How important is innovation to grow and lead?

Leadership and innovation are factors that complement each other within a company. However, if there is no capable leader, the actions and changes that promote innovation may fail.

On the other hand, if the leader does not have access to innovative techniques and ideas, it will be difficult to keep up with the market with a stagnant team and processes.

We decided to explain more about the subject to help business leaders achieve better results. Keep reading!

The importance of implementing a culture of innovation

We can see constant evolution in the market, in consumer behavior and, mainly, in technology. In the past, innovation was a choice. Today, if a company does not keep up with innovation, it loses its position in the competitive sphere.

However, it is essential to define and implement an organizational culture focused on innovation. All employees and stakeholders must be prepared for sudden changes that may impact processes.

We have already discussed the importance of analyzing organizational behavior . This is what will lead to good change management. In fact, at this stage it is possible to identify what really needs to be changed in the company to achieve certain objectives.

See below some practices of the culture of innovation and how this can impact business growth:

  • Brainstorming meetings, encouraging the generation of ideas and exchanging experiences;
  • Promote self-development and multi disciplinarily;
  • Mapping of dynamic and collaborative processes;
  • Prioritize investment in training and innovative strategies;
  • Apply automation technology;
  • Invest in talent retention .

In general, it is essential to create an environment in which analyzing new ideas is a natural and routine behavior, but in which all leaders and employees are comfortable.

Key Characteristics of an Innovative Leader

An innovative leader is someone who transforms a group of ideas into tangible results. In addition, they are able to guide the team towards the best path to achieve the company’s goals.

Self-knowledge

This characteristic greatly helps in the day-to-day work with employees. By recognizing their strengths and weaknesses, it is possible to hone skills that make the leader’s impact even more positive.

Always seeking to improve his knowledge and improve his work methodology with current tools and techniques.

Take the risks

We know that innovation means risk, and risk is part of the development of any business. If the leader is not yet prepared to face the challenges, he or she will likely face problems in achieving the objectives.

A good leader is one who sees challenges as opportunities for improvement, that is, has a strategic vision to overcome difficult situations and prevent other problems of the same nature from occurring in the future.

Meeting of the best talents

The talent acquisition process is entirely linked to organizational innovation. It is necessary to have a strong team to solve any problem and be willing to maximize the company’s results.

The role of the leader is fundamental in innovation. More than supporting, it is necessary to motivate so that everyone is united by the same objective.

As you can see, innovation must be embedded in the company’s DNA and become the main priority in all processes. Furthermore, it must be present in the main growth strategies.

And your company, how does it deal with Innovation Management? How about starting to implement strategies to reap great future opportunities?

Artificial intelligence: What is it, how does it work, what are its current impacts?

In this article we will delve deeper into these issues, defining its concept, presenting its functions in our lives and, above all, reflecting on how its advancement impacts human existence, both in the technological field and in the ethical and social fields.

Understanding the origin of the term Artificial Intelligence

Even though we are not yet familiar with the subject, which is still a novelty, Artificial Intelligence has its origins many decades ago, more precisely after the Second World War. In this post-war period, the English mathematician Alan Turing published an article called ” Computing Machinery and Intelligence ” and in this text he questioned, through some tests, the capacity of machines to be intelligent.

His test, also known as The Imitation Game , or Turing test, aimed to measure the ability of a machine to exhibit intelligent behavior that matched ours. For those who wish to better understand this part of the article, there is a film called The Imitation Game , from 2014, that tells this whole story.

In 1956, years after the publication of Turing’s article, Professor John McCarthy brought the term to life, referring to the ability that machines could have to solve problems that were previously only solved by humans.

A few years later, another essential term in this field of study was introduced: Machine Learning, which gives computers the ability to learn by simply feeding an algorithm with data, and the computer would then be able to perform functions automatically. This is one of the first and greatest advances in AI.

ELIZA, who are you?

To conclude this short chronology, we come to 1964, and with it the creation of the first chatbot, the ELIZA software, a creation of the American computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum at MIT. ELIZA chatted automatically using responses based on keywords and semantic and syntactic structure that is widely used in today’s world.

After all, what is Artificial Intelligence?

The answer in theory is simple, and can be summed up in the following line of reasoning: AI is an intelligence identical to human intelligence, but built on the basis of technological tools, and its objective is to carry out actions that, if carried out by humans, would be considered intelligent.

An AI has the ability to learn and decide, according to a rational perspective, which path to follow in a given action. It only needs to have all the necessary algorithms and data inserted in it for that path to be a valid rational option.

Thus, a machine learns and performs an action, but is not yet able to reflect on it. And this is where we come back to the beginning of the article, and the scene from the movie AI: will we one day have thinking, reflective machines, and most importantly, machines with emotions? This is a trend and also an area of ​​AI study that comes as an evolution of ANI – Weak Artificial Intelligence , a concept that we have already described in another article.

And how does an AI work?

AIs work in such a way that they simulate human intelligence perfectly. Their goal is to be able to respond to diverse demands, ranging from suggesting new films to a user of a certain streaming service, to helping consumers in an appliance store who are having after-sales problems.

It is impossible to think about our daily lives without coming across forms of artificial intelligence that are visible to our eyes. We can see it in the spell checker on our cell phones, in the shopping suggestions we receive via email or on social media. Speaking of social media, it is incredible how our news feed often seems tailored to our tastes.

Well, it is in fact made especially for you, through AI, after analyzing all the information that you unknowingly leave behind on the internet.

That said, it is easy to understand that AI works through:

  • Structures used to process, divide, catalog, organize and analyze data through a data model;
  • Big Data, that is, the provision of large volumes of data;
  • And finally, the system’s ability to process information in order to choose the most appropriate action to take.

Machine Learning

The idea behind the concept of Machine learning is literal, that is, machine learning, which means that it will analyze all the data in its system and will learn to make decisions that match the functions it was assigned.

