As a growth marketing agency that specialises in implementing data-driven marketing with the lean startup methodology, The Growth Agency has helped many corporates, marketers and business leaders to achieve sustainable growth and relevant ROI through innovative marketing strategies and tactics. In this Q&A, we address some of the most common questions that corporate CMOs have about growth marketing including topics such as aligning corporate culture with the lean startup methodology, identifying and prioritising growth initiatives, balancing data-driven decision-making with creativity. Let’s dive in and learn how to implement a growth marketing strategy through sustainable growth and accurate sprints!
About Eveline Smet
Eveline Smet is the founder and CEO of The Growth Agency, a leading growth marketing agency that specialises in implementing data-driven marketing with the lean startup methodology for corporates. With over 15 years of experience in marketing and entrepreneurship, Eveline has a proven track record of helping businesses achieve sustainable growth and ROI through innovative marketing strategies and tactics. The Growth Agency is the lead strategic agency for Europ Assistance, a global insurance and assistance provider, for over 5 years already. The agency has also worked with EdenRed, a multinational provider of employee benefits and incentive solutions, on digital growth initiatives, as well as with Johnson & Johnson, a leading healthcare company. The Growth Agency focuses on both B2B and B2C, and has worked with a variety of high-profile clients across different industries, including technology, finance, and e-commerce. Eveline is a thought leader in the growth marketing space and is frequently invited to speak at conferences and events, sharing her expertise and insights on how businesses can stay ahead of the curve and achieve sustainable growth through effective marketing strategies.
#1: How can we align our corporate culture with the principles of the lean startup methodology?
At The Growth Agency, we understand how vital corporate culture and value are important for business growth. We are excited to partner with your team and ensure that your culture and the lean startup methodology align. We view ourselves as an extension of your in-house marketing team, and have a great joy in collaborating and providing advice. Our mission? To foster a culture of experimentation, agility and data-driven decision-making through resources, training and coaching so that your team can fully commit to these principles. We do our best to work alongside you and aid in building a successful business through growth marketing initiatives.
#2: What is The Growth Agency’s process for identifying and prioritising experiments and growth initiatives?
Identifying and prioritising experiments and growth initiatives is a pivotal part of the growth marketing process. At The Growth Agency, we employ a data-driven approach to identify and prioritise experiments and growth initiatives. Combining AI and various tools like SEMrush, Google Analytics, and competitor research, our team quickly evaluates extensive datasets to uncover trends that inform our strategies for growth marketing. We collaborate with your team to understand your business objectives and industry environment, then analyse your website and campaigns to determine where improvements can be made.
For instance, SEMrush can be used to monitor the performance of competitors’ tactics and detect keywords responsible for driving traffic. Moreover, Google Analytics may be utilised to track user behaviour on your website and identify points of drop-off or low conversion rates. Our database consists of over 500 growth experiments tried across different markets which form a valuable basis when discovering opportunities for growth as well as developing new concepts.
To rank growth initiatives accurately, we use a prioritisation framework based on estimated outcomes, implementation difficulty and resources required. Furthermore, we pay close attention to “quick wins” – projects that generate swift returns – in order to build momentum for further growth initiatives. In conclusion, by employing the latest AI technology alongside data analytics tools, we are able to provide businesses with effective strategies that deliver value from their investments.
#3: How can corporates balance the need for data-driven decision-making with the need for creativity and innovation in their marketing efforts?
Data-driven decision-making and creativity are two essential elements of any successful growth marketing strategy. But it can be tough for corporates to balance these two factors. At The Growth Agency, we understand that these two need not be separate, but rather can work together to enrich each other and help you achieve greater ROI from your marketing efforts.
On the one hand, data-driven decision-making is critical for evaluating the performance of different tactics and ensuring maximum return on investment. We equip our clients with KPIs that match their goals and use analytics to track the results of their campaigns.
