Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in the United Kingdom’s history. She was crowned Queen in 1953 and ever since has managed to keep herself relevant. She’s faced some criticism, of course, who hasn’t? But overall she’s one of the most beloved rulers ever. I even have that classic printed t-shirt of hers.
If we look at her career in marketing terms (and why shouldn’t we?) that is quite a feat. Not many brands manage to keep themselves afloat for that long. In order to celebrate the long career of this impressive woman, we’ve decided to put some of her most famous quotes together and see if we could learn something from them.
Here are some invaluable Marketing lessons from the queen herself
Prepare yourself. We may sound like a broken record (or your mum), but it is important to study! We’re not necessarily talking about the traditional university route. You have to find what works for you. Maybe binge watching TED talks might do the trick – whatever your method is, we have to know what’s out there. Understand what’s been done and what’s going on to better predict where we’re going.
Embrace technology. It may come as a surprise to some (who says “surf the net” anymore?), but the queen is an advocate for technology. Back in 1947, thanks to her insistence, her wedding was the first royal event to be transmitted live on television and she was also was the first monarch to send a message via internet way back in the 70’s! New technologies might seem a bit overwhelming at first “Do I have to learn how to use another gadget?” “Do we really need a new social network?” but it is important for marketers (and royals) to stay on top of these things. New technology means new ways to tell stories and engage with a target audience.
Tradition is not always bad. It might sound as a contradiction since we just made such a strong case for studying what’s “out there”, preparing for the future and staying updated on new technologies, BUT sometimes it is also good to go back to basics. Brands like Pizza Hut and Kellogg’s have been in the market for a long time and have barely changed their marketing strategy because they already got something that works. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Be humble. Nobody knows the answers to everything and when we think we do, we’re proven very quickly of the contrary. If the queen can admit that she doesn’t know everything, then we surely can as well. Creative minds can sometimes get caught up in their own ideas and are unwilling to let go. This can be detrimental and hinder people from producing original content. Sometimes (especially when it comes to clients and superiors) we have to swallow our ego and admit that we don’t know everything.
Be brave. You may already know this, but marketing is not for the faint of heart. Tight deadlines, small budgets, demanding customers and a fierce competition is more than enough to make a few knees shake. Like the queen who has confronted her fair share of public debacles (getting shot and having an intruder in her room, just to name a few), you’ll need a good pair of…. senses to confront the fast-paced marketing industry. Remember that bravery is not the lack of fear, but still going ahead in spite of being afraid.
Did we miss anything? Do you think there are more things marketers could learn from the queen? If so, please let us know. In the meantime, you can always keep reading the Printsome Blog for more entertaining and educational posts such as this one.
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