This is me experiencing punting in Oxford, last year (on the left) and this year (on the right). The difference, other than that I’m commandeering a bottle of prosecco this year instead of a punt, is that I decided to let someone more experienced take the steer.
You see, whatever you’ve been told, punting your own punt is not easy. Last year I learned that the hard way when I spent about 80% of the time causing havoc for every other punt on its expertly coordinated path.
Often the marketing activities we undertake look to be as straightforward as that first punting experience did, but they don’t always turn out that way. When they’re not our speciality and we have a raft of other business activities to balance, we can end up confused, exhausted and frustrated – truly up the creek.
When my clients decide to outsource marketing specific activities, such as strategic planning or market research projects, they gain back time, resource, and clarity. Although chauffeured punting looked more expensive, in the end it cost less than a DIY job due to the time it took!
Also, when I was able to sit back and observe the journey (on a cushioned seat no less) instead of precariously trying to navigate the reeds, I noticed that there were other ways to get down the river – concluding that pedalos and rowing boats were an infinitely more sensible choice.
Thanks to the expertise of our punter, I learned things: Christ Church is where Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland. I could look at the map every now and then and see where I’d been and where I was going, instead of dreading the next twist or turn.
I saw others floundering, making my rookie error of trying to punt themselves. One poor guy was dangling from a bridge, his fellow punters desperately signalling for him to get it to the bank and leap back on board – ideally without soaking them in the process. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me a little smug with my decision to outsource our punter. But more than anything, with my cold drink in hand and the warm sun on my face, it made me want to cry out: “Pay someone else next time – it’s so worth it!”
Oh, did I mention, it took us half the time to get around?
If you’re up the creek marketing-wise and would like to discuss some outsourced support to help you get back on course, please get in touch for a free consultation today.