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How to build a winning marketing strategy – clue: don’t rely on luck!
As St Patrick’s Day approaches, Purplex MD and founder Andrew Scott explains why the ‘luck of the Irish’ doesn’t extend into business, especially when it comes to marketing.
Every year, around March 17, I organise a St Patrick’s Day party for my staff at our headquarters. Yes, we are based in England (Weston-super-Mare, to be precise) but for one day only, our office is transformed into a little corner of Ireland, complete with green flags, leprechaun hats and one or two pints of Guinness when work is finished.
It’s my way of acknowledging my Northern Irish roots, as well as having a bit of good old-fashioned ‘craic’ along the way. And prominent among the decorations we put up for the day is the shamrock, the three-leaved plant that has come to symbolise a certain brand of luck associated with the island of Ireland and its people.
The myth of business luck
However, the concept of being ‘lucky in business’ – whether you’re Irish, English or whatever – is misleading. Hard work, dedication, ‘turning up’ and pivoting when necessary all play their part. As does a robust marketing strategy, implemented consistently and measured regularly. If you have all this you’ve just about made your own luck, yet in terms of marketing I’m constantly amazed by how many companies take a scatter-gun approach.
The most common mistake I see is businesses treating marketing as a cost rather than an investment. They’ll slash budgets when times are tough – exactly when they should be marketing more – or waste money on sporadic campaigns that fail to deliver results.
The marketing wave phenomenon
This is what I call riding the marketing wave – a dangerous cycle where companies ramp up marketing when sales are down, then cut back as soon as orders improve. When leads inevitably dry up, they panic and start marketing again. This reactive approach creates a constant boom-bust pattern that prevents sustainable growth.
It’s a pattern I’ve witnessed countless times. A company experiences a downturn in sales and immediately launches various marketing activities – perhaps some advertising, a new website or social media campaign. When enquiries start flowing and orders pick up, they become too busy to focus on marketing and reduce or stop their activities completely.
Then, a few months later, when the pipeline empties and sales drop again, they restart their marketing efforts in a panic. And so the cycle continues, creating an unstable business model and preventing real, sustainable growth.
Building a strategic approach
The better approach is to view marketing as a consistent, strategic investment rather than a tactical response to sales fluctuations. A cohesive brand strategy hinges on clear messaging, a strong digital presence, consistent PR and content marketing, targeted advertising, and effective email marketing, all bolstered by strong customer service.
But here’s the crucial part – these elements must work together as part of a coordinated strategy. I’ve seen countless businesses waste money on beautiful websites that nobody visits, social media accounts that nobody follows and content that nobody reads because they haven’t considered how these pieces fit together.
Navigating modern market challenges
This approach is particularly dangerous in today’s market. With economic uncertainty, rising costs and increasing competition, businesses can’t afford to leave their marketing to chance. Your competitors certainly aren’t standing still. Take just one of our clients in the home improvement sector. When others cut back during the pandemic, they maintained their marketing investment, adapting their message and channels to the changing situation. The result? They emerged stronger, with increased market share and a robust pipeline of leads.
The key to their success wasn’t luck – it was having a clear strategy and the discipline to stick to it. They understood that marketing is a long-term investment, not a quick fix.
The role of professional marketing
Marketing has become increasingly complex, requiring specialist skills across multiple disciplines. This is why many successful businesses partner with full-service agencies that can provide both strategic direction and practical implementation.
At Purplex, we’ve spent 20 years helping companies build and execute marketing strategies that deliver real results. We combine industry expertise with proven marketing methods to create sustainable growth for our clients.
Don’t leave your business success to chance or fall into the trap of riding the marketing wave. Instead, invest in a proper marketing strategy that will build your brand, generate leads and drive profitable growth – no luck required. Happy St Patrick’s Day!
To discover more about Purplex Marketing, visit: www.purplexmarketing.com
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