Let’s take as an example an AI that captures a user’s click on a baby diaper website. The system will analyze the entire path taken by the user, then combine it with the entire database it has and from there make the decision, correct from the point of view of its function, to suggest a series of websites, stores and baby products to this user.

And what normally happens in cases like this: the user ends up consuming more products from the niche, making the customer acquisition process successful, and largely due to the Artificial Intelligence that detected, gathered information, and presented specific suggestions for that potential customer.

Thus, Machine Learning is an area of ​​AI that affirms the thesis that systems learn from data and thus identify patterns and, consequently, are able to perform actions and make choices with minimal human intervention.

Deep Learning

Deep Learning is a subfield of machine learning that uses multiple layers of data and knowledge to reproduce a human neural network as faithfully as possible, and thus teach the computer how to understand and then predict certain patterns.

Deep Learning is an area that is inspired by the way our brain absorbs information and learns, which is why it is seen as a reproduction of our mechanism for thinking and choosing actions. We can conclude that Deep Learning is the closest we can get to imitating human intelligence in computers and its applications cover several areas, such as:

  • Voice recognition
  • Image processing
  • Natural language rocessing

Artificial Intelligence in today’s world

With the inevitable advancement of technology, it is a fact that at some point we will come closer to the scenario described at the beginning of the article, where AI will be so advanced that it will look more like human systems. This scenario brings us to a series of reflections that, until now, only we, humans, can make.

What will be the limits of AI in the evolution of the world? The Battlestar Galactica series ends up offering one of these apocalyptic scenarios, which are more possible. In the plot, we have a context where technology has advanced to such an extent that the artificial intelligence used by humans has gained the status of a life form and self-awareness; however, this AI ends up rebelling against its creators because they feel that they are not valued by the human race.

Could it be that, as we advance in this area and seek to create machines with all our characteristics, we do not run the risk of being overtaken by them?

There is also the question of what are the limits of Artificial Intelligence. Will we ever have a machine that can not only simulate, but actually feel human emotions? And if that happens, even if it is hypothetical, what will be the line that defines what is human and what is machine?

AI emerges as a means of improving the functionalities of our era, and creating situations of convenience, ease and well-being for us, humans. When we come across an email offering exactly the product we were thinking of buying, the first action we usually take is to click on the suggestion and often buy that product.

What we fail to think about in cases like this is the lack of privacy and the tenuous security we currently have with our data. The case of the English company that used data from Facebook users to capture the mood of the British and thus offer material about England’s exit from the European Union is an example of the side effects that the use of AI can bring to our society.

Artificial intelligence: What is it, how does it work, what are its current impacts?

In this article we will delve deeper into these issues, defining its concept, presenting its functions in our lives and, above all, reflecting on how its advancement impacts human existence, both in the technological field and in the ethical and social fields.

Understanding the origin of the term Artificial Intelligence

Even though we are not yet familiar with the subject, which is still a novelty, Artificial Intelligence has its origins many decades ago, more precisely after the Second World War. In this post-war period, the English mathematician Alan Turing published an article called ” Computing Machinery and Intelligence ” and in this text he questioned, through some tests, the capacity of machines to be intelligent.

His test, also known as The Imitation Game , or Turing test, aimed to measure the ability of a machine to exhibit intelligent behavior that matched ours. For those who wish to better understand this part of the article, there is a film called The Imitation Game , from 2014, that tells this whole story.

In 1956, years after the publication of Turing’s article, Professor John McCarthy brought the term to life, referring to the ability that machines could have to solve problems that were previously only solved by humans.

A few years later, another essential term in this field of study was introduced: Machine Learning, which gives computers the ability to learn by simply feeding an algorithm with data, and the computer would then be able to perform functions automatically. This is one of the first and greatest advances in AI.

ELIZA, who are you?

To conclude this short chronology, we come to 1964, and with it the creation of the first chatbot, the ELIZA software, a creation of the American computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum at MIT. ELIZA chatted automatically using responses based on keywords and semantic and syntactic structure that is widely used in today’s world.

After all, what is Artificial Intelligence?

The answer in theory is simple, and can be summed up in the following line of reasoning: AI is an intelligence identical to human intelligence, but built on the basis of technological tools, and its objective is to carry out actions that, if carried out by humans, would be considered intelligent.

An AI has the ability to learn and decide, according to a rational perspective, which path to follow in a given action. It only needs to have all the necessary algorithms and data inserted in it for that path to be a valid rational option.

Thus, a machine learns and performs an action, but is not yet able to reflect on it. And this is where we come back to the beginning of the article, and the scene from the movie AI: will we one day have thinking, reflective machines, and most importantly, machines with emotions? This is a trend and also an area of ​​AI study that comes as an evolution of ANI – Weak Artificial Intelligence , a concept that we have already described in another article.

And how does an AI work?

AIs work in such a way that they simulate human intelligence perfectly. Their goal is to be able to respond to diverse demands, ranging from suggesting new films to a user of a certain streaming service, to helping consumers in an appliance store who are having after-sales problems.

It is impossible to think about our daily lives without coming across forms of artificial intelligence that are visible to our eyes. We can see it in the spell checker on our cell phones, in the shopping suggestions we receive via email or on social media. Speaking of social media, it is incredible how our news feed often seems tailored to our tastes.

Well, it is in fact made especially for you, through AI, after analyzing all the information that you unknowingly leave behind on the internet.

That said, it is easy to understand that AI works through:

  • Structures used to process, divide, catalog, organize and analyze data through a data model;
  • Big Data, that is, the provision of large volumes of data;
  • And finally, the system’s ability to process information in order to choose the most appropriate action to take.

Machine Learning

The idea behind the concept of Machine learning is literal, that is, machine learning, which means that it will analyze all the data in its system and will learn to make decisions that match the functions it was assigned.

