Waterfall marketing is the traditional, linear approach to marketing where each step in the process is completed before moving on to the next. It involves identifying the target market, creating a marketing plan, executing the plan, and evaluating the results.
Agile marketing is the newer, more flexible approach that emphasises rapid experimentation, continuous learning, and iteration. It involves identifying and prioritising high-impact marketing activities, executing them quickly, and continually adjusting/refining based on results.
| Conventional Waterfall Marketing | Modern Agile Marketing |
|---|---|
| big ideas | micro strategies |
| big bang launches | rapid iterations, big insights |
| big scope of activities | laser-focused activities |
| big cycles, usually bi/annual or quarterly | 2-4-weeks sprints |
| big upfront budgets | light upfront budgets |
| big risks | lowered risks |
Some key pillars of agile marketing
- Focus on what’s most important from the customer viewpoint
- Build small ninja-like cross-functional teams
- Define a backlog of experimentations to run e.g. channels, touch-points, content
- Put nimble processes in place to test, learn, share, and scale fast
- Develop a culture of experimentation, data, and learning from failure
- Communicate frequently, ideally on a daily basis, efficiently and openly
ADAPT resources
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