‘Radical Marketing’ is an expression used to describe companies that have a different approach to developing their product and growing a customer base. These companies tend to be smaller in size and either start-up situations or the rescue of an existing operation that was on the verge of collapse.
These radical firms often have very strong visceral ties with their target audience, and they focus on growth rather than profit-taking. Their products and services are a direct reflection of their values and beliefs.
In some cases, this may involve breaking traditional marketing rules and procedures. For example, a radical firm might limit the availability of its product to create a sense of loyalty and commitment among distributors. They might also use a more formulated marketing approach, relying on market research to inform decisions about their product and advertising strategies.
The company’s CEO must own the marketing function Radical marketers make sure that their company’s top individual is intimately involved in the marketing function, and in fact, drives its approach. This ensures that everyone in the organization has a high level of focus on the interaction with the market.
Be resource-constrained
In contrast to traditional marketing, Radical Marketing tend to have very small marketing budgets. They are often forced to stretch their limited resources by staying in touch with customers and knowing their demands.
Use market research cautiously
Although these companies may rely on market research in some areas, they are not afraid to make important marketing decisions based on their own instincts. This is especially true when their connections with their customers (see rule #5) are so strong.
Hire only passionate missionaries
Another way that a radical company can break traditional marketing rules is to hire people who believe in the brand and its customer base as strongly as the CEO does. These are what the authors call ‘passionate missionaries’, and they often find a role in senior marketing positions within these companies.
Be willing to try things that no one else has done before This is a fairly obvious point, but it is worth making. Radical marketers understand that the more they experiment with their marketing strategies, the better they will be at figuring out how to maximize the impact of their efforts.
They know that they must do things differently than their competitors to succeed, but they are also aware of the need to be realistic and careful in their attempts at innovation.
Lastly, these marketers recognize that their business will suffer if they do not implement the necessary changes to their marketing strategy and methods. Therefore, they will be quick to change and modify their processes when needed.
Get out of the office and meet with your customers
In many cases, this is the most crucial part of a radical marketers’ approach to business. They want to be able to see for themselves how their competitors are targeting their customers, and how their own product and service can be improved to meet those needs.
One of the most powerful benefits of digital marketing is that it provides businesses with more control over their marketing budgets than they could otherwise have, allowing them to focus resources on the best-performing channels and reallocate funds to those that aren’t performing well. This is especially helpful in uncertain times, when the need for resource-efficiency may be more important than ever.