KO Marketing

Business is uncertain. Recession is coming. It's time to cut marketing, right?

Nope.

Here's why:

1. You won't quit marketing unless you decide to quit caring about your customers and their requirements. Marketing is all about meeting the needs of your customers.
It's time to stop focussing purely on the tactical implementation, and get to understand the market, the customer and feed this back to the business on a holistic level.

2. The businesses with the highest chance (37%) of emerging from a recession were those that adopted a strategy that reduced some operational costs while increasing spending on advertising and R&D.

Short and sweet: you won't get out of this by continuing to act the same way you did before or by keeping quiet about it.
(Source: Harvard Business Review)

3. New business needs to be coming in. A good strategy is going to provide this for you, and tell you the most effective ways to do it.

4. There are low-cost ways of marketing that require more work but are nonetheless successful, especially in B2B.
Encouraging word-of-mouth, retention, providing higher value content, cold outreach, the list goes on! Cutting "marketing" cuts this out of the equation.

This is a long game where there is an opportunity. If your competitors don't stop, you'll be left behind. If they do, you can step up more prominently.
_____

Want to get your sh*t together before it hits the fan?
KO Marketing currently have capacity for 2-3 business owners in Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty, for strategic marketing planning over the next 12 months.

SME Marketing VIP Day — KO Marketing NZ SME VIP MARKETING DAYHire A CMO For A DayAfter your 2-day VIP Intensive Experience, you’ll have a 12-month growth marketing plan customized for your business. Have more direction and assurance than most business owners ever achieve without a 6-figure CMO on their team. Does this sound like you? Yo...

Business is uncertain. Recession is coming. It's time to cut marketing, right?

Nope.

Here's why:

1. You won't quit marketing unless you decide to quit caring about your customers and their requirements. Marketing is all about meeting the needs of your customers.

It's time to stop focussing purely on the tactical implementation, and get to understand the market, the customer and feed this back to the business on a holistic level.

2. The businesses with the highest chance (37%) of emerging from a recession were those that adopted a strategy that reduced some operational costs while increasing spending on advertising and R&D.

Short and sweet: you won't get out of this by continuing to act the same way you did before or by keeping quiet about it.
(Source: Harvard Business Review)

3. New business needs to be coming in. A good strategy is going to provide this for you, and tell you the most effective ways to do it.

4. There are low-cost ways of marketing that require more work but are nonetheless successful, especially in B2B.
Encouraging word-of-mouth, retention, providing higher value content, cold outreach, the list goes on! Cutting "marketing" cuts this out of the equation.

This is a long game where there is an opportunity. If your competitors don't stop, you'll be left behind. If they do, you can step up more prominently.

_____

Want to get your sh*t together before it hits the fan?

KO Marketing currently have capacity for 2-3 business owners in Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty, for strategic marketing planning over the next 12 months.

Now is not the time to stop spending on marketing.

It’s just time to reassess how you’re spending it.

Time stops for no one, and if your marketing doesn’t adapt to those changes in the market, you’re going to fall behind.

I totally understand … it’s not easy to market in a fever economy or recession, because it often goes against our instincts and standard operating norms.

What was once commonplace may now be taboo.

What was unheard of once may now be the norm.

Companies that have bounced back most strongly from previous recessions usually did not cut their marketing spend, and in many cases actually INCREASED it.

They viewed advertising as an investment rather than an expense.

And that’s how we should all view marketing.

Always.

________

I currently have capacity for 2-3 clients based in Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty who are ready to take bold action and get prepared with 12-month marketing strategy to not just survive, but thrive.

Is this you? Get in touch [email protected]

Are you thinking about cutting your lifeline this year for the sake of a leaner budget?

If you own a business or make decisions for one, picture it as an aeroplane. Your business, like an aeroplane, requires both engines and wings to stay in the air ✈️

The engines of your plane are sales and marketing. These are the forces that propel your business forwards and generate revenue.

Wings are your product. To maintain a high and safe ‘cruising altitude’, your products and services must be:

💪🏻 Strong - they are profitable
📈 Light - they are in-demand

When you hit turbulence - what are you going to do?

You're not going to eject or turn off the engines on your plane.

