As an agency we frequently get all sorts of last-minute requests for promotional campaigns or brand activations which make us scratch our heads thinking: “Why on earth didn’t we get this earlier?”

Across the region, this seems to be very prevalent. In fact many in the fields of advertising, marketing and events seem to shrug their shoulders and simply accept it as a fact of business. Some say it’s the working culture. But if we step back and think a bit, the biggest loser can be actually the brand behind this initiative.

As marketers, communication managers, and business owners, we all lead busy work schedules where it tends to be really difficult to stick to plans!

Now, you may ask how?

Well, let me explain, for a quality communication effort to be well executed and achieve the objectives aligned with your brand strategy you need the following:

1. Clear objectives for the aim of a promotional campaign or brand activation

2. Great market insights either from the client or uncovered by the agency that can be acted upon to achieve better outcomes

3. Ample time to allow for strategic thinking and for the creative staff involved to produce quality, on-brand work that is aligned with the objectives

4. And finally, preparedness by all stakeholders to ensure the successful execution of this effort!

All the aforementioned factors require ample pre-planning and preparation to ensure your marketing dirhams are maximized.

As marketers, communication managers, and business owners, we all lead busy work schedules where it tends to be really difficult to stick to plans!

Time seems to be a luxury these days, but next time you have a last minute communication obligation, think, are you going to sacrifice the efficacy of your initiative because one or more of the factors mentioned above are lacking? Or is it better to be proactive, well-prepared and give a marketing initiative the time and respect it deserves to ensure it delivers the results you intend?

Remember, we’re always here for a friendly chat on how to prepare your brand for demanding market conditions.