Marketing Lessons From An Ex-Marine

When Marines get rifle lessons, they learn the acronym BRASS: Breathe, Relax, Aim, Squeeze, Shoot. Casey Jones, who has been both a Marine and VP-global marketing at Dell, discusses how those military lesson make sense when it comes to marketing. No surprise: he thinks marketers do a lot of shooting without aiming. Jones offers a lot of good advice, including this:

Breathe: Set aside time every week to focus on what your brand is communicating. Relax: Remember that the brand will not fail if you pause for a moment to focus. It may fail, however, if you continue to waste marketing shots that are off-target.

He also recommends that all messaging briefs contain these four elements:

1. A clear definition of the target audience
2. A clear statement of the audience’s current mental and emotional perceptions of your brand.
3. A short statement of the “desired” perceptual state — one that is reasonable given your budget.
4. A clear list of the minimum points you must communicate in order to achieve your goal.

The bottom line: Don’t forget to breathe, relax, and aim.