Let’s take as an example an AI that captures a user’s click on a baby diaper website. The system will analyze the entire path taken by the user, then combine it with the entire database it has and from there make the decision, correct from the point of view of its function, to suggest a series of websites, stores and baby products to this user.

And what normally happens in cases like this: the user ends up consuming more products from the niche, making the customer acquisition process successful, and largely due to the Artificial Intelligence that detected, gathered information, and presented specific suggestions for that potential customer.

Thus, Machine Learning is an area of ​​AI that affirms the thesis that systems learn from data and thus identify patterns and, consequently, are able to perform actions and make choices with minimal human intervention.

Deep Learning

Deep Learning is a subfield of machine learning that uses multiple layers of data and knowledge to reproduce a human neural network as faithfully as possible, and thus teach the computer how to understand and then predict certain patterns.

Deep Learning is an area that is inspired by the way our brain absorbs information and learns, which is why it is seen as a reproduction of our mechanism for thinking and choosing actions. We can conclude that Deep Learning is the closest we can get to imitating human intelligence in computers and its applications cover several areas, such as:

  • Voice recognition
  • Image processing
  • Natural language rocessing

Artificial Intelligence in today’s world

With the inevitable advancement of technology, it is a fact that at some point we will come closer to the scenario described at the beginning of the article, where AI will be so advanced that it will look more like human systems. This scenario brings us to a series of reflections that, until now, only we, humans, can make.

What will be the limits of AI in the evolution of the world? The Battlestar Galactica series ends up offering one of these apocalyptic scenarios, which are more possible. In the plot, we have a context where technology has advanced to such an extent that the artificial intelligence used by humans has gained the status of a life form and self-awareness; however, this AI ends up rebelling against its creators because they feel that they are not valued by the human race.

Could it be that, as we advance in this area and seek to create machines with all our characteristics, we do not run the risk of being overtaken by them?

There is also the question of what are the limits of Artificial Intelligence. Will we ever have a machine that can not only simulate, but actually feel human emotions? And if that happens, even if it is hypothetical, what will be the line that defines what is human and what is machine?

AI emerges as a means of improving the functionalities of our era, and creating situations of convenience, ease and well-being for us, humans. When we come across an email offering exactly the product we were thinking of buying, the first action we usually take is to click on the suggestion and often buy that product.

What we fail to think about in cases like this is the lack of privacy and the tenuous security we currently have with our data. The case of the English company that used data from Facebook users to capture the mood of the British and thus offer material about England’s exit from the European Union is an example of the side effects that the use of AI can bring to our society.

Types of artificial intelligence: Know the main ones

Technology, one of the main factors responsible for the evolution of our world, has undergone and continues to undergo a constant process of renewal, improvement and enhancement. If decades ago the greatest technological achievement was made up of tools such as computers, cell phones and the internet, today artificial intelligence is the great driving force behind the technological revolution.

And in the corporate world, AIs, as they are called, are already responsible for a huge part of the functioning of companies, and seek to bring to their employees and customers all technological innovations, ranging from interactive chats made without human presence, to security tools that aim to block cyber attacks.

In this article, we will better understand the types of Artificial Intelligence that we already have in our social environment, and how they work and improve our lives. Each AI designed has the function of improving and perfecting our lives in some way.

Understanding the concept of AI

The concept of Artificial Intelligence dates back to the post-World War II period, with the publication of the article ” Computing Machinery and Intelligence ” by the English mathematician Alan Turing. There is a film about him called ” The Imitation Game “, from 2014, which explains his thinking in depth and is worth watching.

Years after the publication of the article, Professor John McCarthy – in 1956 – specifically created the term, referring to the ability that machines could have to solve problems that were previously only solved by humans.

In other words, AI is an intelligence similar to human intelligence, but built on the basis of technological tools, and its objective is to perform actions that, if performed by humans, would be considered intelligent.

AI is important for companies

One of the areas that has benefited greatly from the advance of artificial intelligence is the corporate sector, which sees technological evolution as a huge opportunity to optimize services, improve communication with customers and enhance security systems. In this sense, AIs are not only important, but essential for the growth of companies in various sectors.

The impact of Artificial Intelligence on business is so great that many experts call it a revolution, just as electricity was at the beginning of the 20th century, when it allowed manufacturing to grow to such an extent that it became giants in the commercial sector.

Thus, companies use AI’s ability to automate and augment work to increase profits and improve the efficiency of tasks in companies. Medical companies use AI to assist doctors in diagnoses, banks use it to improve loan programs, and companies in general use it to ensure organizational security, especially in their databases.

Types of Artificial Intelligence

Among so many AIs available on the market, we have selected for you the most relevant and important ones that have been developed today. Check them out!

ANI – Weak Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Narrow Intelligence is an AI system focused on a single objective, which seeks to solve a specific task. For example: the AI ​​used in a chess game builds all imaginable options for moves in the game of chess, in addition to building a database of all the rules of the game. However, its use is limited to the game of chess, unless it seeks to cover more games.

Within this perspective, we still have two possibilities (or subgroups) of ANI, one characterized as 1) Reactive Machines, which have more limited resources, with a smaller data storage capacity and which have the ability to react to more restricted stimuli, and this according to their configuration.

In the process of evolution, reactive machines undergo an advancement, reaching 2) Limited Memory, as a much greater possibility of storing information, which is used in decision-making. Large companies benefit from this advancement, and use it to expand the options for their customers. Let’s take as an example a specific streaming service, which based on the movie you chose to watch will suggest other similar ones.

Well, in this case we are faced with a fully functioning AI, for the benefit of the company and its customers.

Thus, we realize that weak AIs are in almost everything we experience today, whether in a video game, in an automatic chat that you enter from a company, and several other examples, which show us that they are restricted (or weak) precisely because they are focused on a single task, always a consequence of their configuration.

AGI – Artificial General Intelligence (Strong AI)

The second type of Artificial Intelligence, AGI, is still far from our reality, and so far its concept flirts more with science fiction than with our reality.

