Lunchtime Links: Lessons In Strategic Planning
Meetings

Lunchtime Links: Lessons In Strategic Planning

How meeting planners can relate to one movie villain, adapting to society needs and new technologies. Also: Lessons from Justin Timberlake's strategic marketing plan for promoting his new music.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an early adopter, a pop star, or … well, a comedic movie villain. Everyone has to have a strategy. For meeting planners and association executives alike, good strategic planning goes a long way.

That, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh7bYNAHXxw

Planning World Domination: As a villain, Austin Powers adversary Dr. Evil builds a strategic plan for world domination while adapting to new technologies and a fast-changing society. Even though meeting planners are not trying to conquer the world, they’re careful and strategic during the planning process as well, especially when it comes to testing out new methods and putting obsolete tactics behind, much like Dr. Evil. “Similarly, conference organizers are scrambling to adjust to sophisticated attendee expectations of a great experience and active engagement, new media marketing methods, new technologies and a mobile environment. It’s as if the world moved ahead thirty years and left conference organizers cryogenically stuck in the past,” writes Jeff Hurt, executive vice president of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting.

The Perfect Strategy: Looking for an example of a marketing strategy that just nailed it? Look no further than Justin Timberlake, who just released his first album in six years. He’s hosted Saturday Night Live, appeared for an entire week of performances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (dubbed Justin Timberweek), and has been a part of high-profile branding and radio campaigns such as Target and Budweiser, all in the span of two months. Billboard caught up with Timberlake’s manager, Johnny Wright, about the singer’s international marketing campaign, among other behind-the-scenes details. From performing new songs at every live show to booking only big, televised performances (which meant he seemed like he was everywhere, but really wasn’t), everything about Timberlake’s two-month long brand building campaign was perfectly orchestrated—especially by moving beyond just the single and playing multiple songs off the album on television. “We want people to be engaged; this whole album is an experience,” Wright told Billboard.

For the Early Adopters: Question: Do you ever feel overwhelmed by new technologies and the ever-changing world of social media? Staying engaged and up to speed isn’t easy when dramatic changes happen overnight in these platforms. But when one door closes, another social network is ready to open. Stacy Teet, a former Air Force intelligence analyst and a mother of three, loves this change. By embracing Pinterest early on, she’s landed major brands. “I like to stay two steps ahead of the rest of the people. By the time most people have heard about it, I should already be in there,” she told Social Media Examiner. Check out all of her tips here.

What interesting reads have you found today? Let us know in your comments below.

Anita Ferrer

By Anita Ferrer

Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

Got an article tip for us? Contact us and let us know!


Comments