What advice do you have for peers looking to balance the need for short-term marketing agility with long-term brand consistency?

A major challenge for any CMO is meeting daily requests and activities (the show must go on) with intentional long-term brand building. You do it concurrently. Build your marketing plan so that you're driving business and executing upon campaigns, but add time and space for long-term evaluation and planning. On a practical level, perform an annual audit of a selection of your marketing and gauge for consistency.

Agility should be in the definition of marketing, in my view! As marketers, we should have both proactive and reactive messaging and effort. Telling your audience what you want them to hear is ok, but listening to what they need is another thing entirely, and often calls for a quick pivot. Sometimes we need to jump into the dinghy and shoot to shore, and sometimes we ride the ship as it slowly changes course. Both are elemental. Short term agility won't replace your foundational brand message, style and offerings.

Creating a strategic plan with regular checkpoints helps balance agility and consistency. It's okay to adapt based on market conditions, but a strategic plan anchors you. It allows for agility while maintaining long-term consistency. Strategic planning is essential for successful marketing.

It's easy to get sucked into trends like TikTok or Instagram. Focus on connecting with audiences without compromising on mission and values. Clear communication and listening are key to maintaining long-term consistency. Trialing new propositions is important, but resource constraints can hinder innovation. Balance is crucial.