On the other hand, creativity and innovation play a key role in developing strategies that stand out from the competition and engage target audiences. We encourage experimentation and testing for generating new ideas, as well as fostering an innovative culture which allows corporates to try novelty tactics.
To balance both, we guide corporates in designing a testing framework that lets them rapidly refine their strategies. This includes processes like hypothesis building, prioritising experiments and measuring results. Collaboration between different departments like product development or sales also helps ensure creative thinking is applied throughout business operations.
Finally, transparency and communication bridge the gap between data-driven decisions and creative innovation – by sharing information with stakeholders we can get everyone on board with key objectives and create trust in the system. Feedback from stakeholders enables us to adjust future strategies accordingly while maintaining a healthy compromise between data-driven decision-making and creativity. By contacting us and following this approach to growth marketing, corporates can find the sweet spot where data meets innovation for maximum success!
#4: How can corporates effectively measure and report on the success of growth marketing initiatives and experiments?
At The Growth Agency, we understand that metrics are essential for measuring the success of marketing efforts and identifying growth opportunities. We use a data-driven approach to help our clients measure their growth strategies, providing guidance on how to track their desired KPIs.
KPIs may include website activity, lead acquisition, conversion rates, or user acquisition costs depending on their business objectives. Our custom-built dashboards enable customers to monitor their KPIs in real-time and identify the impact of marketing campaigns. In addition, our team meets with clients monthly to review results and discover potential areas for improvement.
We also maintain continuous communication with our clients throughout experiments and follow-up on outcomes. This collaboration helps ensure clients remain informed about our progress and provide feedback whenever necessary.
#5: How can corporates develop and implement a testing framework that allows them to rapidly iterate on their marketing strategies?
A successful growth marketing strategy requires the speed of execution that is often hindered by lack of resources within internal departments such as IT. Working with an external agency, namely The Growth Agency, can assist corporates in bypassing these bottlenecks and accessing the tools and expertise they need to rapidly develop and implement a testing framework aimed at optimising their strategies.
This includes building landing pages using tools like Unbounce which enable rapid design and testing of different variations of a page without relying on internal IT resources, as well as running A/B tests through Google Optimize and user testing for feedback on the user experience. Corporates can also leverage Facebook and Instagram to create A/B tests for creative campaigns in order to identify top performing variations.
Moreover, developing a business case for the initiative aids in gaining approval from senior management and board members even before any resources are allocated. After conducting experiments, main learnings are used to inform long-term projects that can be done internally – thus equipping clients with needed knowledge and tools for sustainable growth.
Outsourcing to an external agency, utilising modern technology and methods, as presented above, helps achieve rapid iteration on marketing strategies leading to corporate success and sustainable growth.
#6: How can we ensure that our marketing efforts are aligned with our overall business objectives and goals?
To ensure the success of our clients and promote long-term growth, The Growth Agency works in synergy with the CMO to ensure that marketing initiatives are aligned to the business objectives. This begins by gaining an understanding of the KPIs related to their desired results – which can include revenue, lead generation, increased cross-sales or upselling opportunities, and launching new products into particular markets.
Once we understand these objectives, the team develops meaningful marketing strategies and tactics to support them – whether that’s optimising a website for conversions or launching lead generation campaigns on social media platforms. To make sure our work is data-driven and efficient, we maintain close collaboration with the CMO throughout this process. Marketing activities we offer are always designed to achieve maximum results for our clients’ businesses.
#7: How do we ensure that our growth marketing initiatives are scalable and can be implemented across different markets and regions?
At The Growth Agency, we recognize the paramount importance of scalability when it comes to growth marketing initiatives. Our team is on hand to help you create and roll out plans that can be scaled efficiently throughout different markets, regions and cultures. Accompanied by our resources, training materials and expert guidance, your team will be able to execute these strategies with confidence – ensuring sustainability over the long-term and providing your business the opportunity for further growth. We believe in our ability to create solutions tailored specifically to your requirements – as committed professionals in the field of growth marketing, we’re proud of what we can offer.
