A redhead in the White House, a new French President, a new Vendée Globe winner, new shareholders in your company, a new management team, a new sales strategy, new products to promote, prospects to win over, specifiers to convince, (fickle) distributors to energise, sales teams to engage: 2018 promises to be a busy year, no doubt about it! In this stormy ocean, you need to hold your course and find a lighthouse: agile methods to rise above it all and see more clearly.
Because every brand is unique, carrying its own history and values, it can activate its capacity for change to challenge its market and invent its future.
An ecosystem in motion
Change means moving from one state to another, and it can play out in very different areas and at very different levels. Depending on the nature, duration and intensity of that transition, we may speak of modification, mutation, evolution… or even revolution or metamorphosis!
The rise of digital and data in B2B markets in recent years has never been more stimulating for marketing and communication teams, who see in it unprecedented business opportunities. Les jeux sont faits… all bets are on!
Make no mistake: habits and mindsets are changing in the world of industry and professional distribution, sometimes (and wrongly) judged to be deeply conservative. Among other things, we can note:
- The emergence of new « disruptive » business models whose DNA is resolutely digital. The « uberisation » of the construction sector is proof of this.
- Manufacturers and wholesalers increasingly structured across multiple channels, favouring organisations that have become more cross-functional and agile.
- Blended customer journeys (call them multichannel, or even omnichannel) that feel increasingly natural, mixing remote channels with face-to-face contact.
- The questioning of the balance within the historic trio of manufacturer, distributor and professional user. The end customer is changing: how should these three players now position themselves and work together?
In 2018, brands will aim to be present across all the key interactions and touchpoints with their audiences. In 2018, brands will need, more than ever, to embody a differentiating and innovative positioning. In 2018, brands will have to develop initiatives and content centred on the « customer experience ».
And what if, in the end, it all came down to realising that you can stand out on something other than price?
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Supporting brands through change
Because every brand is unique, carrying its own history and values, it can activate its capacity for change to challenge its market and invent its future.
« By immersing ourselves in our clients' business, sharing the same codes and the same culture, we meet decision-makers and help them shift their perspective to foster change, creativity and business growth » explains Geoffrey Saugeon, Associate Director at Convergence.
Indeed, the agency supports manufacturers and professional distribution networks looking to surround themselves with a team of specialist partners to clarify their brand strategy and structure their overall marketing and communication approach. « Caught up in the urgency and reflexes of daily business, some brands sometimes struggle to step back, define future challenges and anticipate. To trigger that realisation, we invite them to ask themselves simple yet essential questions: what is my brand's strategy, identity and positioning? How should I structure my product offering to secure my company's growth? How do I build a coherent, high-performing overall marketing and communication strategy? Which levers should I activate for the future? » he stresses.
Demonstrating agility
As a true project owner's assistant, Convergence has made collaborative working its hallmark in strategic support. This stance aims to define, steer and coordinate - under the brand's constant control - the directions and actions to be deployed. Through an agile, well-managed process, the approach effectively structures the marketing and communication strategy while involving employees. Thanks to the mirror effect of the process, the teams become the first champions and drivers of the new strategy put in place.
Our objective is to build sustainable growth for our clients: an approach to the brand across all its business challenges.
The marketing objectives of this methodology are to:
- Audit and analyse the existing situation
- Identify the priority customer engagement levers, present and future
- Support the brand's (re)positioning to keep it in step with its markets
- Structure the brand portfolio, build its DNA, defend its positioning and its differentiating values
- Define a brand platform and a value promise that is coherent, relevant and identifiable
- Activate the marketing levers needed to foster long-term growth
« Convergence is lived first and foremost day to day, in the lasting relationship of trust we share with our clients and through simple principles: pragmatism, responsiveness, long-term vision. An approach to the brand across all its business challenges. Our objective is to build sustainable growth for our clients by making their brands more influential » concludes Paul Ricateau, Associate Director.
Ready to take on 2018?