You are not going to do away with sales or marketing. Instead, you'll concentrate on improving their efficiency and effectiveness.

You’re not going to spend less and make these engines less powerful.

Instead - reevaluate your products.

Are your wings - your products or services - still in demand enough to keep your plane in the air?

Let's take a look at those first.

Are those products and services 'light' and 'strong' enough to see your company through a downturn?

Don't turn off your engines unless calling mayday is on your 2023 to-do list. Keep your marketing and sales strong, and keep your business flying high.



📸

One thing I get asked all the time?

"How do we set marketing goals we can actually achieve?"

Setting goals may seem like a straightforward activity, but over time I've began to view it as a kind of art that required skill, ongoing improvement, concentration, and a little bit of playfulness (unless you want to drive yourself crazy).

How do you set goals that are challenging yet still achievable (is there an exact formula for this, like always shoot for x% more than last month)? Should you set one, three, or six goals? Should you set a fresh objective each week, month, quarter, semester, or year? How do you choose which objective is most essential when there are a billion urgent things that need to happen when your small business has to develop quickly? How can you avoid letting other things, like alluring partnership chances or new tactics you want to test out, get in the way of your goals (once you've ultimately settled on them)?

I hear these questions ALL THE TIME - so if you've been stuck on it, you aren't alone.

Our top pointers for your next goal-setting session

👉 Invest some time in fully understanding your current position in order to set achievable marketing goals.
👉 Select 1-2 core goals with a financial impact together with 3-5 supporting goals. Anything more than that will keep you from focusing on what's most important.
👉Alternatively, try concentrating just on one goal.
👉 Choose goals that you actually care about accomplishing (be authentic).
👉 Don't only concentrate on the finish line; trust and enjoy the process!
👉 Utilize as much data and information as feasible while pursuing each new marketing goal.
👉 Ensure that your short-term goals are constantly in alignment with your long-term goals.
👉 Make sure everyone from your team is on board when setting marketing goals.

Looking for an outside perspective on your marketing goals? Book in for a 1:1 Marketing Clarity session today https://calendly.com/kelsea-oconnor/1-1-marketingclarity?back=1&month=2023-01

KO Marketing NZ Solve Bigger Problems. Build unstoppable growth with KO Outsourced Marketing Management and Strategy HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU BRAND BUILDING I need help creating (or cultivating) a brand! BRAND & marketing ROADMAPPING I need help aligning my business goals and marketing goals, and having a clear roadm...

“Every time I have tried to invest in marketing in the past, I have failed. How are you different?”

Yeap, I get it. I hear this all the time.

And today I am not going to go into why OTHER agency services may not have achieved you the result you want - that’s not what I am about.

But what I AM about? Is making marketing simple for YOUR business.

👉 We don't actually do any tactics - my goal is to empower you with a roadmap to be doing the right things for YOUR business.

👉 We are an extension of your team, we stay boutique in nature to create exceptional relationships.

👉We aren't going to sugar coat it and give you a silver bullet. Marketing and brand takes time and consistency - but it will return you results that provide the long-term sustainability you need to survive and thrive.

It’s some of the secret formula that goes to helping every one of our clients achieve consistent and successful marketing that gives them long-term sustainability. And I am so proud of it.

If you want to chat further about how I can help - in a different way than what you may have experienced before - hit the link in bio and book your time to chat.

Make consistency your loudest statement.

And that’s a wrap 2022! Before the Christmas vacay has me neck-deep in a Coconut Water or 3 in Raro 🌴, it’s time to take a moment to pause and reflect on *the year that was*

12 months ago, I made the decision to pivot away from agency services and double down on strategy and management. I also took the plunge and moved to Auckland mid-year, and man, has it been an incredible year of growth and change!

We've seen tremendous growth in our clients' businesses (and our own), learned valuable lessons, built stronger foundations, and formed some truly amazing relationships.

I owe a huge deal of gratitude and thanks to all of our clients, contractors, and media partners for making this possible.

I'll be back in action on January 9th, ready to help more of you crush goals in 2023. Let's make it a year to remember 👊🏼

In the meantime, take care of yourselves and enjoy the break.