This is because this type of AI is characterized by the ability to reason, solve problems and make decisions, having the ability to plan, learn and even communicate.

In short, AGI has the ability to mimic human intelligence in such a way that we cannot distinguish one from the other. And it is because of this challenge that this type of intelligence has not yet become a practical reality.

One of the biggest obstacles to this type of intelligence being manifested is precisely the ability to not only learn, but above all to think. Let’s imagine a machine that can memorize an entire dictionary and even “swear”, but cannot understand why this swear word is an offensive word. This lack of understanding, of thinking about why, is still the gap that Artificial General Intelligence aims to fill.

To do this, researchers will need to answer questions such as: “What makes us aware of our own consciousness?” For those who have watched the film “AI – Artificial Intelligence”, by Steven Spielberg, this question must already be memorized, as it is one of the main elements of the entire story.

SI – Artificial Superintelligence

It is a concept still surrounded by a lot of fiction and no reality. It would be a kind of tendency of our humanity, we will reach a point where artificial intelligences would be able to surpass us, and even surpass us.

An AI at this level would have the ability to make decisions and, consequently, think about the choices and actions that will be produced. In the world of science fiction, there is still the million-dollar question: will AIs one day have the ability to love? To feel emotions? Even though technological evolution gives us an answer close to yes, this is a topic that affects not only technology or social evolution, but also ethics and anthropology.

After all, if a machine could not only think, but also feel, what would characterize a machine and what would characterize a human? The distinction between the two would blur and become a major philosophical question.

But all of this is still relatively far from happening, especially because we are in the initial phase of AI.

Conclusion

In this article, you have seen the main types of Artificial Intelligence that the world envisions for our current context, and already thinking about the future. Understanding its types, and, above all, its advances, will provide the reader with the ability to understand what AI we already have around us.

Search suggestions, shopping suggestions, automated chats from retail companies, interactive voices on cell phones, and dozens and hundreds and thousands of other examples make us realize that we are living in the early era of Artificial Intelligence. It is up to us, humans, to make this era characterized by advances in truly necessary areas, such as health, business and well-being.

The Future of the MBA: Trends and Innovations in Executive Education

The education sector has been undergoing a process of continuous evolution in recent decades, driven mainly by social transformations, technological revolutions and pedagogical innovations that have emerged in the world. MBA courses, an important part of this segment, reflect this scenario and need to be constantly updated, leading us to a natural question: “What will the future of executive education be like?”

In this content, we will learn about everything important that the future of MBA courses has in store for us.

We will learn about trends for the exercise of education that is more in line with the new scenarios that are to come, in addition to presenting cases of educational innovations developed by corporate education institutions around the world.

Happy reading!

Executive education in perspective

Executive education has always played a relevant role in the training of new managers, managing to form new generations of leaders, who saw this learning model as an excellent opportunity to improve specific skills and technical abilities necessary for strategic positions within a company.

As the decades passed and the world underwent all the transformations, including events such as the pandemic and new contexts such as those arising from technological and behavioral revolutions, pedagogical approaches changed and today we need to train managers who combine technical knowledge with socio-emotional skills, analytical capacity, critical thinking, as well as various soft skills.

MBA courses have been following this path of change and adapting to new scenarios that have been presenting trends and innovations that we will see below.

Strategic people management has never been so strategic

One of the great skills of today’s leader, and which will remain in the future, is the ability to manage people.

We live in a context that has shown high rates of mental health problems in companies, employees with occupational diseases, as well as tense and stressful work environments.

This is the scenario in which leaders find themselves, and they need to constantly exercise their socio-emotional skills, such as the ability to be empathetic, to practice active listening, to be open to different opinions and feedback, and to resolve conflicts intelligently.

Executive education has already presented solutions to train managers who develop this more humane work perspective, but also in line with market reality.

Experiential education as a major trend

Theoretical knowledge has always been very important in the learning process, and its role will not be diminished in any future educational scenarios.

However, the need to emphasize experiential learning is increasingly emerging as a trend in executive education.

Today’s world’s leaders and managers feel pressured to seek an executive education project that provides real-world experiences through teaching.

This means that it is very important to put knowledge into practice in real-world projects, through real organizations and companies, so that they can deliver the solutions learned in theory in a practical way.

Executive education schools are already able to deliver pedagogical experiences that meet this new demand, which is increasingly demanded by leaders.

Continuing education and constant learning

The traditional education model has always been focused on the idea of ​​lifelong knowledge, that is, you received that technical and standardized education and were ready to perform your function eternally.

The world has changed and the ideas of lifelong education and constant updating have gained ground, and they need to be disseminated in corporate education schools as well.

MBA courses have been adapting and today they are able to constantly update their content, approaches and formats, so that the knowledge passed on is always as current and new as possible.

Another idea that has been taking shape is that of microlearning, with schools increasingly working with quick and objective teaching and learning practices.

Embracing technology

It is no secret that any institution or organization that neglects technological advancement will lose ground in its sector.

MBA courses have been transformed over time due to technological developments, and this is a trend that will continue into the future, being intrinsically linked to the idea of ​​innovation.

We will see more and more schools using artificial intelligence to promote more collaborative and participatory education formats.

We will see technologies being used on a large scale to analyze individual and collective performances, in addition to contributing to the technical evolution of the courses themselves.

Promoting critical thinking

One of the major trends for the future of executive education, which is already being encouraged in current MBA courses, is the promotion of critical thinking.

In times of the internet and social media, with millions of pieces of information, real and false, being published every minute, it is essential that we have the ability to know how to filter all of this and reflect in a healthy and intelligent way.

Promoting the idea of ​​criticism is essential for executive education schools to be able to train new leaders, within a context in which the company’s values ​​and mission tend to be worth a lot.

Therefore, having leaders who can represent their values ​​intelligently and in a way that is consistent with their values ​​will be the greatest desire of large organizations around the world.

