Maisie Lloyd
I'm passionate about recording the world, but most of all driven by creativity and collaborative environments. My experience revolves around the production of digital content, pertaining to graphic design, writing copy, and video and audio content.
What is solution-based thinking in marketing?
Solution-based thinking involves proactively identifying potential problems and finding ways to resolve them before they escalate. In marketing, problem-solving is essential to minimising the negative impact of challenges and ensuring continuous growth. Instead of dwelling on what isn’t working, solution-based thinking shifts the focus toward learning from mistakes and implementing effective solutions.
This approach also contributes to a well-rounded marketing strategy. By preparing contingency plans—such as Plans A, B, and C—businesses can proactively address potential challenges before they arise, reducing risk and uncertainty.
Additionally, solution-based thinking aids in setting realistic business goals. Analytical skills and continuous evaluation play a crucial role in developing effective solutions, ensuring businesses remain adaptable and prepared.
Why is problem-solving an important facet of marketing?
As a marketing agency, our role is to anticipate, reduce, and resolve client issues across various business areas, including online performance, digital security, and return on investment. However, problem-solving isn’t just a skill reserved for agencies like ours—it’s a fundamental function of any business.
At its core, a business exists to solve customer problems, whether through products or services. In marketing, our job is to ensure businesses have the right strategies, tools, and support to effectively address challenges and meet customer needs. By embracing problem-solving, companies can adapt to changing market conditions and enhance their overall success.
What are the skills and techniques needed to problem solve in marketing?
Solution-based thinking leverages various skills and techniques to analyse data, evaluate campaign performance, and develop effective strategies.
SMART – SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevancy and Time constraints around the goals that are being set in a campaign. This technique is great for defining realistic parameters for a campaign strategy.
This technique clearly outlines the goals a business wants to achieve. This is valuable as it can allow a business to work backwards from the goals to consider how to achieve them and what problems may occur during that process allowing for a
The Six Hats Method – This technique created by Edward De Bono, involves making considerations with six different perspectives. This technique can be particularly useful in meetings, where different team members can adopt distinct thinking roles.
The hats are assorted by colour and represent different approaches to thinking:
- The white hat focuses solely on the facts, which means every consideration is based on data, it can prevent opinions from influencing decision-making.
- The yellow hat offers an optimistic perspective, focusing on the benefits and potential positive outcomes which can be achieved.
- The green hat offers a creative opinion, they think outside of the box and offer more creative concepts to be factored into a strategy.
- The black hat considers the potential issues, consider this hat from a risk management perspective. This hat will ensure any complications are averted by considering any problems which could arise.
- The blue hat is the observer of the group, ensuring everyone is thinking as they should, in order for the technique to be upheld.
- The red hat uses ‘gut feelings’, it factors in the emotional response to a consideration, whether it’s loving, hating, liking, fearing, or disliking something.
Being able to ideate, is one of the most fundamental skills of a problem-solver. Ideation is one of the most efficient ways to problem solve. Brainstorming sessions, particularly in team settings, can help businesses think through challenges and devise innovative approaches.
Measuring and tracking success is a particularly important part of solution-based thinking. By tracking past marketing efforts and assessing their impact, businesses can refine their strategies and ensure future approaches are more effective.
Consider what solutions are most practical – it is not only going to ensure the strategy is efficient but also has efficacy. Effective resource allocation and well-planned execution help businesses maximise impact while minimising waste.
At Intelligency, we embrace a solution-driven mindset in everything we do—both internally as part of our workplace culture and in our approach with clients. We see ourselves as problem solvers, whether it’s optimising user experiences on websites through data-led insights or enhancing SEO strategies to help businesses dominate search rankings. Our expertise allows us not only to implement effective solutions but also to clearly communicate the process to our clients, ensuring transparency and measurable success.
