Today started with a full on tantrum from my 9 year old. Apparently I hadn't done her plaits right, and so it escalated. On my cycle home from dropping her off at school, I wondered. What book can I read to help me to avoid these pickles. But then I realised. Do I need a book to help? The book is great, but it doesn't know about the surrounding circumstances. The fact that Daddy has gone back to work and so it's just her & me now. That as a result we both feel rubbish and take it out on each other. So the answer is yes I probably do, but I also need to use my instincts. And it's the same with marketing. The book is great for giving guidance. But it doesn't understand about tight budgets. It doesn't factor in the manpower that's needed to deliver the marketing, the need to employ creatives etc. And that's why hands-on experience is critical in marketing. It gives the ability to know when you can cut corners. What channels to choose when you have to limit them. How to succinctly brief your agency to make sure that you don't incur additional costs. How to stretch a budget to the max to get the returns you really want. So my advice is. Read the book, but learn to adapt it. Then you will have success.
