Being a marketer in 2024 is definitely no joke. Trust me—I’ve lived it. We’re up against a lot: economic uncertainty, shifting consumer behaviors, shrinking budgets, and, oh yes, a tech stack that’s taller than the Burj Khalifa.
So, if you’re feeling like marketing is a game of survival, you’re not alone. The good news? There’s always light at the end of the tunnel—or at least, that’s what I tell myself.
How do we make sense of it all? By focusing on three key guides to keep you results-driven and on course: Indicators, Results, and Customer Insights.
But first, let’s explore why aligning your team, tracking the right metrics, and gathering deep customer insights are key to thriving in this new era of marketing.
Start Here: Nothing is Certain
Marketing has been pulled apart into more specialties than we can count—content marketing, SEO, digital strategy, and more. And with the rapid advancement of AI, even more specialties are being developed. We’ve mastered segmentation, targeting, and all the buzzwords in between. But there’s one thing we still can’t nail down: certainty.
Every marketer knows the feeling—you pour your heart (and budget) into a campaign, but you can never guarantee the outcome. One minute, your strategy is perfectly aligned, and the next, a global pandemic or a sudden shift in consumer preferences leaves you scrambling.
Yes, the world is unpredictable. Serial entrepreneur and best-selling author Peter Hinssen put it perfectly: we’re living in the ‘never normal,‘ a constant state of change where nothing ever stays still. Sound familiar?
This unpredictability is why marketers turn to strategy for guidance. And while strategy is crucial, I believe it’s the alignment with your team and a deep understanding of your customers that truly bring you some assurance.
You can’t control the universe, but you can control how aligned your team is. With a strong strategy and clear roles, you’ll be able to adapt—no matter how unpredictable things get.
It’s a Team Sport, Folks
Marketing has evolved, and so has the way teams should approach it. Gone are the days when marketing departments could work in silos.
If you want real results, everyone—sales, customer service, product—has to be on the same page. Everyone has their role, and all players work together toward a common goal.
Without this, our marketing efforts can feel disjointed, with each department pulling in different directions. When teams are in sync, magic happens. And by magic, I mean 67% better closing rates and 19% faster revenue growth. The numbers don’t lie.
Kelly Hopping, CMO of Demandbase, emphasizes that “sales and marketing alignment is not just about passing leads from one department to another; it’s about operating as a single, cohesive unit.” This isn’t a handoff; it’s a partnership that spans the entire customer journey, from awareness to purchase.
Here’s a question to ask yourself: how well is your team working together to hit those long-term goals?
KPIs are Just the Start: See the Bigger Picture
When people talk about keeping teams aligned, measuring results, and getting everyone involved, marketing KPIs are often the key tool.
As a data advocate, I’ve always appreciated the role KPIs play in measuring performance. Metrics like click-through rates, bounce rates, and conversions provide useful indicators of success, but they don’t tell the full story.
To drive long-term growth, we need to adopt a more holistic approach to data analysis. Johnny Corbett, an independent marketing specialist, sums it up perfectly: “An indicator is a nuanced thing. A sign, a signal. It’s directional and much broader than a simple, blunt metric.”
Metrics should be directional tools, not definitive answers. Corbett also warns that dashboards can encourage short-term thinking, fail to capture deep customer insights, and often focus on metrics that don’t drive long-term performance.
Furthermore, relying on third-party platforms like Google and Facebook is becoming riskier thanks to tightening privacy laws. That’s why first-party data, which comes directly from your customers, is crucial for building personalized, long-term strategies.
Nike, for example, uses apps like Nike Run Club and Nike Training Club to track user activities such as workout preferences, running habits, and fitness goals. These apps have been instrumental in generating insights from over 300 million Nike members.
Nearly 50% of Nike’s digital revenue is driven by engagement with its app ecosystem. It shows how first-party data could help your brand move away from third-party data dependency.
If we take a page from Nike’s book, we’ll start gathering insights straight from the source and build deeper, more meaningful connections that lead to long-term success. Speaking of insights, let’s talk about how you can use them to win over your customers.
Customer Insights: The Heart of Value-Based Marketing
“The customer is always right”—a phrase we’ve all heard, but how often do we really listen? Customer insights—like knowing their preferences, challenges, and behavior patterns—are the backbone of modern marketing success.
In fact, 84% of customers say they’re more likely to buy from brands that treat them like a person, not a number. It may sound obvious, but the key insight here is that brands that truly understand their audience create value that resonates deeply, building loyalty and long-term results.
Stefan Michel, a marketing professor, advocates for a modern approach where companies co-create valuewith their customers based on deep insights.
A perfect example of this shift can be seen in Burger King’s “Bundles of Joy” campaign. Launched in partnership with BBH London, the campaign tapped into an emotional, universal moment—post-birth cravings. At the core, Burger King did their research—they knew from their Mumsnet survey that 39% of new moms craved post-birth and used those insights to create a campaign that resonated with its target audience.
The brands that listen, understand, and act on customer insights are the ones that will thrive. Are you ready to start listening?
Bringing It All Together: My 3 Guides for Thriving in 2024
Now that we’ve explored the importance of team alignment, moving beyond KPIs, and the power of customer insights, let’s bring it all together with the three key guides that help me stay on track when working with clients. They ensure that I’m always moving in the right direction, even when marketing can feel unpredictable.
- Indicators (KPIs): These metrics—like email open rates, conversions, and clicks—provide a sense of direction. They give you measurable indicators of performance and help you identify what’s working and what needs adjustment.
- Results (Sales & Profits): Results are the tangible outcomes—sales, profit margins, and customer acquisition. They reveal how well your marketing efforts translate into business growth. This is where your buddy in the sales department becomes invaluable. Sales figures give you context and show how marketing impacts the bottom line.
- Customer Insights: This is where the heart of value-based marketing lies. Understanding your audience through research and direct feedback takes time and effort, but it’s critical. Knowing your customer deeply allows you to create campaigns that resonate, build loyalty, and drive meaningful engagement. Without these insights, you’re essentially marketing in the dark.
The best part? These strategies work no matter your size—whether you’re Nike or a local business down the street.
By focusing on these three things—tracking your KPIs, measuring real results, and understanding your audience—you’ll keep your marketing strategy sharp, no matter how unpredictable things get.
Every big success starts with small steps. So, what will be your first step toward understanding your audience today? Share in the comments!