#8: How can we leverage emerging technologies and trends to stay ahead of the competition and achieve sustainable growth?
We have forged a reputation for staying on top of all emerging technologies and trends within the growth marketing landscape. From video marketing, to voice search and AI-powered content optimisation tools—our research-driven team of experts is at the forefront of all these disciplines.
We understand the power of video marketing, which is why we advise our clients to develop strategies that drive engagement and build brand awareness while increasing conversions. By keeping an eye on new platforms such as TikTok, we explore how they can be utilised by organisations to reach out to new audiences and ultimately meet their business goals.
Voice search has become increasingly integral in today’s world – with many consumers turning to voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Home when searching for products or services. Our team works hard to ensure our client’s websites are optimised for these interactions, allowing them to be easily accessible and helping them reach out to a larger target audience. We also specialise in TikTok advertising, providing organisations with innovative strategies that resonate with this platform’s unique users.
The implementation of AI technology is another cornerstone of our growth strategy – utilising cutting edge tools like MarketMuse, Acrolinx and BrightEdge to evaluate gaps in existing content, optimise data for search engines, and measure the impact of established initiatives. Above all else though, we remain GDPR compliant – using trademarked systems such as Piwik Pro and Matomo for data protection purposes and ensuring clients’ data remains secure at every turn.
At The Growth Agency – experimentation is key; it allows us to uncover opportunities for growth and innovation while maintaining our position as leading figures in the industry. This process helps maintain our high standards -allowing us to help clients stay ahead of competition while simultaneously achieving sustainable success through modern methods powered by emerging technologies & trends.
#9: How do we effectively communicate the value and impact of our growth marketing initiatives to key stakeholders, including senior management and the board of directors?
Effectively communicating the value and impact of growth marketing initiatives to key stakeholders is essential for ensuring that senior management and the board of directors back marketing efforts. At The Growth Agency, we set out to help our clients convey the value and impact of their campaigns to these key stakeholders in a number of ways.
We first work with our clients to create internal business cases which thoroughly detail their objectives, strategies and tactics used, expected outcomes and overall effect on the business. We want each case to be easily understood by non-marketing executives, so we tailor our approach for each audience.
Once the business case has been prepared, we create data-driven slides that provide evidence for the value of the initiative. These slides are meant to be digestible for non-marketing personnel as well as providing clear insights into what sort of ROI can be expected from such an endeavour. As experts in consulting, we are able to effectively communicate these results to boards of directors with help from compelling stories and presentations geared towards proving our point.
By utilising these methods, we can ensure that senior management and board personnel understand the benefits associated with various growth marketing initiatives while ensuring that there is a healthy relationship between them and our clients. Through effective communication methods, growth marketing initiatives can provide sustainable success while also demonstrating tangible ROI to its investors.
A Summary: Data-driven strategic advisory for CMOs
Corporate Chief Marketing Officers looking to achieve lasting success and outpace their rivals can benefit from collaborating with The Growth Agency. Our team of growth marketing professionals provides the resources, proficiency, and assistance required to execute data-driven marketing plans, trial new emerging techniques and fads. By engaging with us, corporate CMO’s can look forward to:
- Identify business objectives and develop data-driven marketing strategies that support those objectives
- Execute marketing strategies using an agile, sprint-based approach
- Leverage emerging technologies and trends, such as AI and video marketing, to drive engagement and conversions
- Ensure GDPR compliance and secure data handling
- Effectively communicate the impact of their growth marketing initiatives to key stakeholders, such as senior management and the board of directors
If you are looking for comprehensive growth marketing support, our team of experts can act as an extension of your CMO’s team, offering unparalleled consulting services and advice. We can help you create and implement effective growth strategies that lead to lasting success – while displaying the worth of your marketing efforts to vital decision makers. Get in touch now to find out how we can collaborate for maximum returns!
