Before the Internet became a hub for mass marketing, traditional media fueled business success. Paper, radio, TV, and direct mail ads were powerful channels for companies to connect with consumers effectively.
Since the advent of digital marketing, businesses have grappled with a rapidly shifting environment vulnerable to overnight transformations. New platforms have made it easier to create an omnichannel social media presence and drive brand awareness across all fronts, but some industry professionals question the efficacy of an ‘all hands on deck’ approach.
Alexander Ferenczi, founder of innovative branding and marketing agency Advocaczi, proposes a way to combat ‘shiny object syndrome,’ which involves developing a refined marketing strategy that provides sustainable results. This article examines the industry’s obsession with the next big thing and questions whether this mindset will drive business success in the future.
The Internet has fundamentally transformed how businesses reach target audiences. This shift has brought new strategies, opportunities, and challenges to the forefront of the global marketplace, but there are drawbacks to battling for consumer attention on the World Wide Web. These obstacles are especially prominent for small businesses already tasked with navigating an environment built for larger, more capitalized ventures.
Alexander’s firm has developed a novel framework – Profit-First Flywheel™ – democratizing world-class marketing services for small businesses. The philosophy is fueled by a proprietary SaaS tool that integrates multiple marketing funnels in an all-in-one platform. The solution provides SMBs with a cost-effective method to develop sustainable and effective marketing strategies. It also begs marketers to take an honest look at why they’ve become a jack of all trades but master of none.
Since marketing has gone digital, competition has soared. Companies must fight tooth and nail to cut through the noise of advertising channels. As they struggle to keep their heads above water, businesses can’t help but think about the competition. They fall victim to FOMO and look over their shoulder incessantly, wondering what everyone else is doing.
Digital marketing feeds this cycle of distraction, encouraging marketers to follow fads instead of building a solid foundation. This makes their work sloppy, especially if they’re spreading their attention across multiple platforms. The company may expand its customer reach and sales opportunities, but these results are ultimately ineffective. Highly complex marketing strategies also complicate user behavior analysis, obscuring what tactics work best.
As someone who witnessed the industry’s shift from traditional to digital, Alexander recognizes why shiny object syndrome is so common. “Marketing is fundamentally about attention, awareness, and messaging. In an age where you’re competing with millions, pumping out content 365 days a year seems worthwhile, but what you’re actually left with is clutter and misaligned objectives,” he says.
The Advocaczi founder stands behind a less is more approach where brands don’t skimp on the fundamentals. He goes far enough to suggest that some marketers overlook weaknesses in their current funnel to focus on new tools and tactics they don’t need. Alexander advocates for a daily dose of marketing fundamentals to ward off poor performance. “Scaling back an overly complex marketing strategy won’t kill a brand. If anything, it will help the team reassess their messaging and better engage with a target audience.”
After all, successful marketing is based on six main principles:
- Make sure people know you exist
- Make sure people have a problem to solve
- Make sure people know you can solve it
- Make sure they have a desire to solve it
- Make sure they believe you can solve it
- Make sure they have the budget to solve it
These fundamentals can seem overwhelming for a small business to master, but Advocaczi offers them a simple way to manage each category. With Profit-First Flywheel™, SMBs can reactivate previous customers and replenish their funnel. Advocaczi helps clients further elevate their marketing strategy with add-on services ranging from SEO, content creation, and advertising. When deployed slightly before high-demand seasons, the brand attracts new clients who can easily become loyal customers. When used in tandem with Advocaczi’s annual end-to-end marketing software, these ‘sprints’ allow SMBs to consistently tap into brand value without sacrificing quality.
Alexander expects competition to intensify in the marketing industry but doesn’t see the point of fear-mongering. He encourages small businesses to stay realistic about the future landscape to achieve long-term success. “It will become consistently more challenging to stand out when AI democratizes creative and consumers have tuned out from last season’s most profitable advertising channels, but that doesn’t mean a disaster is waiting to happen. Brands will still be able to conquer the same challenges with new platforms and channels of consumption. Their key to success is a data-driven marketing strategy with a few main objectives.”
