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O P I N I O N
Fast vs. right
“D o you want the job done right or done fast?” I heard this question from a colleague many years ago and, from one business situation to another, I often reflect back on it – especially when the situation deals with marketing. Whether it’s a monthly email campaign, promotional event, thought leadership piece, or blog post, firms need to give marketing the time it needs to evolve.
At a time when the art and science of marketing has become more complex than ever, I notice many firms, including those in the AEC industry, tend to focus more on conducting their marketing “fast” as opposed to “right.” I believe taking this course of action sets up a firm for failure in both the short- and long-term. As an architect, engineer, or builder, from proposal submission to commissioning, you know and understand the multitude of steps that are involved with the design and construction of a building. By the same token, you know the amount of time it takes to properly complete each step, and failing to allocate this time could spell disaster (cost, occupant safety, reputation, etc.) in the end. If a firm’s senior leadership can recognize and understand the trade-off between having a design or construction project “done right” versus
“done fast,” why do they hold the firm’s marketing activity to a different standard? “At a time when the art and science of marketing has become more complex than ever, I notice many firms, including those in the AEC industry, tend to focus more on conducting their marketing ‘fast’ as opposed to ‘right.’” Digital or traditional, direct or indirect, inbound or outbound, push or pull, etc., there are many components which make up a marketing strategy
Roger Marquis GUEST SPEAKER
See ROGER MARQUIS, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER February 26, 2018, ISSUE 1237
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