We may not know what the new year holds in store, but it will be a time we are truly tested for how fast we can move on our feet, and how readily we're willing to accept and act on the state of our circumstances.

What the next chapter looks like for your business doesn't just rely on the circumstances, but on how you choose to face them.

See you soon,
Kels 🤍

You cannot afford to not plan 2023.

Next year will not be like the last few years, and that means you can’t take the same approach to planning.

Ideally your marketing plan needs to have 3 parts. One for the ride down, one for the ride up, and a third for the acceleration after.

Stage 1️⃣Soften The Downfall

👉🏻 Maintain ability to pivot, turn off irrelevant campaigns
👉🏻 Use all the data you can to understand consumer behaviour
👉🏻 Build a process that is efficient and effective.

Stage 2️⃣ All Effort to Shorten Duration
👉🏻 Double down on brand loyalty
👉🏻 Focus on more content and value through content
👉🏻 Don’t be afraid to try something new

Stage 3️⃣ Earn The Time Back
👉🏻 Spend more than ever
👉🏻 Continue to measure consumer behaviour
👉🏻Diversify your revenue streams

This is going to be a time we are truly tested for how fast we can move on our feet, and how readily we’re willing to accept and act on the state of our circumstances.

The biggest danger for most kiwi SMBs is to stay optimistic rather than cautious, so be BRAVE! What the next chapter looks like for your business doesn’t just rely on the circumstances, but on how you choose to face them.

🔗 to plan in bio

Audience & Customer Insights are going to be more important than ever in 2023.

As the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed, and by using data to uncover consumer insights, there are several ways you can put your business in the best possible position to minimize the impact of any potential economic downturn.

Do you want to go out of 2022 with a BANG 💥

We mainly work with mid-sized companies turning over multi-millions, but I know just how frustrating marketing can be especially in those early start-up days and for small business owners who got into business because they love their craft!

That’s why we created our brand and marketing clarity sessions.

Usually our strategy rate starts at $5000+, but with 2023 about to throw a few more challenges at small business, we have opened up 30 minute and 1 hour consult blocks starting at just $250+GST

Our strategy guru Pat will jump on a 30 minute or 60 minute call with you and go through any marketing issues you have.

Through this 30 or 60 minute chat, we can help you get a better understanding of your target market, identify the best channels for your organic & paid media strategies, niche your brand messaging, and more!

Pat is a seasoned Digital Marketing Strategist with a focus on B2B, B2C, and eCommerce brands. Certified in Google Analytics, Google Ads, Amazon Ads, Hubspot CRM, Drift, and more. Pat also has a diverse background in organisational leadership, business operations, martech, marcomms, and sales.

We are only taking on a maximum of 10 clients for the rest of the year, and these will book out fast! If you want more info, drop a comment below and I will fire you through the info.

You’re investing the capital ✅
You’re engaging a content creator, social media manager, GoogleAds Manager, etc. ✅
You’re actually advertising ✅

And it’s STILL failing 🫠

It sounds like it should be simple, but at the end of the day your banging your head against a brick wall asking yourself WHY is it still failing?

99.9% of the time the missing link is your marketing strategy which is more often than not the forgotten child of the business.

Go back to the foundations and understand:

👉🏻 Who are YOU?
👉🏻 What is your WHY?
👉🏻 What is your position in the operating market?
👉🏻 Who are your customers and why they buy from you?
👉🏻 How does your business access revenue?
👉🏻 What services and products you provide (that the market actually want)?

Without an understanding of these factors, your marketing will stay in this cash-pit cycle.

Here's your challenge. Take a look at your brand & business and ask yourself these questions 👇🏻👇🏻

❓ Are you consistent in the way you represent your brand visually across all the channels you use? This includes your website, social, and all other collateral.

❓ Is your messaging clear, simple, and consistent across all touchpoints?

❓ And most importantly, are you living up to the original mission & vision of your business or have you forgotten why you are doing what you are doing?

Reflecting and evaluating your brand is one of the most important thing you can do to grow

It's OK if things have pivoted, but make sure that 'pivot' is now reflected in how you represent yourself out there in the world

It's you against you.

