ANNOTATIONS

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By Ramy Khodeir
CEO,AIM Consulting

Marketing Strategies in Chaotic Markets

FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN FACING A TURBULENT ENVIRONMENT. THE WORLD AROUND US IS CHANGING RAPIDLY, A SERIES OF HEADUNES ADDRESSING DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS SUCH AS CRISIS MANAGEMENT, CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND CHAOS MANAGEMENT ARE SEEN EVERY DAY. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO CLEAR GUIDANCE FOR THE CONCERNED EXECUTIVE WHO IS FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF DIRECTING AND LEADING THE ORGANIZATION, AND ACHIEVING HIS/HER GOALS.

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arketing managers are not far behind. They are

manager during a chaotic phase in the marketplace.

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even more disturbed with such chaotic market-

places and business environment than any other function in the organization. They are challenged or conditions.

Get Real:
The first step to adapt the marketing proposition for the --_~-~-new environment is to get realistic about the marketplace facts.. the target customers' requirements and probable adapting techniques such as spending less on certain items or shifting spending habits and priorities. To survive this era managers need to acquire different interpersonal skills such as the ability to innovate, to anticipate (not forecast through statistics models). and have the leadership skills to sustain management buy-in for

adapt their target based on customer needs in are in great need of talented and changes on

response to the changing economic environment In such times, organizations

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skilled marketers with sound and fitting strategies, and the nerve to execute and reflect external environmental internal policies and strategies. This article is an attempt to structure the actions of a reliable

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a new and changing approach. To be an active member in the new environment, the manager should talk to customers, probe with distributors and use social networks. This will help shortlist the initiatives that may save the business. Understand what chaos means: We often misinterpret chaos as "crises, change," and "down turns." A chaotic environment way we understand. is one where the consistent disaprelationships between its different variables do not behave the Or even when these relationships pear totally, like for example, if there is a consistent relationship between price and consumption habits like when the price though

drops more people will buy. In a chaotic environment, to buy. Besides, in a chaotic environment, crises management

one may decide to drop the price, it does not encourage people a manager drives his business to achieve some business objectives, while in a a manager is only supposed to minimize the losses caused by an external and unexpected situation. Identify your best fit: The role of management should be and has always been to

identify the right strategies for the business. Hence, they are supposed to develop such strategies in light of their organizational capabilities and what is required and demanded by the market. Cost cutting or downsizing may not be the right decision and is always not a strategy for a chaotic marketplace. This is more like using a pain killer to treat a symptom without treating the cause, where one may feel better for a short while but health gets worse. Instead a visionary, innovative manager should know how to formulate the most effective strategy to face a different marketplace. One of the most effective tactics to kill a good idea is to instill fear in the minds of those who need to approve it. A common fear toolkit is to use the phrase, "that proposal is somehow against our core values and will erode the spirit and foundation of the company, or this idea is not abiding with the policy ...etc." Amazingly, core values and policies were initially aimed at controlling the business environment in a chaotic environment, and not killing it. Therefore, there should be more flexibility. If Get passionate: Passion is contagious, and, if expressed and practiced, will pass on to everyone in the team and reflect on the target customers as well. The manager should try to persuade others by sharing his/her enthusiasm. The team would also need to feel it as a sanctuary for its external, uncertain and unstable environment because it concerns the team as well. ,;._
AIM Consulting, Applied Innovation Management is specialized in Srra-

a guarantee for sound implementation.

Therefore, it is always

required to learn how to get one's idea passed internally before attempting to execute it externally in the marketplace. An effective manager should consider all the risks, flaws and options to achieve a revised objective that could be achieved in a chaotic environment, and also build the right approach to achieve them. There are many reasons why an idea might fail, and exploring them will help achieve the most frtting approach for the firm,

this kind of accusation is aimed at one's idea, one should resist becoming defensive. Instead, one should acknowledge that the company values are important and explain specifically how one's idea is in line with what the company stands for. After all, we need a business that survives. Face the why-not game: Any new strategy will face the challenge of convincing all stakeholders within the organization to get their buy-in as

tegy and Innovation Management. Address: Building 17, Street 216, Deqla, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt. Website: www.aimegypt.com Email: rkhodeir@aimegypt.com Tel: +202 2521 10 10

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May-June 2011

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