Question

Topic: Strategy

Waste Of Time?

Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 1/21/2004 at 6:37 AM ET 125 Points
Do you think it is a waste of valuable time to spend weeks or even months doing market, branding, ROI analysis etc. strictly "by the book" or because that is what your professor taught you to do or that's what your competitor does?

In other words, I believe these issues are important and have to be addressed within reason, but I think too many people spend too much time crunching numbers and "what ifs" they get "analysis paralysis", then sit back wondering why they failed their client or company product.

What do you guys think?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by ReadCopy on 1/21/2004 at 8:03 AM Accepted
    Absolutely agree.
    I always operate a Straight-Forward Marketing approach, and suggest that we shouldn''t make the task more difficult that it should be.

    Anyone should be able to knock a marketing plan up in 10 hours, it needn''t be hard work. Your right that the basic figures should be used, but i have known people look back as very historic sales figures and plotted graphs based on it, it obviously means nothing on its own except they wasted lots of time producing it :-)

    I don''t think I have kept any knowledge I picked up a college anyway, its all "on the job" training and real and very practical lessons when up against tight deadlines.a

    Its also interesting to see Kotler backtracking on many of his original ideas in order to try to simplify marketing.

    Anyway, lets be honest, probably most of what we do is based on gut feeling, and we are usually right :-)
  • Posted on 1/21/2004 at 4:12 PM Accepted
    I am a firm beliver of - know before you go -
    Of course one can go om with research and analysis, in an effort to avoid actully confonting to jump into the sea and start swimming, but you won''t really know for sure if the water is icecold or not before you are into it.
    But as I said: KNOW BEOFRE YOU GO.
    Do all the preparements and reseach so you know the full picture,AND THEN jump and swim before you sink.
    You can do your homework and spend 100$ on an add to gain 1000s, Skip it and loose millions.
  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 1/22/2004 at 3:48 AM Author
    Thanks everybody!

    I enjoyed the different array of responses. Personally, I''m somewhere between Andrew and Allen.

    Although Lars an Amir make valid points, I do not believe that simply being a "seasoned veteren" instantly makes you some kind of Yoda guru. There are a tons of guys and gals out there who have been doing this for decades and STILL don''t get it!!!!

    Thanks again!!
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