Marketing is More Than Growth: The 3 Parts of a Complete Strategy — Reforge

Marketing is More Than Growth: The 3 Parts of a Complete Strategy — Reforge

"Find The Fast Moving Water"

In the world of marketing, growth is often seen as the ultimate goal. But becoming a marketing leader means understanding that there is more to marketing than just growth. It means integrating the three domains of marketing: brand marketing, growth marketing, and product marketing.

Brand marketing is all about sharing the story of why your organization exists. It creates meaningful, emotional connections with customers and reinforces the brand promise at every touchpoint in the customer lifecycle. This includes brand partnerships, drip campaigns, and more.

Product marketing, on the other hand, focuses on delivering that brand promise. It involves packaging, pricing, and making features accessible and understandable to users. It's about ensuring that the product lives up to the expectations set by the brand.

And then there's growth marketing, which is all about reaching customers and acquiring and retaining them. Growth marketing uses triggers, channels, messaging, and personalization to bring customers into the product and keep them there.

But here's the thing: these three domains are interconnected. Changes in one domain will impact the others. For example, if the growth marketing efforts bring in new customers but the product doesn't deliver on the brand promise, those customers will ultimately churn. The growth marketing strategy and brand marketing strategy need to be in lockstep to ensure that customers have a consistent experience.

That's why it's important to sequence the changes in each domain to have a compounding impact. Marketing teams that are too siloed by domain often struggle to bring these pieces together. But those that successfully integrate will have less brittle strategies.

Proactivity is also essential because changes in each domain happen over different time horizons. While growth marketing performance can be measured quickly, product and brand marketing take time to develop. The impact of these changes can unfold over years. For example, strong brand marketing can have a halo effect on paid channels.

So, whether you're a marketing leader overseeing all three domains or an individual contributor focused within one domain, it's important to look at the intersections of each puzzle piece. Aligning who, where, what, how, and why can amplify your impact.

Here are three actionable pieces of advice to consider:

1. Monitor internal and external factors: Keep an eye on audience expansion, business model evolution, and product launches. These factors can signal inflection points that require a revisit of your marketing strategy.

2. Look for technology shifts: Technology advancements create currents that can lead to new opportunities. Keep an eye out for technologies like mobile phones, blockchain, and AI platforms that enable something new to happen.

3. Pay attention to low-quality examples that are doing well: Sometimes, iconic companies are born from a second-mover advantage in fast-moving water. Look for examples of companies that are succeeding despite their low quality. This can be a sign that there's a larger current at play.

In conclusion, marketing is more than just growth. It's about integrating brand marketing, growth marketing, and product marketing to create a complete marketing strategy. By understanding the interconnectedness of these domains and staying proactive, marketing leaders can drive impactful results. So, find the fast-moving water, assess the speed and direction of the industry, and have the courage to steer your company in the right direction. Don't settle for mediocrity, and always be on the lookout for new opportunities in the market.