Remember those fundamental questions from school – the five Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why)? Many, including myself, also include How, making it six crucial questions. These might have seemed like basic grammar lessons back then, but their significance extends far beyond language class. Applying these questions, particularly why, what, and how, is incredibly beneficial in all aspects of life, and especially vital in the dynamic world of digital marketing.
The Foundational ‘Why’ in Digital Marketing
Think about your favorite crime dramas. What’s the detective’s primary pursuit? Uncovering the motive – the why. Even with the suspect identified, the case often remains unsolved until the underlying reason is revealed. Similarly, successful businesses are built on a foundation of purpose. Founders create products or services because of a specific need or opportunity. This concept is powerfully captured in Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why. The core idea resonates deeply: understanding the why is paramount.
Consider a common scenario in digital marketing IT. A stakeholder requests a new audience segment in your Adobe Experience Platform (AEP). The immediate reaction might be to jump into building it. However, a more strategic approach begins with asking why this segment is needed. Understanding the rationale can lead to several positive outcomes. You might discover a more effective segmentation strategy, identify an existing segment that fulfills the requirement, determine that the segment size is impractical, or even realize that segmentation isn’t the optimal solution at all.
Fundamentally, every digital marketing project should originate from a clearly defined why, driven by business objectives. These objectives are often articulated as OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) or broader business goals. Examples of these whys in digital marketing include:
- Boosting awareness for a new product launch
- Increasing the average order value (AOV) of online transactions
- Expanding reach to a new customer demographic
- Optimizing marketing expenditure to reduce costs
If the why remains unclear, initiating the project is questionable. If the goal is simply to experiment with new technology for its own sake, a sandbox environment is more appropriate than a live business project.
Defining the ‘What’ in Your Digital Marketing Strategy
Expanding on this framework, the next critical question is what. Often, we tend to default to this stage, bypassing the crucial why and diving directly into execution. It requires discipline, but when presented with the what, the most effective approach is to pause, step back, and first delve into the underlying why.
In digital marketing, the what typically manifests as:
- A specific marketing campaign designed to achieve certain goals
- A comprehensive digital transformation initiative to modernize processes
- The acquisition of a new marketing capability to enhance team skills
At this stage, it’s crucial to maintain a technology-agnostic perspective. While you might have preliminary ideas about the technologies involved, resist the urge to delve into specifics. The current focus is on clearly defining what needs to be accomplished, keeping the description at a high level, and postponing decisions about how it will be achieved.
Determining the ‘How’ of Digital Marketing Implementation
Once the why and what are clearly defined, you can then focus on the how – the implementation strategy. This is where technology enters the picture, but it’s important to remember that technology is just one component of this stage.
Typical activities within the how phase include:
- Evaluating different approaches and technological options
- Selecting the most suitable technology platform or tools
- Designing the detailed solution architecture and implementation plan
Considering ‘When, Where, Who’ for Project Clarity
While why, what, and how are paramount, the remaining questions – when, where, and who – are also essential for comprehensive planning and execution:
- When: Are there critical deadlines or dependencies that dictate the project timeline? Are there specific launch dates or external factors influencing the schedule?
- Who: Clearly define roles and responsibilities. Who is accountable for each aspect of the project? A RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) can be invaluable here.
- Where: While less critical in today’s remote work environment, consider location. Does it impact team collaboration? This also applies to technology infrastructure – on-premise, cloud-based, or SaaS solutions?
Putting It All Together: From Questions to Action
Having thoroughly addressed these fundamental questions and ensured alignment across all answers, you’re now prepared to move into the implementation phase. This could range from a simple task, like building a targeted segment, to a complex, multi-year digital transformation program.
The level of effort dedicated to answering these questions should be proportional to the project’s scope and complexity. For straightforward requests, streamlined processes, and standardized forms can expedite the process. You wouldn’t want to spend days dissecting the why, what, and how of a simple segment creation. However, for larger, more strategic initiatives, dedicated workshops, detailed planning sessions, and potentially formal project structures are necessary.
This framework of why, what, and how is versatile. It can be effectively used to structure presentations, using these questions as slide titles or column headers. While not universally embraced, this approach can bring clarity and logical flow to any project discussion or planning activity.