Conclusion

As we have seen today, the future holds a hopeful and very fertile scenario for executive education.

The new MBA courses are born with this contemporary DNA, seeking to train leaders capable of combining technical knowledge with socio-emotional intelligence and soft skills.

More traditional courses adapt and are constantly updated to continue being a relevant part of your professional journey.

Agile Marketing: 5 benefits of implementing agile management

Do you still feel like your operation is stuck, with many bottlenecks and difficulty producing more efficiently? Maybe it’s time to implement Agile Marketing and boost productivity in marketing.

Agile methodologies add more assertiveness and speed to adapt to an increasingly volatile and competitive world . Read this content until the end and check out tips on how to implement this methodology in marketing.

Agile Manifesto: The Beginning of Agile Methodology

In 2001, a group of 17 people met to discuss new approaches and improvements in project management.

This is how the so-called Agile Manifesto came about , which despite many methodologies being prior to the date of its creation, it was there that 4 values ​​that guide the method were established and consolidated , they are:

  1. Communication: individuals and interaction between them more than processes and tools;
  2. Practicality: Working software rather than comprehensive documentation;
  3. Alignment of expectations and collaboration: collaboration with the client and project members rather than contract negotiation;
  4. Adaptability and flexibility: responding to change rather than following a plan.

In addition to these 4 essential pillars above, there are 12 principles of the agile manifesto . This guide has become world-renowned for guiding actions and helping in the choice of methods and tools to optimize results:

  1. Satisfy the customer with fast and continuous deliveries;
  2. Flexibility to accept changes at any stage of the process, even if late;
  3. Deliver software more frequently and in the shortest timescale ;
  4. Align those involved in the projects . Managers and developers should talk daily throughout the project;
  5. Provide a healthy environment, support and confidence to keep the team motivated ;
  6. Working software is the primary measure of progress;
  7. Maintain a constant and continuous pace of development ;
  8. Continuously pay attention to technical excellence and good design to be more agile;
  9. Simplify to have a routine guided by efficiency;
  10. Provide autonomy and confidence for teams to organize themselves;
  11. Evaluate effectiveness at regular intervals to adjust and refine important design points .

What is Agile Marketing?

Agile Marketing is a work methodology that consists of adopting more efficient work methods . That is, creating marketing strategies and campaigns based on short and precise processes and creation cycles.

The main idea is to react quickly to changes and challenges imposed by the market. In addition, another important factor is to create a continuous cycle of learning, implementation and measurement to avoid waste throughout the process.

5 benefits of implementing agile management in marketing

Agile methodologies are fully connected to the mindset . Therefore, they shape the way a team thinks, acts and executes in the company.

According to the 3rd Annual State of Agile Marketing Report , 41% of marketers report using Agile today, and of those non-users, 42% plan to adopt it .

Whatever your current situation, check out the reasons to implement this methodology in your daily life.

  1. Increases productivity

Wasting time on meetings that could be an email or projects that do not contribute to achieving strategic objectives can hinder your deliveries.

And according to The State of Agile Marketing report , increasing productivity is the top reason to adopt agile marketing .

In other words, this is proof that if you don’t invest in improving your productivity, your competitors probably will or already will.

  1. Reduces costs

Time is money is a maxim we have always heard. And if you can manage your business more quickly and efficiently, it is quite possible that cost reduction will be one of the first benefits your team will generate.

Agile methodologies value organizing processes, analyzing and measuring results . Therefore, if an initiative is not working, the best choice is to rethink the investment of time and money in it.

  1. Focus on the consumer

It may seem like a cliche, but teams that focus on customer experience achieve more sales and build customer loyalty . This is extremely relevant in such a competitive market.

Marketing is often focused on the brand’s products/services, but it can forget about the people who matter most: its target audience who buys.

The way your consumers react to launches and consume your products/services can help you adapt your strategies.

  1. Easy adaptation to changes

The philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus once said that the only constant is change. The increasingly volatile and fast-paced world means that those who do not adapt are out of the game.

And this is the essence of agile marketing. This methodology understands that changes always happen. And so, instead of making rigid plans with a longer time frame (6 months or 1 year), it is recommended to focus on flexible plans, which must react and change according to the moment .

  1. Enhances communication

According to research by the Content Marketing Institute , the biggest challenge for 53% of marketing professionals is communication between teams .

And one of the pillars of agile management is to always bring your team together in quick but constant alignments.

This way, it is possible to check how activities are going, share challenges, tests and some results.

In addition to putting everyone on the same page, the routine becomes more transparent and provides better strategic visibility among the internal team.

How to implement Agile in practice

Over the years, agile management has gained frameworks, which are working models for applying the methodology in practice.

To implement one or more of these in your team’s day-to-day activities, you need to consider a series of factors, such as the adaptation of your team and the business model (if it makes sense for your brand). Check out some models:

Kanban

The term of Japanese origin is a visual management system for controlling tasks and workflows through the use of columns and cards, simplifying activity management.

It is usually divided into three columns where you should place your activities as “to do”, “doing (or in progress)” and “done”. This visual structure helps you have more control over the steps and projects that have been requested.

Lean

This method has become established in the startup universe and consists of working with leaner projects, with its main focus being on eliminating waste during execution .

MVP comes from the Minimum Viable Product . In other words, the more functional the version of the product (or project), the easier it is for the company to validate and test projects to identify positive and negative points before investing more time and effort to put the complete version on the market.

In a marketing campaign, the KV (Key Visual) can be considered an MVP, as it is a single piece that works as a guide, representing the essence of the project. This way, the marketing team does not need to redo all the necessary pieces due to rejections.

In short, this method is recommended for validating ideas and hypotheses and consists of three steps, which are building, measuring and learning .

Scrum

One of the most popular methods, developed by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherlande, has the main objective of assisting in the management and development of projects that have a short delivery deadline.