If you're going to compete to win in business, compete against yourself by making your brand the best it can be.

Time spent obsessing on what you're competitors are doing vs not doing only distracts you from your own mission, vision and business goals.

It's OK to know what your competitors are doing but don't let it consume you.

The #1 thing most of our clients had in common before starting working with us? A total lack of marketing planning.

Dedicating time to this important task is critical for business growth. To put it into perspective some big brands spend months proactively planning the years ahead.

If you're relatively new to the game, or haven't practiced this important aspect of your business, start small.

Spend 1 day thinking about your marketing plan.

Write out what you want to achieve in the next 90 days.

What products/services do you want to prommote?

What resources do you need to make it happen?

WHO do you need to make it happen?

What budget can you allocate to these activities?

And simply do it.

This will keep you focussed, inspired and less REACTIVE. By simply planning things out, it puts you in a PROACTIVE space leaving you feeling a bit more in control of your business.

Still not sure where to start? We currently have limited space for the rest of 2022 to help business owners roadmap the next 90 days and 2023!

www.komarketing.co.nz/services

Tuesdays are for brand foundational work 💖

Nothing's more important than crystallising your brands mission, vision, values, brand personality & voice. It informs EVERYTHING you do and how you move forward in business.

Helping SME business owners articulate the type of company they want to build is one of the things I love most about what KO does!

And when it has a bigger purpose that WILL impact humans in a POSITIVE way well.... that's a bonus.

If you haven't defined these critical aspects of your business - make the time to do so.

It will give you clarity + focus and inspire you to take action.

We get it, social and digital marketing is where it's at BUT, let's not forget real human connection and the simple marketing opportunities that have been tried and tested

✨ Talk to people
✨ Let people know you exist
✨ Collaborate
✨ Partner

You'll be surprised how effective it can be for your business.

Don't be afraid to try new things in your business.
Evaluate what works,
what needs enhancements
and identified what failed.

LEARN then optimize.

Don't let fear of something not working prevent you from testing things out.

You never know until you TRY.

A rule we personally live by .

Beyond proud of what our team has managed to pull together over the past 18 months!

The much anticipated moment you've all been waiting for....

The final tally has been completed and MET for Mental Health Gala has raised $90,000 which is donated to I AM HOPE for use in the Nelson/Tasman region!

A HUGE thank you to all the sponsors and supporters that have come on board the mission to make a change for our Rangatahi. This contribution is going to make a life-changing difference for so many in our community ❤️

One of the reasons I got into business was because I seen it as a way to drive change.

To me, it’s simply unacceptable that it takes 3+ months to get mental health support unless you’re actively suicidal. Especially in the current climate of the world.

Marketing isn’t going to solve this problem, but through KO, we’ve managed to give back and create The MET for Mental Health alongside our incredible clients at Hubbers Flooring & Soft Furnishings.

Our purpose is to make mental health resources and help accessible to our hometown of Nelson/Tasman - via I Am Hope and Gumboot Friday. A resource that has helped me connect with incredible mental health professionals who have changed my life.

We hosted the first of our events last month on a typical South Island winter night, it was mind-blowing to see over 100 people come together for a chat about the current state of things, and more importantly the action to take to make real change.

Our next event on September 10th takes it to a whole new level, and with the action here - we aim to fund over 750 counselling sessions for U25s. I just did a final release of tickets, feel free to fire me a message if you’re in the area and want to join in the fun.

Never underestimate the power of a purpose ❤️

Would you like to understand why your marketing efforts just aren’t working?
Or what you could do to uncover more customers, or to generate more profit from those you already have?

Over the next few weeks, we've made time to help some businesses get their marketing back on track through our health check that we usually only go through with clients.

Why are we doing this? There's a lot of doom and gloom out there currently, and most businesses who don't have a marketing plan in place crash and burn through a recession.

Yes, this is a great tool for us to show you how we work and the value we can bring to you if you decide to engage us- but at the end of the day we want to make sure we're doing our part to help NZ business owners win in business.

