Strategic marketing consulting

Strategic marketing consulting in the digital age

The cornerstone of a management-oriented marketing approach is sound annual planning, which at best includes data-based decisions drawn from regularly scheduled reviews and follow-ups of the implemented communication measures – and one that takes international market developments into account. All under the umbrella of a clear, well-defined and differentiating brand positioning that differentiates and demonstrates plausible added value to the target groups.

Your contact for strategic marketing consulting

Steffen Ruess

T: +49 711 16446-581
M: steffen.ruess@ruess-group.com

An investment in the future

The omnipresent transition to digitalisation is making itself felt personally by every one of us, across all sectors and industries. Whether companies passively endure their fate or proactively face fundamental change processes also depends to a large extent on the importance they attach to their sales and marketing in the context of strategically sound marketing consulting and annual planning.

More than ever, it is essential to set the appropriate course in sales and marketing in good time and to communicate boldly in spite of the challenging times. Marketing shouldn’t be seen as a cost factor, but as an investment in the future. Especially now, those who reduce their investments in their own share-of-voice are missing out on valuable opportunities to emerge from the crisis faster and stronger, to secure market share and to expand in a sustainable, future-proof manner.

At the heart of the matter

The old familiar structure of a classic agency or marketing consultancy, which rules and disposes of its client’s communication and marketing measures in the lead, is no longer relevant. The rapidly changing media landscape of recent years, more fragmented and project-oriented marketing campaigns and constant budget cuts in marketing are just a few examples of this change process.

Today, businesses benefit from comprehensive marketing consulting by a partner or agency that masters and correctly interprets the developments of an increasingly networked and unpredictable world – with all its complexity and dynamics. This in turn requires in-depth knowledge of the industry and an advisor-client relationship that is characterised by a high level of trust. It should be based on a genuine understanding of the client’s needs and issues, and the courage of the consulting partner to address uncomfortable truths in personal contact.

To B2B marketing agency

Learning from B2C marketing

One of them: Some B2B clients oversleep their potential. In a context of decreasing budgets, existing solutions are often preferred. Even though in 2020, digital projects are more frequently requested in marketing consulting, the courage to take a much-needed look beyond the horizon is less pronounced than in the consumer sector, for example.

A lot can be learned from B2C marketing. As open to innovation and trend-conscious as a trendy beverage brand has to be to secure highly competitive shelf metres in the supermarket, the planning of marketing budgets and KPIs is usually just as strategic, targeted and forward-looking.

This takes time: Experience shows that marketing consulting and concrete annual planning in B2C marketing begin as early as in the summer of the previous year. Much more than in the B2B sector, budgeting is also more impact-related and dynamic – and closely linked to pre-defined goals. The profitable dovetailing or increasing merging of sales and marketing is also often more advanced.

A management-oriented marketing approach pays off

The linchpin of this management-oriented marketing approach is a well-founded annual planning process, which at best includes data-based decisions from regular reviews and follow-ups of communication measures which have already been implemented. And of course, it has to take international market developments into account.

For a stable and meaningful process, instruments such as established marketing controlling and consistent evaluation offer companies an important opportunity to monitor the effects and control the measures. If the explicit objective is to grow, this careful approach to planning marketing and communication is worthwhile. It is then a very effective means of opening up new markets and generating sales.

Growth in a declining market

Moreover, every company should ask itself what added value it can offer the target group via its marketing – preferably also independently of the individual product in the sense of a service-dominated logic. This is a major conceptual challenge that requires interdisciplinary collaboration between different departments within the company and a departure from traditional silo thinking. This is the only way to create innovative and sustainable business models in marketing.

We speak from personal experience. In fact, we are growing as an agency in a declining market because, due to the extraordinary situation in spring 2020, our agency’s internal strategists and consultants had the courage to combine our entire knowledge and broad range of skills into new, digital marketing formats – at short notice and with great impact – from which several existing and new clients have already benefited. And maybe you will too in the near future? We will be happy to advise you!

Our range of services

Moderation and facilitation of strategy processes
Support in the development and specification of objectives
Company positioning
Preparation of country-specific strategies
Design thinking processes targeted to the development of new business models and product ideas
Development of the business purpose

Our strengths

Confidence-based marketing consulting at eye level

In-depth industry and market knowledge

campaigns / classic

Schubert Image Campaign

New international campaign for Schubert Verpackungsmaschinen: A series of fantasy landscape motifs showcases the manufacturer’s huge portfolio and in-depth expertise in packaging machine manufacturing.

media planning / content marketing

International media planning for Schubert

As experts in international media planning on- and offline, we understand the unique challenge of developing country-specific media strategies for Schubert’s various target markets, B2B or B2C. Consumer behaviour and media use as well have experienced an unparalleled digital push, naturally driven by social distancing and as a result of trade fairs and other live events not taking place. Because we provide our clients with interdisciplinary and comprehensive support, we offer fully integrated communication solutions in campaign management, focused on customers and costs.

website / digital

Website development for the Flip App

UX design, UI design and back-end development for a headless CMS website. The latest design language linked with current web technology. The new website for the Stuttgart-based Flip start-up offers users an exciting user experience and preliminary information about Flip’s employee app.

Start your yearly planning with us now.

We look forward to your questions and objectives. We will be delighted to prepare for an initial consultation.