In practice, Scrum works by creating cycles, known as sprints , which are the time intervals for the development of each stage. At the end of each stage, there is a review of the tasks for validation. It is only after this that the team begins the next cycle.

In this methodology, it is important to distribute responsibilities. Therefore, there is the role of the project owner ( Product Owner , or simply Owner ), who will be the main person responsible and will make the main decisions about the development of that project.

SMART

Without setting goals, the path to growth tends to be foggy and confusing. Therefore, this method is ideal for creating more realistic and tangible goals. After all, goals that are too far from current reality tend to demotivate your team. Its 5 pillars are linked to each acronym , learn more:

S – for Specific : First of all, your goal needs to be specific, that is, very clear and straightforward. Address one point at a time, after all, too many ideas at the same time can be confusing and give rise to misinterpretations.

M – for Measurable : your goal must be measurable and quantifiable. Without data to demonstrate the value of your work, all your effort can be nullified. Numbers are essential to prove reality.

A – for Attainable : it is essential that the objectives are achievable . This way, as previously mentioned, your team will not become demotivated for not being able to achieve impossible goals at the moment.

R – for Relevant : your goal needs to be relevant . That is, it needs to have an impact and truly change the company’s direction. Be careful with vanity metrics so you don’t get lost.

T – for Time-related : set a deadline for project delivery. This way, you avoid procrastination. This way, your team can focus and be more effective in projects and results.

Marketing: How to Create a Successful Campaign in 8 Steps

Marketing campaigns are the most accessible and appropriate tool of contact with the market for most companies to reinforce their position and acquire new customers. In addition, a good campaign can tap into a new target audience for the business, boost its sales, impressions, and influence as well.

WHAT IS A MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Marketing campaigns are promotions having a start and end date that are designed to achieve a certain objective.

Establish a precise, unambiguous aim. This is the most crucial step in developing a campaign. Even if your objective is as straightforward as raising sales for the month of October, it still has to be well-defined. Your odds of succeeding in reaching your objective increase with its specificity.Being specific can help you focus and save time with your methods.

Therefore, successful marketing campaigns are more than just ads. Complex campaigns utilize multiple media, use a sequence of messages over an extended period of time, support positioning, define a brand experience, and handle campaign fulfillment and sales.

PRIMARY PLAN FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN

Before starting a marketing campaign, it is necessary to define some things. And this is what often makes the entire subsequent process easier. This organization and pre-definition – as if it were an outline – helps and guides you to achieve your goals.

And these presets are:

ADVERTISEMENT : Think about the most effective tools to promote your campaign. Word of mouth, point-of-sale signage, email marketing and social media are all great starting points – choose the tools that work best for your business .

IDEA OUTLINE : You want to make sure your campaign has a clear call to action. So, a call to action encourages people to take a step forward with you. Your call to action can be anything. No matter what it is, make it clear and easy .

GOAL PLAN : Your campaign should have a start date and an end date. Use a calendar to plan  actions for each important date and task. Set dates and goals, and as the campaign progresses you can evaluate what is going well and what is not.

8 STEPS TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN

Create a Campaign Success Recipe: not as easy as a post on creating the perfect campaign. And we know that. But, with these eight steps, we believe you will be near success!

1. ALIGN YOUR GOALS

Plan your campaigns such that you meet your annual revenue and volume goals. For instance, suppose you want to get 100 new customers. Calculate how many leads you need and when you’ll need them.

For example, if you are B2B, your sales team might generate 30% of their leads through prospecting; the rest could come from telemarketing, email, social media, direct mail, search marketing, webinars, trade shows, etc.

2. COMBINE YOUR IDEAS WITH YOUR STRATEGIES

Identify all the business goals that will require marketing support . You may need campaigns to generate and nurture leads, to sell directly and through a specific channel, or even to market to existing customers.

So, evaluate ideas and options-traditional sales activities, Internet marketing, social media, telemarketing, content marketing, email, advertising.-determining which ones work best for achieving a specific objective.

3. DEFINE AND TARGET YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

You can speak directly to your potential customer through much more specific targeting and increase your response rates in the process. That is to say, by targeting your campaign to the desired audience, you have a higher chance of success.

Our suggestion for this step is to carry out extensive research on the public and their way of consuming.

4.SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN: HAVE A MAIN MESSAGE AND A CALL-IN

If you are detailing every little thing about your offer, it’s enough to drown the would-be customer. Be creative-these days, our market is daily bombarded by ads and messages; therefore, attract them and captivate them.

5. LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET AND DEFINE A ROI

Projecting your marketing ROI (Return on Investment) is a powerful exercise that requires you to think about and estimate the results of your campaign’s important metrics :

  • Impressions or exposure to your campaign creative
  • Conversions or those that take action from the impression
  • The steps needed to go from a conversion to a customer
  • The number of units sold and the profit from each
  • Your campaign budget items
  • The estimated ROI of your campaign

6. SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN: ANALYZE THE CAMPAIGN’S TOUCHPOINTS

Your fulfillment processes can make or break your closing rate, so be sure to outline your needs.

For example, if you are running a campaign where potential customers request a software demo and it is delayed or cannot be delivered for some reason, your potential customers may lose interest as a result.

So, be careful when publishing a campaign that could harm your relationship with leads. Or that your team or product are not prepared to meet the demands that a campaign may generate.

7. BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN

It is crucial that you maintain your brand identity and remain consistent. To have a successful campaign, have a brand portal that centralizes all of your brand assets during the creative process.
Additionally, the portal is the means to improve the consistency, reliability and visual appearance of your brand. A brand portal usually requires a larger investment than a corporate identity manual in document format, but you will have benefits such as being able to share guidelines with different audiences easily, not wasting time on disseminating the visual identity manual and having control over version guidelines and source files.

8. SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN: TESTING AND IMPROVEMENTS

Even on a small campaign, you can evaluate your ad, copy, list, or other factors before spending your entire budget .

