Planning for 2025: How these marketers are deciding what to invest in

It’s planning season. Before you get out those excel sheets and power point decks out, take a minute to embrace that blue sky thinking we all talk about. Chances are, with all the work the fourth quarter holds for us, you haven’t had a moment to think.

Recently, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE wrote an article where Eugene Lee, International CMO of McDonald’s urged marketers to not get into areas they don’t feel passionately about. He added that often brand simply jump onto bandwagons and trends simply because that is what is hot at that moment.

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When asked how he decides what is worth investing in, he shared that there has to be a brand and business case before marketers invest in a new area. “Clear KPIs need to be laid out so it’s not just a passion project by a person on the team,” he said.

Adding to the conversation Vanessa Yeo Barger, GM of marketing of Lenskart said that in her experience, deciding on what’s worth investing in boils down to a blend of intuition, data-driven insights, and a deep understanding of both the brand and the consumer.

“The first question I ask is whether this new trend, tech, or channel aligns with our brand’s core identity and goals. Does it complement our brand values, and importantly - does it enhance customer experience and give additional value or is this just a jump on the bandwagon?” she said.

While being curious, is always a plus point in an industry that is relentlessly curious and constantly experimenting, one needs to toe the line, said Andrew Yeoh, group head of marketing of Time. “We can get distracted the new and shiny tools. And it's my core belief that a fool is one who falls in love with a tool,” he said.

Yeoh follows the ABCs when deciding:

- A - Always be curious: Relentless learn and keep yourself abreast of what is happening in our industry and beyond.

- B - Be helpful or delightful: More gain or less pain - only use tech if it is truly helpful or surprisingly delightful for your customers, not tech for tech's sake

- C - Constantly experiment: Set a budget aside and don't be afraid to test and try and learn.

“We practice 70 (now)-20 (new)-10 (next) breakdown. What works now, what's new we can continue to try, what's next that we can experiment with. As I always tell my team - make new mistakes, but don't repeat them,” he said.

Yeoh added that at the end of the day what is being invested in needs to be able to build the brand, whether it be short-term sales activation, or long-term brand building. He said:

You're either harvesting current demand or building future demand.

Convincing management on the new investment areas

Safe to say, marketers today have to be able to quantify their marketing spend – and while innovation is important, Yeo stresses that it needs to be strategically integrated into the brand’s journey.

Yeo added that she takes on a test-and-learn approach that unfolds in phases of the customer journey:

- The adoption: Are customers engaging with the new tech or trend?
- The triggered consideration: Are these engagements leading to purchases or increased loyalty?
- The customer satisfaction: Is this enhancing the customer experience?
- The ROI: What are the increased revenue or savings?

“There is always a natural excitement from management or stakeholders to experiment with the latest trends. In these instances, I leverage my experience to advocate for smart investments, backing up decisions with potential ROI projections and case studies. It’s important to digest the excitement and what it would mean to apply it to the business, and what impact will that have on customers,” she said.

Eva Lui, director of marketing and communications, The Park Lane HK, a Pullman Hotel added that any investment at the end of the day needs to align with the company goals, so the measurement needs to do the same. She also ensures to highlight the potential benefits and risks, so the management teams can make informed decisions rather than impulsive ones.

“Engaging my team and management in discussions about new opportunities ensures that everyone is on the same page and feels involved in the decision-making process,” she said.

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