

Manage Channel Partner Meme

The challenges represented by ‘Herding cats’ relate to:

  • Relationship marketers charged with leading the partner down the vendors path
  • Marketing and sales leads scaling business and revenue streams with new channels, alliances, and partners
  • Channel marketers scaling GTM efforts through channel partners with different visions and expectations 

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!

Meme of the week #22 – Data deluge

Too much data blog

As marketers, we’re now tracking more journeys, signals, consumption, interaction and exploration than ever before. That brings a HUGE amount of data and analytics to our fingertips.

But this increase in data capture is rarely echoed with a commensurate increase in resources, tools and capabilities required to convert it into meaningful, actionable, timely insights. As an industry we’re getting there, but the delta between captured data and converted insights is not narrowing quickly enough. 

Check out the meme ‘Data deluge’. Have you suffered from too much data and not enough insight?

Too much data meme

The challenges represented by ‘Data deluge’ relate to:

  • Marketing leaders dealing with increasing volumes of data afforded from platform adoption
  • Digital marketing heads challenged with converting the digital signals into meaningful marketing insights that the business can act on
  • Managers of marketing channels with insufficient fractional data for decision making  

This post is 1:50 from #WhenTheAgency, a witty collection of observations through the eyes of the tech marketing agency. All memes are available to drag and drop into presentations or social posts. Visitors are encouraged to share and create knowing smiles amongst your colleagues and peers.

The full library of memes for #WhenTheAgency is available here. Enjoy!