Choose a subset of your materials or two versions of an ad. Test them in small quantities and choose the best one for launch. Then, you can test a second variable against the winner of the first test.

Keep your testing cycle going and track your results over time. You’ll improve your response rates and your return on investment .

Why invest in marketing strategies for environmental businesses?

It is a fact that investments in marketing strategies bring significant profits for the company in each segment. For this is not a secret, after all-be it small startups or large corporations-the realization of well-planned and targeted actions increases the visibility of the brand, strengthens its positioning on the market, and even improves communication with the target audience.

However, among the many sectors that can benefit from these practices, the environmental sector stands out as one of the most promising at the moment. This is happening because, as awareness of the importance of sustainability grows, more and more companies are seeking to incorporate environmentally responsible practices into their processes ⎯ a movement that opens up new opportunities for the evolution of businesses that provide this type of service or offer related solutions.

This is precisely where marketing emerges as a powerful tool to promote these organizations, allowing them to communicate what they do, how they add value in the market and how they can help other companies implement sustainability in their operations.

However, if you are still not convinced that this is a good option for your business, continue reading and discover 4 reasons that prove that investing in marketing for environmental companies works.

Marketing and the market: what opportunities are available for environmental companies?

Before understanding why marketing is so relevant in this field, let’s look at the market, after all, nothing better than numbers to prove facts, right?

Well, today we live in a global scenario marked by extreme weather events, which highlight the urgent need for a change in behavior and a review of “old” business practices based on the linear model. In addition, the rise of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) guidelines is also highlighting sustainability as a fundamental pillar for the success and longevity of organizations in the most diverse segments – in fact, there are already several studies that support these statements.

According to data, 57% of executives stated that they are in the process of redesigning their business models to be more sustainable, and this movement is still accompanied by a series of concrete actions: more than 80% of industries have adopted measures to reduce waste generation, energy consumption and water use, seeking not only regulatory compliance, but also operational efficiency and environmental appreciation.

These figures show that the search for environmental solutions is and will probably continue to be on the rise in the coming years, opening up space for service and solution providers within the environmental sector to stand out in the market and support companies in other segments to achieve their sustainability goals.

4 reasons that prove how valuable it is to invest in marketing strategies for environmental businesses

When we think about marketing strategies for environmental companies, we are not talking about just any action, but rather tactics that are consistent with the way these companies operate and that can demonstrate the real value of their solutions.

Inbound and flywheel , for example, are two options that show great promise in this scenario. In practice, while inbound has the potential to attract qualified leads while also favoring brand consolidation in the most relevant online media outlets, the flywheel is implemented to manage these entries and improve conversion rates through good customer experience.

It is also worth remembering that both actions can be combined. By adopting a flywheel approach together with a robust content strategy focused on inbound marketing, environmental companies can improve their positioning in Google search rankings and establish themselves as references in the market, attracting new customers and boosting their results.

Having said all that, you can now briefly understand why investing in these strategies is so valuable, right? But the advantages don’t stop there and also include:

1. Building authority and trust

Only those companies appear to convey the value of their services or products will carry credibility with them. The organizations will publish case studies, environmental impact reports, and other informative content and will enable a consumer and other stakeholders to believe in it. More customers, strategic partnerships, and greater support from the stakeholders will benefit a business in its market when they are seen as leaders in that market.

2. Product differentiation from the competition

It could be easier to stand out in the market when proper marketing strategies come into play, and that is precisely the case with environmental companies, which can easily bring to the fore their competitive advantages along with the benefits associated with their service, through content published. This competitive edge then becomes the decider within consumers’ choices because they can clearly see how a particular solution meets exactly what they are looking for.

3. Increased profitability

As we have already mentioned, inbound marketing is a tool to increase the output of qualified leads, or those who are not just interested in what your company offers but likely to convert into real customers. However, this gain unfolds into a more efficient sales funnel with a higher conversion rate and a better ROI, or profitability.

4. Benefits for the society and environment

Lastly, investment in marketing brings benefits for the business, but also for the society and environment. The environmental companies highlight how sustainability may be achieved and applied in everyday life of corporations, yet at the same time they benefit the society and society by raising public consciousness about these issues and inducing responsible behavior.

This contributes towards the making of a more informed society since it engages in the fight against climate change and other challenges which are still present in the preservation of natural resources.

How to increase leads and have a sustainable customer base

Every business needs to increase its lead base, after all, they are the future customers who will continue the business .Sales represent the company’s livelihood, so working on attracting and capturing leads is essential for sustainable progress.

But although this observation is simple and accurate, the way to put the search for new leads into practice still generates doubts and curiosity in many people.

After all, where do you start attracting potential customers, how do you open new avenues for capturing customers and maintain an ever-growing lead base?

Well, the task is not so simple but also not so complex that a good strategy cannot meet it.

Below are 4 simple tips on how to increase leads.

How to increase leads with 4 tips

Before we start with the tips, it is worth mentioning that knowing how to increase leads involves analyzing the profile of the business and the target audience .

This is because capture techniques must first consider these factors, that is, the expectations of potential customers and the way in which they are impacted by interaction with brands.

Therefore, the first essential step is to know your persona very well.

Now, let’s move on to the following topics to learn more general tips on how to increase leads.

Offer quality content on your channels

Any entrepreneur who is well-informed today knows the value of informative content in their relationship with consumers.

People are increasingly critical and in search of information and education. Before closing any deal directly in the store, they tend to research the brand’s value on the internet.

And this analysis is not just about glancing through the website, but about an in-depth search to check the company’s reputation and its authority, or lack thereof, in the segment in which it operates.

Therefore, when we talk about how to increase leads, producing relevant content should be one of the main strategies .

Build your website and other channels representing the brand with exclusive materials that bring valuable information to the public, that are capable of answering their questions and demonstrating that the company is not only inclined to sell, but also to educate and address the pain points of its potential customers.

