I will be introducing Marketing Kata in a formal presentation hosted by Hosted by Lean Frontiers on the afternoon of November 17th, 2016. You can register today to participate in Lean Frontiers Direct both LIVE on November 16-17 and ON-DEMAND for a 3-month period following the live event.
The power of Kata differs than most Lean Sales type thinking. Most efforts with Lean in Sales and Marketing focuses on the use of the “Why” question; solving problems and offering solutions. Kata focuses on the “What” creating situational awareness. At the basic level (Why) and what I might call the commodity trap, we still need to solve the problem. More importantly, we need to understand our customers desired outcomes or the job that our product/service is hired to be done.
I use Kata to develop Marketing/Sales Experiments (campaigns seem like I am going to war), Digital Marketing Practices, and a host of other marketing efforts. As marketing has become more and more digital, having a structured routine before automation is imperative. Adhering to the USA Principle (Understand-Simplify-Automate), we take those routines and standardize them to build repeatable processes. At a higher-level, the practice of the Marketing Kata allows us to create powerful outcome-based brands and discover markets for disruptive technology. It positions us to solve something else, an unmet need. This comes from a series of “What” questions that are more powerful than the 5 Why’s.
On November 16 and 17 the top thought leaders and company practitioners will address the roles of Product Development and Sales & Marketing in the Lean enterprise. Registration can be found at Lean Frontiers.
Marketing Kata is primarily based on the practices through Mike Rother’s work documented in the book, Toyota Kata: Managing People for Improvement. Adaptiveness and Superior Results.