In conversation with CX Network, Nate Skinner, global marketing lead for CX at Oracle, discussed his thoughts and experiences with regard to the biggest marketing mistakes, their consequences and how they can be avoided. Below, we look at the discussion which took place in a recent CX Network podcast.
Marketing mistakes
The greatest mistakes essentially stem from a lack of discussion or collaboration, either internally with employees or externally with customers, noted Skinner. He explained that there is a wealth of marketing content available, explaining how to do everything from growth hacking to search engine optimization, but that none of this can educate you as to the needs of your customers in the same way that speaking to them would.
The same message holds true for the employees within an organization. Skinner noted that various departments, such as sales or product development, understand the customer journey and measure success in different ways. He explained that, as a marketer, it is your job to break these silos down and encourage a discussion that everyone can understand.
The consequences
The primary and most significant consequence of these mistakes is that you will waste both time and money, Skinner remarked. Some brands may exert a large amount of resources on delivering marketing initiatives, but never actually speak to a customer about what it is they offer that customers need, or have a constructive internal discussion about how this initiative will resonate with customers. In these instances, it is impossible to know whether you are delivering an initiative that truly resonates with customers or one that completely misses the mark.
How to avoid these mistakes
Skinner offered some interesting methods and techniques for ensuring that you are operating from the correct perspective as a marketer. He advocated a hands-on approach, stating that it could be very beneficial for marketers to spend a day or so on the phones handling sales calls and suggesting that many may be shocked to find out that they do not quite understand customers as well as they thought.
Mistakes in action
Finally, Skinner shared an example from his career of a marketing mistake that he has been guilty of in the past. This mistake stemmed from a lack of collaboration between internal teams. Skinner explained that he was championing a marketing effort but left it too late before checking if this aligned with the narrative being pushed by the creative folks.
In leaving this too late, Skinner confessed that far too much money and time was wasted on an initiative that did not fit with the overall narrative, which could have been avoided by bringing the relevant teams into the discussion from the beginning.
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