Change.

Today's Marketing Cookie requires humility, a good attitude, and flexibility.

Please notice that the fortune says, "When you're finished changing, you're finished." It does not say, "When you're finished growing" or "When you're finished learning." Change is hard. I've found that it is difficult for most marketers to know when they should make a change in their marketing. Many marketers won't make a change until something seems broken. Unfortunately, if they wait until their marketing is completely broken, by then, it will likely be too late.

If you are overweight, you didn't really notice it until someone you trust says, "Holy cow! You've really put on some weight, huh!?" When you look back over the last 10 years, you realize that you've added 20 pounds. How could this have happened? The answer is that you kept eating the same amount of French fries, but aren't moving as much, and aren't exercising like you used to. Then one day, Whammo! you realize that you're overweight. How can you get healthy again? It will take remarkable change, a lot of hard work, and money.

While you have had your marketing on cruise control, your competitors were busy building campaigns that made their company or products look better, faster, cheaper, and more relevant than yours. Or worse, they have worked to position your company as lousy, slow, expensive, and irrelevant. It can take roughly a year to catch up for every quarter that goes by after a company has been surpassed by their competitor. If your competitor passed you nine months ago, it could be three years before you're in front of them again.

The only way to get your marketing healthy again is remarkable change, a lot of hard work, and probably some money too.