There, we said it. The latest buzzword in town is nothing new to us, nor is it particularly our style. We’ll tell you why we really don’t care for the term “smarketing” and how at jdp, we take it to the next level.
Hold up… what exactly is marketing?
Like “Brexit” and “Brangelina” (RIP), “smarketing” is a blended name to incorporate “sales” and “marketing”. The idea is that in a business, the sales and marketing team should make a concerted effort to keep the lines of communication open at all times in order to align their messaging and present a consistent brand to their customers.
Instead of working individually and even competing against one another, sales and marketing should share the same goals and efforts and work as a team under the umbrella term “smarketing”.
Sounds good… what’s the problem?
Listen, we’re not saying we disagree with the premise. Good communication is our jam. But we take issue with the fact that this approach is reserved solely for the sales and marketing teams, and that with this approach, sales and marketing seem to operate separately from the rest of the business.
The problem many businesses have is that they view branding, marketing, and sales as something that happens at the end of a linear process instead of thinking of each department as interdependent and operating in unison.
For similar reasons, we avoid using the terms “brand” or “branding”. Your “brand” should be the same as your business, and if they’re not, then you run the risk of coming across as inauthentic. At jdp, we don’t work to create “brands” (the pretty “face” of the business) we lift the hood to take a look at the inner workings of a business and make changes from within that naturally transmit to its customers. It’s the difference between getting lipo or cleaning up your diet and hitting the gym.
jd-pROCYCLE > Smarketing
With jd-pROCYCLE, the clue is in the name. We don’t see business as a linear operation, it’s cyclical, it’s responsive, and it relies on all of the departments working together as a unified team. Yes, marketing informs sales and vice versa, but it also informs product innovation and research and development… and vice versa.
We don’t give a sh*t about Smarketing. We give a damn about the sum of all parts.
Each business has different needs and different departments, so, as we regularly say, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But what is universally true is that interdepartmental communication is paramount to improving efficiency and productivity.
But improving communication doesn’t just mean scheduling in more meetings, in fact, in some instances it can mean quite the opposite. It’s about creating systems that work for everyone, it’s about centralizing information so that all departments have access to anything and everything that could help them with their work. It’s about organizing workflows so that each team member is acutely aware of what they’re accountable for and who they are accountable to so that there’s less confusion and greater efficiency.
With jd-pROCYCLE, we handcraft systems and direct you to the best tools to get you back on the highway to reach your business goals together, as a unified team.
Get in touch with jdp
We’re grateful that smarketing has brought to the fore the problem of disconnectivity within the business. It’s something we’ve been aware of for a while, so it’s great that more businesses are considering this issue, though we don’t believe smarketing goes nearly far enough.
Don’t get sidetracked by new buzzwords. Check your pulse with jd-pROCYCLE by getting in touch and booking your free 15-minute consultation today.
