The common holiday movie mistake you could be making in marketing

I love the month of December: the sparkling lights, the falling snow, and the freshly baked cookies. I also enjoy curling up in front of the TV to watch those corny Christmas movies because they make me happy.

Interestingly, a fairly consistent theme I've observed in Christmas movies is conflict driven by assumptions and poor communication (if you watch these movies, I'll bet you would agree). I meet with many different marketers throughout the year, and it's interesting to hear common frustrations that echo this Christmas movie theme.

Does it ever feel like your marketing initiatives are hitting a wall? Maybe you're constantly fielding random last-minute requests or struggling to get buy-in for your initiatives. At the core of these frustrations lies a common culprit: poor alignment between marketing and other teams.

Misalignment doesn’t just slow your progress—it derails your success. Without clear communication and collaboration, great ideas are lost, departments operate in silos, and opportunities to elevate your organization are missed. It’s a cycle as predictable as the miscommunications in your favourite Christmas movie—and just as frustrating.

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You don’t have to settle for disjointed marketing efforts. Taking a few intentional steps can bridge the gaps, foster collaboration, and align your marketing with the rest of your organization. Here’s how:

Encourage open dialogue

Make it safe for all team members to share their ideas, no matter how unconventional. Some of the best ideas can come from, or be spring-boarded off, those ‘way-out-there’ thoughts.

Tip: When you encourage and receive these ideas, always express your thanks and let them know they have been heard - even if not all ideas can be actioned immediately (or sometimes at all).  

Establish clear channels to communicate

Sometimes it's great to have people knock at your door to share an idea or thought with you. But often, that can be quite distracting and create inefficiencies in your workday. So how can you manage getting these great ideas from coworkers while still getting your work done?

Some distraction-free ways for others to share ideas could be a dedicated e-mail address, open-door times, or even a suggestion box— these can help you balance creativity with efficiency.

Build a cross-functional team

One of the greatest missteps in communication is assumptions. Overcoming those assumptions is fueled by asking questions and understanding.

• Establish a cross-functional team of employees who represent different areas of your organization.

• Meet regularly - this could be monthly or quarterly - to share what is going on in each respective department. You will also share how marketing is supporting their department and the overall organizational goals.

When teams understand how marketing supports their work, collaboration becomes natural. You will also be able to strongly align your marketing with the employees’ resources, capacity, and skills.

Celebrate success 

Small gestures like a pat on the back or an all-staff e-mail can be as meaningful as a big party when recognizing successes.  If someone presents a tremendous idea, the greatest boost you can give is to give credit where credit is due.

Alignment isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity for marketing success. Start implementing these strategies today to bridge communication gaps, foster a thriving marketing culture, and elevate your marketing success. What’s the first step you’ll take?

I hope you found this helpful, and as always keep on being amazing!

Lyanne

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Do you have Marketing Questions or Challenges? Let's get together for a virtual coffee.

Meet with Lyanne

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With a drive to accomplish high-quality results, the marketing work Lyanne has spear-headed in business has been recognized and awarded nationally on several occasions. In addition to this, she proudly holds the Chartered Marketer designation through the Canadian Marketing Association.

After serving 28 years in corporate finance, she emboldened into new territory by striking up a business marketing consulting practice that exists to lighten the load of marketing leaders. Having been a leader in marketing, she appreciates the complexities of the job and the many demands that come with it.

Whether you are interested in learning more about how blue dragonfly can help your business, are interested in joining or learning more about Mastermind groups, would like to chat about a speaking engagement, or just want to meet with Lyanne, this is a great way to get started. Connect today.

Cheers to the beginning of a great relationship.