Claim it 👉 https://www.komarketing.co.nz/health-check

What would happen if you reframed problems as an opportunity and took action fast? Like the team at KPS, you come out on top 🏆

Keep up the great work Kyrewood Saddlery 💪🏼

You can’t grow your business and stay ahead of the competition if you’ve burrowed into a hole to wait out the storm. But that’s exactly what some companies do when times get tough.

Some quick wins to help you come out on top over the next few months?

👉 Realign marketing goals to growth opportunities
👉 Review and update your marketing plan - fear changes how people think, feel, and act, so a marketing plan created in the last 2 years may not be relevant anymore.
👉 Redirect spending according to an up-to-date marketing plan.
👉 Reallocate marketing investment and budget to reduce waste.
👉 Review and document marketing processes. Find the 'leaky holes' before it sinks your 'ship'.
👉 Audit your tech and make sure you are taking full advantage of it.

Here to help Kiwi Businesses make strategic marketing decisions, touch base if you need a hand 👋🏻

https://www.komarketing.co.nz/blog/5-tips-to-prep-your-marketing-for-recession

Our psychology influences most of our decisions, these are the four key psychological factors that are influencing your prospects to buy.

Remember your audience has more than one factor to consider. When you understand them, you can leverage them.

Strategy and tactics are not the same.

How we like to explain it is by thinking of strategy as the destination and the route to that destination, and then tactics are the specific actions you are going to take along the way to help you get there. Your strategy defines your tactics, you must develop your method to then inform your motive.

Now, this doesn’t mean that these tactics can’t be adjusted and course-corrected along the way… Never be afraid to pivot during implementation. Tactics can and do have an influence on the success of your strategy, so if adjustments need to be made, you can simply adjust your tactics to better reach your destination, rather than having to change your destination all together…

If you map your strategy, and execute it carefully. We can guarantee you’ll generate solid results.

https://www.komarketing.co.nz/blog/importance-of-marketing-strategy-for-your-business

WE ARE BACK.

AKL based and ready to party (party as in, create data-driven and creatively executed strategies for businesses keen to WIN)

If you are ready to make a statement. Let’s chat!

https://www.komarketing.co.nz/contact

What do you remember most about your journey when purchasing a product or service?

Like when you go out to a restaurant and the service is well below par, and that’s all you can remember even if the food was amazing. So, you decide not to go there again, and that you’d rather spend your money on restaurants that car about your experience…

Well. Let’s chat on how we can translate that to business shall we?

On average, almost 65% of a company's business comes from repeat customers, while focusing on increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%. The more loyal an individual becomes to a business, the more likely they will try new products or bring in new customers.

How? Well, that’s what we are here for 😏

https://www.komarketing.co.nz/contact

Sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to win the game.

Our approach is thorough, and we work in a truly collaborative way that puts what is best for growing your business and brand at the heart of everything we do. It’s how we can promise to deliver a better experience and a winning outcome.

If you are a business owner looking to level up your game, we currently have limited openings for new clients. Enquire through the link below.

https://www.komarketing.co.nz/contact

Would you get in the car, put the GPS onto Queenstown and start driving hours down the country without a reason to go?

With these fuel prices that’s a hell no 🙅🏻‍♀️

So why would you do this with your business?

You may be doing all the social media posts, posting blogs, sending out emails - following your “plan” - but at the end of the day, if you don’t know why you’re doing it, you’re not going to get the results you want.

Think of your marketing plan as your roadmap, clearly identifying the plan of action for your marketing efforts.
Your marketing strategy on the other hand, describes the overarching reason for how your marketing efforts will help you achieve your goals.

Marketing Strategy

Shaped by your business strategy, your marketing strategy is your purpose; it's the offering you deliver, how you will deliver it and why your marketing efforts will help you achieve your company’s mission and strategic goals.

While many people think about jumping into action when it comes to marketing, having a clearly defined marketing strategy is incredibly important for your business growth. Once you have your strategy, only then will you be able to develop an effective marketing plan.

Marketing Plan

Driven by your strategy, your marketing plan is the ex*****on; the roadmap of tactical marketing efforts that help you achieve your marketing goals. Your plan is your detailed campaign of what you will do, where you will do it, when you will implement, and how you will track success.

https://www.komarketing.co.nz/marketing-strategy