The challenges of implementing your marketing strategy

Implementing a marketing strategy can present various challenges – some of them internal, some external. Regardless of their source, they are challenges that need to be addressed. Study the information below to find out about these challenges and possible solutions.

Challenge 1: Getting the target audience right 
Without a clear understanding of the target market, it can be difficult to create effective marketing messages and campaigns that resonate with the intended audience. Sometimes the strategy doesn’t quite get the targeting right, and that fact doesn’t reveal itself until you start communicating with them.

Solution: If you find a new target market, or perhaps that you need to segment your target audience further, that’s okay. It’s part of communicating with an ever-changing marketplace. What you did before isn’t wrong, it was just right for that moment, based on the information you had. So change as needed, and refocus your messaging on this new (or better understood) group.

Challenge 2: Keeping up with changing consumer behaviours and market trends
Consumer behaviours and market trends are constantly evolving, and it can be challenging to keep up with the changes. It requires continuous monitoring and analysis of consumer behavior, market trends, and competitors’ activities to adjust marketing strategies accordingly.

Solution: Your research must be up-to-date. Rather than research the past to determine your activities in the present, extend your consumer research to give you an insight into what is coming in the not-too-distant future. What trends can you see ahead, or what could your customers tell you about their changing needs that will help you understand where you need to be in the near-future.

Challenge 3: Community, local or world events
Ask any airline how their marketing was impacted by Malaysian Airlines losing two passenger planes. Or ask a tourism business if a global pandemic changed their marketing. There will always be events that occur that will impact on your audience, changing their own shopping habits, consumer needs or – in the case of a pandemic – their very values. So what can you do about that?

Solution: Accept that these events happen, and there is little you can do to stop the impact on your audiences. You can, however, pivot your messaging and general marketing to accommodate that impact. If your audience values change, your message might need to change with it. This is a strong argument for monitoring your audience and ensuring you are on-board with their up-to-date thoughts, feelings and values. You need to be monitoring more often to shorten the timeframes between what you already know and what you might need to know.

Challenge 4: Adapting to technological advancements
The rapid pace of technological advancements and digital disruption in the marketing landscape can pose challenges in implementing a marketing strategy. Keeping up with new technologies, tools, and platforms, and effectively integrating them into the marketing strategy can be a challenge. In 2022 we saw the buyout of Twitter by Elon Musk, which saw swathes of people who politically disagreed with them leave the platform. That changed any marketing program that included Twitter. In 2023 we saw a number of local Governments effectively ban the use of TikTok as a communication channel for political reasons. If you’re using TikTok to engage with your target markets, that could have changed for you.

Solution: Make sure that your own professional knowledge and development around technology is a priority. And the best way to ensure you are using new tools in the right way is to ensure you’re using them as tools, not toys. So find the strategic reasons why technology advancements will aid your business.

Challenge 5: Getting less-than-expected results from your marketing channels
Again, this isn’t wrong, it’s a lesson learned.

Solution: Some options for you:

• If you’re working with a long-term view, remind yourself (and company leadership) that this takes time.
• If it’s not working, you can change a few things: your creative and messaging can change, your publication frequency can change.
• If it’s not working, you can try a few things: pilot a specific message targetted to a specific group, test out a new discount strategy or free value offer.

Challenge 6: Adapting to cultural and regulatory differences
Implementing a marketing strategy in different markets or regions may require adaptation to cultural and regulatory differences. Understanding local nuances, customs, and regulations can be a challenge, and it may require tailoring marketing strategies accordingly.

Solution: Stay abreast of any changes that may be on the horizon in your local area. Keep ahead of political changes that may impact your industry and your business. Some crisis communication planning – where you have plans in place for any expected or predicted changes – would also be useful.