Marketers are famous for jumping on the latest trend like “telling your brand story,” “social media is the next big thing,” “content is king” and “remember to have a two-way conversation with your customer.” Sound familiar? Your head can spin so badly that you will be frozen at the intersection of stop and go.

In over 30 years, the only thing I have seen work in marketing is a fully integrated marketing approach. The good news is you can deploy all of these ideas and tactics and create buzz around your brand.

The reality is that all of these tactics take active management by your company, and need to be updated and made relevant all the time. Marketing is not a “set it and forget it” discipline. In today’s world it is ever-changing. The best news is that through digital marketing you have a better idea of what is working and not working. This month’s issue of the Harvard Business Review ‘s cover article is “How Data Creates a Business Advantage.” And it does; it can tell you so many things about your current and prospective customer. 

The best way to compete is to get on board, to invest in your brand — even if only one channel at a time — is to build a fortress of data around your brand and to ultimately position it for the future.