Turn Summer “Daze” into Marketing Retreat

Add comment June 30th, 2008

We’re in the midst of those dog days of summer which sometimes leads to slower sales for many organizations. It also can mean a lull in marketing efforts. But it can also be a perfect time to look at what your business is doing and planning for the second half of this year and first half of next.

Take a summer marketing “retreat,” which can be at the luxury of your own desk, to review what you’ve done during the past six months and how it matched up with your objectives set at the beginning of the year. (Reminder: this is why it’s important to make those measurable objectives.) Determine if you’re meeting those goals, or, if the industry or economic conditions make it necessary to revise them. Better to determine that now than after six more months of ineffective marketing efforts.

Also, now is the time to establish if your products or services are highly requested during the holiday season. Get in front of the long-lead publications, such as the major trade and consumer magazines, which work on stories up to six months in advance, and develop specific marketing initiatives for the holiday season now.

An in-house marketing retreat can lead to some dynamic differences – and put you ahead of the competition – for the rest of the year.