It is important that this content offers links to websites that are references on the subject covered, and don’t forget the keywords and the entire structure focused on SEO techniques.

After all, we know that after building an excellent channel, you need to take it to the top of the search engines 😉

Invest in rich materials

Still on the subject of content, we couldn’t fail to mention rich materials not only as bait for capturing leads, but also as a tool for nurturing them once they’ve been captured.

After all, what would be the point of acquiring a large lead base without knowing how to maintain it?

Rich materials are denser content with different formats to provide the lead with more in-depth information .

These are ebooks, white papers, podcasts, videos, etc.

This type of material is one of the most recommended today to help leads follow the purchasing journey in a conscious and engaged way.

Focus on the structure of landing pages and forms

Knowing how to increase leads also involves taking care of the structure of the elements responsible for leading the website visitor to the page that will capture their contact details.

That is, the transition that leads you to actually becoming a lead.

These elements are the landing pages and the forms contained within them. Upon arriving at this landing page, the visitor must be faced with a succinct and effective form .

Many people give up filling out the form because it asks for too much information, which they consider unnecessary, and it certainly is.

Therefore, focus on creating an objective form that only requests essential information to feed the marketing and sales base .

Once completed, don’t forget the thank you page.

CTA and Copywriting

These elements are also crucial when taking the visitor to the data capture page.

Remember that a CTA is a call – visual or textual – that aims to take the reader or visitor to a specific page to perform some action.

Copywriting, in turn, refers to the use of the correct words to communicate with your audience, with the aim of guiding them to make a decision.

Do you notice the similarity in their functions?

The intelligent combination of these elements can quickly and efficiently transform your visitor into a lead.

So focus on locating your CTA in a strategic part of the website , use conversion colors that are eye-catching but don’t drive people away, and use action verbs that are sufficiently engaging.

Lead attraction: the path to success

As we said in the introduction, sales are one of the foundations of every business.

That’s why knowing how to increase leads is the goal of many business owners, after all, the base needs to be sustainable and continuous.

The success of the task, as we have seen, depends on the correct techniques based on the profile of the business and its audience .

Therefore, after an in-depth study of your segment, remember relevant content, rich materials, strategic landing page structure, CTA and copywriting.

How lead scoring can increase your business sales

Lead scoring has helped companies invest in more assertive strategies when the challenge is to nurture potential customers. The right technique can help your business move towards success!
Anyone who works in sales knows how challenging and crucial the task of transforming leads into customers is.
For this reason, several techniques have been developed to improve this process, that is, to enable companies to see and explore business opportunities with greater direction.

After all, scoring tools focus on understanding the consumer’s purchasing journey and what makes a lead closer or further away from purchasing.

With this broad and strategic vision, it becomes possible to nurture it throughout the attraction and negotiation process based on concrete data regarding its behavior.

Sounds interesting?

So check out this content to see how lead scoring can help your company’s sales!

Learn how lead scoring came about and understand how it works

Lead scoring is nothing more than a way to classify your potential customers according to points.

This technique is used to filter the contact information of those who have shown interest in the company’s products or services and, thus, initiate and maintain a targeted relationship, focused on conversion, with the leads that are most likely to close a deal.

Lead scoring is defined according to the affinity of the lead’s area of ​​activity with your company. In addition, important elements such as purchasing decision power (position), for example, are also considered.

Imagine that there are two leads, one an intern and the other a director of a large company in the sector. Now think about it: which one has more autonomy to make the decision?

Using profile data like this, each match of interests is given a score (point) and those with the highest score are the ones most likely to become effective customers.

Lead scoring emerged alongside digital marketing and the need to approach leads in a strategic and focused manner, rather than shooting in all directions as was usually done in traditional marketing.

The advantages of lead scoring for your company

After understanding the lead scoring functions and how they came about, it’s time to look at the main advantages that this technique can provide to your company.

In general, we can point out that lead scoring allows the marketing and sales team to identify which leads should receive more technical, specific and conversion-oriented material, while others still need greater education about the market.

Check out other advantages of adopting lead scoring in your business.

Cost reduction

When investing in lead scoring, the company spends less on sales and marketing demands.

This is because both teams will spend less time and resources preparing and approaching leads to have the same or higher conversion rate than they had before.

This means reducing CAC (customer acquisition cost) by shortening the average sales cycle time and spending less on inputs to win over each consumer.

After all, by identifying which lead is closest to closing a deal, efforts become more targeted, eliminating the need for generic and massive strategies.

Greater productivity

The time saved in the sales cycle can be used by the professionals involved to generate new business and retain customers who have already converted.

The marketing team will be able to focus their efforts on the leads that are closest to the ideal score, but will still have room to follow up on the others.

This way, you can generate and prepare a smaller number of leads for the sales team to approach, after all, these leads will already be “hot”.

This means that the sales team will not waste time approaching leads that are not close to making a purchase, and can instead focus more on the right strategies aimed at consumers who are closer to making a decision.

Application of more efficient strategies

To generate and nurture potential customers, it is necessary to have a series of strategies in action.

Content marketing and nurturing flows, which are also part of Inbound Marketing, are ways of bringing leads closer to the company.

Let’s also not forget that it is now possible to invest more accurately in social networks and invest precisely in email marketing.

As your lead scoring process gains strength, it is possible to apply a type of macro analysis to identify, for example, which content was most successful among leads that made a purchase and which ones need to be readjusted with a focus on conversion.

Sell ​​more with lead scoring!

In today’s content, we saw how lead scoring can be used to classify and segment leads that, in some way, approached your business and, thus, relate to them more assertively based on scoring criteria.

Therefore, we already know that it is the practice of classifying leads through a score based on their profile and affinity with the business in question .

The advantages focus on a more optimized and focused conversion. That is, lead nurturing starts to happen in an effective and strategic way.