We Need to Slim Down

New technology has affected methodologies and processes of many disciplines, but when it comes to developing campaigns, in the field of communication many still use the same traditional methods and processes they have been using for decades. They’re investing time and money and once a campaign is fully developed, they launch it and hope for the best.

This might have been a good way to work when media consisted of nothing more than the newspaper, radio and tv. But with today’s technology and social media, it’s possible to develop brand communication much faster, cheaper and more effective. Taking cues from startups, which benefited from the Lean Startup methodology tremendously, the theory of the constant feedback loop and rapid prototyping has a big potential for application in communications. Because especially with fragmented audiences who are constantly surrounded by information, it can be difficult to predict which messages will gain traction. Which is why now more than ever, communications need to become more flexible.

So why isn’t it usual in communications to use a ‘lean’ methodology? The principles of the Lean Startup paradigm seem to lend themselves for a much broader application than product development only. The three steps of the feedback loop consist of the following:

• Experiment

The experimentation phase is for testing hypotheses about what strategy/type of communication is the most effective. In order to avoid wasting time or resources, it’s important to begin the process of learning as quickly as possible. To reduce risk, one works with a Minimum Viable Product, which consists of the first version requiring the least amount of effort, yet producing as much validated learning as possible. The quick exposure to customers helps in testing assumptions and allows to gain new insights about the target group.

• Measure

After a couple of days, weeks or months of experimentation, the results are gathered and reviewed. Measuring how customers respond, helps in deciding whether it’s best to persevere or pivot and alter the direction. With so many insight tools available that assess things like engagement rate, traffic targets and other metrics that show cause and effect, results can easily be quantified and compared.

• Learn

The final step is about using the evidence-based knowledge gained from the experiment, to make an informed decision about what to do in the next iteration. The extracted learnings can be guiding in revising the strategy or considering the sustainability of the idea.

As these three steps form a constant feedback loop, the communication of a brand would be continuously fine tuned. Better doesn’t necessarily have to mean bigger and more expensive, it could also be smaller, more frequent and for more specified target groups. Instead of deploying an elaborate campaign all at once, why not try doing it in constantly improving building blocks that together will form a bigger whole?

Feel free to get in touch for further insights and ideas on how to apply a lean methodology to your content strategy. — contact@noservice.today

NO SERVICE 24/7 is a berlin-based full-service agency for strategic brand communication operating at the intersection of arts, culture and lifestyle.