You all remember the old fable of the tortoise and the hare, how a quick-footed jackrabbit set out to race a slow, plodding turtle. The hare surged to an early lead and decided he had time to rest before the tortoise ever got close to the finish line. The overconfident rabbit fell asleep without a care. However, the tortoise methodically paced himself across the course and ended up the winner of the race. So is marketing in 2021 going to be more like the tortoise or the hare?

This past year was a start and stop kind of year for many businesses. The economy was roaring and then it shutdown. It was a very hare-like year. Are we in for more of the same or have things changed? Here is where many business leaders get things mixed up. When it comes to business slowing down, marketing needs to pick up the pace. Oftentimes a business slowdown causes corporate leaders to cut back on marketing. That is akin to taking a nap when you should be on the racetrack. When business slows, competition for customers heats up. Marketing is key during slowdowns.

On the other hand, could we be in for more of a tortoise year, where progress is slow, but steady? Steady growth that can be sustained over a long period of time is ideal for business, but it also requires careful marketing. How so? If you believe that you can keep marketing in the same way to the same customer base and keep them coming back for more, you don’t understand people. Target markets change their likes and dislikes. When you are marketing for repeat business, you have to offer something better than you did before. Have you ever asked yourself why car manufacturers remake some of their most popular autos every few years? The reason is they know they cannot keep selling the same car to the same people. They need to update the look and upgrade the features. The same is true of your marketing. Retention marketing can be some of the most challenging marketing you will do. Why? Because there are so many facets to keeping a customer happy with your business and buying your brand.

Is 2021 going to be the year of the tortoise or the year of the hare? Time will tell. What I can tell you is, regardless of what lies ahead, your marketing needs to start working now if you plan on being successful.