Getting better all the time –and Fast! How Agile drives marketing excellence

Agile innovation methods have revolutionised the software development world for many years. Now agile methodologies are spreading across a broad range functions including marketing. Adopting an Agile approach can offer game-changing potential to launch organisations – no matter what their size - into a new phase of marketing excellence

I spend my days working with start-ups, developers and the ecosystem around them, on how IBM can help bring to life some of their dream apps by incorporating IBM technologies such as Cognitive, Analytics and Big Data via IBM Global Entrepreneur https://developer.ibm.com/startups/ . One of the questions I’m often asked by time-pressed start-up founders is how can they prioritise their sales and marketing activities to deliver investor value and still provide customers what they want with their products.

I’m going share something, which quite frankly is a little new for me but I hope you’ll find it useful.

Getting better with Agile

I’ve had a taste of Agile and I like it – And no, I’ve not taken gymnastics during my lunch-break.

 Because there is agile with a small ’a’ – meaning nimble, fast – well, who wouldn’t want to be that, right? But here I’m talking about Agile with a capital A.

 And I’ve been so fired-up by the experience, I’m keen to share with everyone who cares to listen

 Agile innovation methods have revolutionised the software development world for many years. Now agile methodologies are filtering into marketing and provides a set of values, principles and practices to help change behavior and help your marketing teams work smarter

 Waterfall

Before Agile methodology was used for software development work, there was something called the Waterfall methodology.

1. Gather requirements
2. Once that phase is over, we go to design
3. Then once the new software was designed, we implemented it
4. Then we check that it works ok
5.  Finally, we fix some bugs

 And on paper the project management plan looks a bit like a waterfall.

The problem with the Waterfall method if that once you’re in the middle of the plan, it’s quite hard to go back, e.g. If the requirements of the software have changed. This problem is not unique for software developers.

While the clear majority of marketing teams have mastered the basics of digital marketing, much remains to be done to step up to higher levels of competence and innovation and deliver what customers want.

A recent IBM study found that although 80 percent of marketers strongly believe they have a holistic view of individual customers, only 22 percent of consumers say the average retailer understands them as an individual. http://www-01.ibm.com/software/marketing-solutions/benchmark/

 These figures suggest that many marketing teams –and indeed start-ups - need to shift their approach or risk losing business. One smart way to do so is by using Agile Values, Practices, Principles and Values.

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/ibm_media/16806821308?cm_mc_uid=49043928229714541610998&cm_mc_sid_50200000=1481196417

Agile practises

It’s only when you have a methodology and can practise a new way of working that you can put values and principles into action. So, start with setting up a great team:

1.    Focus on customer and business value - have a clear vision of what success means

2.    The process is iterative and fast. Flexible, adaptive and continuously improving

3.    Collaboration and teamwork

-      usually no more than 12 people in an empowered and self-directed team.

-      Job titles, grades, bands are all thrown out here

-       Here’s some tips on becoming an Agile marketing team: http://www.silverpop.com/marketing-resources/white-papers/all/2015/agile-marketing-tips/

 Agile principles

On February 11-13, 2001, at The Lodge at Snowbird ski resort in the Wasatch mountains of Utah, seventeen people from the developer community met to talk, ski, relax, and try to find common ground. What emerged was the Agile ‘Software Development’ Manifesto. This now forms the main principles of the method:

 We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.

Through this work we have come to value:

·      Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

 ·    Working deliverables over comprehensive documentation

·      Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

 ·    Responding to change over following a plan

 That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more

 Agile Values are are trust, respect, courage and openness

What has this got to do with marketing?

Traditional marketing planning cycles look strangely familiar to the Waterfall method. But Agile methods are very relevant to the parts of marketing – particularly digital marketing – as things change so frequently

Today, with communication platforms, marketing technology and customer expectations evolving at a rapid pace, it’s a perfect time to incorporate the agile approach into your marketing organization.

Agile marketers can move quickly, launch new campaigns with confidence, embrace technical innovation and rapidly iterate those existing processes and projects to make sure they are continuously delivering highly effective results.

It’s terrific for social media marketing, constantly getting feedback on content and from customers. You’ll likely find that agile team members approach their jobs with a new mind-set, with an eye toward faster time to revenue for each project.

The good news is that agile marketing doesn’t necessarily mean working longer hours; rather, it’s a way of working more efficiently.

 Our customers are now agile - therefore so should be our marketing

 Link to slide deck: http://www.slideshare.net/AngelaBates3/getting-better-all-the-time-and-fast-how-agile-drives-marketing-excellence