It’s that time of year when our thoughts are drifting to summer holiday plans and stepping back from our busy working lives. At Fresh, we really value taking time to recharge and reflect so we can then move forward strategically; and we don’t think we’re alone in this thinking. As priorities wind down entering the holiday season, it’s a great opportunity to stop and take a minute to celebrate what was delivered really well this year, explore where there is some room for improvement and consider how 2024 looks for us all.

More holidays = more creativity

From the looks of our socials, everyone seems to be out exploring the world again with a plethora of beautiful sunny European holiday pics shared over our winter. We’ve seen many of our clients come back refreshed, brimming with ideas and the clarity to kick some new goals. Research from the Netherlands shows that after just a two to three-week break, office workers became more cognitively flexible. When we take time off and relax, our brain can undo some of the harm from stress and we can come up with more original and creative ideas.

Make a plan and stick to it

Having a well-crafted plan or strategy is an important foundation to achieve marketing success. We all know the value of strategies to chart a clear path forward, set specific goals and objectives and allocate resources effectively. A strategy helps businesses compete by identifying unique strengths, mitigating risks and standing out in a crowded marketplace. It gives you a long-term vision and motivates everyone with a shared purpose. Embedding strategies with feedback mechanisms and automated technology also supports learning and improvement over immediate, stress-inducing results. While we say sticking to the plan is essential to kick goals, it’s also important to acknowledge that in a fast-moving world, there is always a need to review, evaluate and tweak along the way.

Creating your vision

To plan effectively, we like to spend some time with our goals. A great place to start is asking ‘What does success look like for my team and/or my business’? Put some visuals or measurable outcomes to this success. It’s important to make sure these stay realistic, but also don’t limit what this success looks like. It may be that the visioning for the business rolls out over a number of years – but your plan is the road map to get there.

Here’s what we aim for at Fresh:

• We seek to collaborate with individuals and businesses who value the importance of marketing and PR. Without this understanding, achieving success can be challenging.
• We aim to work with businesses that are at the next stage of growth and expansion in their chosen industry. Established enterprises with a clear growth potential are our ideal partners.
• We are passionate about working with those who are actively contributing solutions for a better future, especially on a local level. We believe in the power of businesses to create positive change within a community.
• A strategic mindset is crucial to us. We believe clarity of vision is key to collaboration.
• We prioritise working with decent humans. Our commitment to integrity, respect and social responsibility shapes our partnerships, making our work more enjoyable and impactful.

Know when to ask for help

Strategic planning is some of the toughest but most important work a business can do. We take pride in helping our clients create effective marketing and PR strategies. We actually love the challenge!

We work closely with you, hosting workshops, engaging stakeholders, producing strategic documents and seamlessly integrating these strategies into your day-to-day work. So, when you’re tackling the challenging aspects of strategic planning, remember, you don’t have to go it alone.