In 2010, LeapFrog Interactive formalized how we help clients plan for and execute successful marketing campaigns. Our teams and clients now follow a new L.E.A.P. process: Listen, Engage, Act and Perform. The process is new and exciting! It puts strategy, planning, implementation, and measurement into nice, tidy compartments.
As Vice President of Branding + Strategy, I’m involved in the Listen or “L” stage of L.E.A.P. “L” is a time for gathering and conducting consumer research, getting smart about the competition, and learning from clients what it is they want and need to be successful. The output from Listen is often a strategic marketing and technology plan that sets us on the right path to detailed media planning and creative ideation.
Most clients enter this stage excited about gaining a competitive advantage and determining what message, strategy or tactical plan will help them win.
Often, what clients walk away with is something beyond positioning. What CEOs tell me time and time again is that our Listen exercises help them to reconsider their purpose. This might seem to go a little beyond marketing strategy, but compelling stories start with a meaningful examination of why your company exists in the first place. We ask questions like, “If your company were shuttered tomorrow, to whom would it matter and why?” and “How long would it take for someone to fill your place?” Questions like these are often incredibly difficult for executives to answer.
Even the most researched, deeply considered strategies must adapt and change. The marketplace evolves rapidly, so finding purpose and perspective is a never-ending process. It’s a challenge LeapFrog is ready and willing to take on!