CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » ‘Agile’ marketing improves adaptability
Marketing

‘Agile’ marketing improves adaptability

Flexibility, small campaigns, and collaboration are keys to an agile mindset.

January 19, 2021
Jennifer Plager
No Comments
‘Agile’ marketing improves adaptability

When the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began, many marketers found themselves stuck in long-term plans that were difficult to adapt to the changing environment. But those who’d adopted an agile marketing mindset were quickly able to pivot their plans without major disruptions.

“It’s an operating system for marketing,” says Jim Ewel, author of “The 6 Disciplines of Agile Marketing: Proven Practices for More Effective Marketing and Better Business Results.”

He will address the CUNA Agile Marketing eSchool in February.

Ewel cites four differences between agile and traditional marketing:

1. Adaptability. Agile marketing plans are shorter and are tested and revised frequently. These plans constantly evolve and change based on feedback and the market.

2. Rapid iterations over big campaigns. Traditional marketing efforts are built around big campaigns. Agile marketing is based on small campaigns that are tested and tweaked before rolling out the remaining budget in a big campaign.

This allows marketers to test parts of the campaign without fear of losing large amounts of money if the campaign fails. “Once it’s optimized, then and only then do we start spending big bucks on rolling it out because we know at that point it worked,” Ewel says.

CUNA Agile Marketing eSchool

CUNA Agile Marketing eSchool

3. Validated learning over opinions and conventions. Decisions are made based on data and analytics, not the opinion of the highest-paid person in the room. And marketers don’t make assumptions about how customers are feeling or what they want. Instead, agile marketers validate their assumptions about customers through testing and iteration.

4. Collaboration over silos. Agile marketing emphasizes cross-functional teams organized around customers, the customer journey, or a business initiative. Individuals are assigned to a specific team instead of tackling many projects at once. “Instead of competing with everyone else who is trying to get something done, you have a dedicated person solving the problem,” Ewel says.

Marketers who adopt this approach will see several benefits, Ewel says, including increased productivity, better outcomes, and transparency about what is being done and why. This leads to increased trust and adaptability to changing strategies or environments.

“In addition to being a process, agile marketing is also a mentality,” Ewel says. “Agile marketing a mindset, and you have to make the shift to that agile mentality.”

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • Reps introduce bipartisan Credit Union Board Modernization Act

  • CDFI Fund announces CUNA-sought delay to consider application changes

  • CUNA makes recommendations for CFPB personal data rights rulemaking

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

How do you feel about the economy in 2023?

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us