Marketing Strategy - The "Hannibal" Way

Wayne E Pollard, at CMO Magazine, has wonderfully articulated the learnings for Marketers from the chapters of history – from the strategies and planning of Military leader Hannibal Barca, when he attacked Rome between 218 B.C. and 202 B.C.
Though I am not in complete agreement with relating new markets to Battlefields, and marketing as “attacking” and “warfare”, one can still identify the key elements of strategizing to be kept in mind, while venturing into a new market, from the article.
Right from considering the work force to doing the ground work, understanding the competitor and its market perception to forming alliances, the author has perfectly aligned a marketer’s strategic planning to that of a Military leader. An interesting read for sure!

Some of the basic pointers that one should definitely keep in mind are that Marketers need to be aggressive enough before entering the market. This aggression needs to be complemented with dynamism and adeptness to handle the market conditions. Not to forget the ability to customize your offerings and being receptive to the customer feedback as well.
Not only is it necessary to have a comprehensive plan and an aggressive execution, but it is equally critical to communicate the “perception of execution” in the market, something most marketers & potential ones (like me!) understand only on the field !