In with the New: 4 Ways to Pivot Your Program


By: Katie Higgins

It has been said that the only constant is change. Today, top companies are constantly seeking out opportunities to try something new—whether that is expanding to a new industry, chasing a new priority, shifting business goals or a delivering a different set of objectives from leadership. It’s important to know how to pivot your program.

It can be a challenge to pivot your marketing and visibility strategy to accommodate a new direction, particularly if it is a long-established program.

Everyone knows that change can be scary—it pushes us in different ways and forces us to address the reasons behind the tasks and initiatives we carry out day to day. However, a new direction can be one of the best opportunities to reevaluate your efforts and reenergize your campaigns. Below are the top four tips to help you successfully navigate a pivot to your program:

Begin at the Beginning

When tasked with making a major change to your marketing strategy, one of the best ways to begin is with the basics. Get started by reviewing your current program goals, tasks, processes and more. What parts of the program worked and where is there room for improvement? Identify the players who need to have a part in the transition and provide them with an overview of where your program stands today. Make sure to organize your tasks, deliverables and results to show how they directly relate to the old goals. Most likely, some of your current program can be built upon or replicated to address the new goal—whether that is taking a traditional advertising program digital, making the leap into a new industry, or anything in between.

Look through a Different Lens 

Now is the time to reevaluate the “why.” Why are you targeting these audiences? Why are you developing those reports? A major change in direction is the perfect opportunity to eliminate cumbersome or inefficient processes that have long been part of your program. If you can’t identify a clear “why,” for a process, drop it. Pivot your program by evaluating your strategy from a different angle to optimize results and improve efficiencies. In many cases, this would be a big improvement to the old program as well.

Get to Know the New

Today’s quick-change digital world is filled with possibilities. One way to get a handle on new opportunities and approaches to media and marketing is to explore the options. Do your research by consuming everything that may be relevant to your new goals—through media, blogs, ads, products, podcasts, industry newsletters and more. Seek out other companies who are doing a good job in the space and evaluate their efforts to identify ways to emulate their success. It is critical to know what other brands are doing in order to spark fresh ideas and get your program up to date in a way that will hold up against the competition.

Keep Your Eyes (and Mind) Open

At the start of anything new—a new relationship, hobby, goal and more—it is easy to feel a little apprehensive. After all, you are taking a risk and there is no certainty that things will work out as planned. However, it is critical to commit to a change in order to take your work to the next level. Open yourself up by learning about modern PR techniques and trends in order to align with the new direction and bring fresh value to your program. Be open to change and look for inspiration all around. You never know what person, place or thing will spark something creative to pivot your program.

Taking professional risks and expanding your skill set is the best way to grow. Change comes in many forms—no matter if you are facing a shift in industry, a new point of contact or the launch of a different set of business goals. By learning about trends and incorporating new tactics, adapting current program elements that work, and opening yourself up to change, you will be armed with the tools to successfully pivot your program and deliver clear progress towards your new directive.