Making the case for change within a company means “creating an anxiety with today and an excitement with the future,” former Procter & Gamble Chief Marketing Officer Jim Stengel said at the Mobile Marketing Association SM2 conference in New York City.
In a conversation with MMA Global CEO Greg Stuart, Stengel praised mobile’s potential for bringing marketers closer than ever to consumers but warned that you “have to respect that” closeness and also “do something interesting” to attract their attention.
Stengel offered marketers a three-step plan for approaching mobile.
- Understand the consumer
There’s no question that mobile devices are important to consumers, but why they’re important and how consumers are using them continues to change. Staying on top of these trends and how they’re relevant to your brand is essential. - Create a communications plan
The insights you gain from consumers should be applied to a concrete plan. Stengel said that while at P&G, he chose not to compare his efforts with P&G’s competitors, instead benchmarking his company against the top global marketers. Setting hard-to-reach goals propelled P&G to new heights, he said. - Come up with ideas
Don’t worry about execution, or which devices you’ll target, or who you can partner with — all those are important, but they’re meaningless if you haven’t created compelling ideas. The answers to those former concerns will become clear after you have ideas in hand.
If there is resistance to change, it’s up to marketers to lead the transition, Stengel said. Mobile experimentation will be good for your company and for your career.
“You’ll learn things, you’ll stand out and you’ll be on the cutting edge.”