marketing is long, short; slow, fast.
To keep the argument simple let's say there are two outlooks on marketing:
Long
Short
Or as Anna Herman puts it: fast lane and slow lane.
You can go read The Long and The Short of It by the masterminds behind that chart, Les Binet and Peter Field. It's worth it. It's a legendary work on marketing effectiveness.
If you're not feeling like an academic read, check out this writeup on the same idea from Anna:
https://unfck.substack.com/p/how-to-run-marketing-at-two-speeds
Anna's Substack is called Unf*ck Marketing. If you, like me, have virgin eyes not accustomed to foul language you may want to steer clear. Nah, f*ck that. You should read it.
It's a punchy† explanation of why it's important marketers think and plan and act in two speeds.
Long/Slow marketing is building a brand that people know, like, and trust. Beyond that, it's about owning a space in your target buyers' heads.
Short/Fast marketing is a sugar high that spikes sales. It makes people ring gongs while resetting revenue goals like they just left a Tony R obbins event.
"Yeah, but I'm a startup/small business. I live and die by the Short."
Whether you're small or big, The Long and The Short apply.
The Long/Slow needs space and time to get going. As Anna puts it, The Slow "needs protection" from the rush of everyday development and hustle. Your brand is The Long. It's how you stay in business longer.
Do things that build your brand.
The Short/Fast needs urgency and action. It needs hypotheses and ideas. Fast, measurable experiments that you can iterate on. Quickly.
Do things that help you learn and level up fast.
Remember: some wins are for today, some are for tomorrow. Here’s to playing the long game without missing the short.
Let me know if you’d like to brainstorm how to hit both speeds.
Peter
(320 / 500)
†If you read yesterday's note on opinions... you know.