“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” –(Probably Not) Einstein

I’m going to have to disagree on this one. The definition of insanity in marketing is not what Einstein supposedly said. (No really, he didn’t even say that. . . .)

In our work, the definition of insanity is switching things up just for the sake of “switching things up.”

Insanity is using quotes you find on the Internet to justify emotion-fueled marketing plans. If you truly want to find out what is wrong with your sales, rely on thoughtful reviews of your data.

The Definition of Insanity in Marketing

I hear the “Einstein insanity quote” used as one of many when people are trying to mix things up.

But there are two major things that bother me about this quote.

1. I Have an Issue with People Applying Quotes to Justify Their Bad Decisions.

The one I’m picturing here is the famous Marilyn Monroe quote (which also probably wasn’t said by her . . .):

“If you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best.”

Yeah, whatever, Carol. Maybe if you stopped being such a jerk who uses quotes to validate her shitty behavior, you could get your life together.

Rely on data and critical thinking if you’re looking to make a change.

2. I See It More when We’re Looking for Simple Solutions to Complex Problems.

There are so many things we can look at to help identify leaks in a dealership’s sales process. Is it the amount of leads? Quality of leads?

The more time you spend analyzing the problem, the better your solution is going to be.

Hearing “We’re not selling enough cars — we need to cut our marketing efforts across the board” doesn’t help like “Our appointments are down, but our leads have been trending up” does. It’s all about putting on our sleuthing hats and digging in to what the numbers tell us.

In the end, there are no shortcuts to great marketing strategy. If selling cars were easy, everyone would be doing it!

Marketing Insanity Is Driven by Emotion

Move Marketing with Data

One thing that 9 Clouds promotes — and promotes heavily — is the power of data. Having issues with thing X? Let’s look at the data and try to find out what’s causing it.

This means our direction and results for what we’re working on come from a place of intention. By focusing on deliverables tailored to specific dealership needs, we’re able to create marketing plans that aren’t one-size-fits-all.

Here’s a Helpful Decision Flowchart

Here is a flowchart that further simplifies the process. It was made by someone who is not a designer. That person is me. I made the flowchart.

When the creatives are busy with client work, you get this.

Fight Emotion-based decision making

At best, emotion-based decision making in your marketing plans results in directionless effort. It might work out short term, but you won’t see the steady growth over the long term.

At its worst, emotion-based decision making means you’re not the one in control — which is a scary thought. Moving marketing pieces on a whim means you are probably doing more damage than good.

Continue to fight emotion-based decision making, and leave the Internet quotes to the meme-ridden youths.

And if you have a problem, you can cash me ousside. How bow dah?