Discover the magic of discovery.
Learn about the four primary benefits of discovery, the underrated foundation of marketing success.
One of my favorite clients was a burly Texas oil baron with a gruff exterior and a heart of gold. At the beginning of our partnership, I was explaining the discovery process. Apparently, I didn’t do it so well, because he leaned forward, squinted his eyes and asked, “So you mean to tell me that I’m going to pay your company to learn about my company? Aren’t you supposed to do that anyway as part of your job?”
I said, “Yes, you are going to pay my company to learn about your company. And it’ll be worth every dime.” His skepticism helped me to better articulate why discovery is critically important for successful marketing.
To be clear, it is absolutely my company’s job to learn everything we can about our clients’ companies. We actively listen and mentally scour every conversation for morsels of information, spoken or unspoken, to continually deepen our knowledge about a client’s industry and the inner workings of his particular organization.
However, just asking a lot of questions, listening and doing secondary research on a client’s supposed target audiences is not enough. We have to dig deeper into the client’s world upfront, and the best way to do that is through a formal process that ensures we cover all the bases. And that’s worth its time in gold.
Discovery is essential because knowledge is power. The more we know, the more effectively our strategies can leverage your strengths while avoiding unnecessary pitfalls due to insufficient information. Discovery provides foundational knowledge about your organization that allows us to make informed decisions throughout every phase of strategy, planning and execution. Together, our companies can work more efficiently, with little time or money wasted going down unworkable paths based on conjecture instead of data.
At creo, our five-phase discovery process typically includes one or three intensive sessions with company stakeholders to gain an accurate understanding of your overall business as well as R&D, manufacturing, distribution, pricing, sales and marketing. Next, we perform an internal assessment using interviews, surveys or focus groups to gather input from employees, owners and investors. We also perform customer perception assessments, which are often the most enlightening for clients.
These are the four primary benefits of discovery:
Risk mitigation: By knowing your company inside and out — the good and the bad — we can make recommendations based on data instead of assumptions. And we can make decisions designed to avoid exposing company weaknesses that we may have otherwise been unaware of.
Realistic and achievable goals: If we don’t understand your company’s financial situation, resource capacity and growth objectives, then setting meaningful goals is speculative at best. When we’re clear about where your company stands, we can establish KPIs and benchmarks that are appropriate and attainable.
A stronger brand: Discovery allows us to dig deep into the hearts and minds of your internal team and external audiences. Our assessments often unearth unexpected perceptions and opinions that may have gone unnoticed. This input helps us build a brand that resonates with what audiences really think and want.
A sharper competitive edge: Discovery enables us to mitigate risk, better understand the marketplace, establish attainable goals and empower your brand to connect on a deeper level. We gain an informed view of customer needs and how competitors stack up. Leveraging all of these gives you a stronger competitive advantage.
Discovery is the beginning of a true partnership in which you can trust our company to have your back because we know who you are and what you’re up to in the world.
What about the external consultants, agencies or suppliers you work with? How many of them engage in a formal discovery process? If it’s rare, do you feel that discovery would help them service your organization better? We want to know your experiences.
