In 2000, when I was young and an idealist, I was working at an agency. The principal there had a mantra: “In marketing there are three ways to do things – good, fast and cheap – you can pick two.”
I didn’t get it, and for years, I tried to prove the pick two mantra wrong, without success.
Today, and hundreds of projects later, here is my official acquiescence and nod to the marketing professional that laid this out so succinctly.
The mantra is true. You cannot achieve good, fast and cheap. You must pick two.
I find this mantra is true across many spectrums. Case in point: I love to cook. Let’s take this approach and apply it to cooking:
Weekday dinners at the Hickman Home
- Good and Cheap: BBQ smoked chicken thighs with roasted root vegetables, 4 hours, $3 per serving
- Fast and Good: Cauliflower rice veggie bowl with turkey, 30 minutes, $5.50 per serving
- Cheap and Fast: Macaroni and Cheese with canned chicken, 15 minutes and $.87 per serving
Not into cooking? Apply it to your passion and see how it holds up.
Here are some recent projects on the Porch where the mantra held true:
- Good and Cheap: The GEM social media strategy which leverages optimal posting times and post sharing. We have been successful keeping social media channels current, fresh and relevant – all while meeting budget.
- Fast and Good: TodoModo Group trade show in December. With a two-week turnaround, we lovingly call this our Holiday marketing miracle.
- Cheap and Fast: “Not good” is not okay with us. Recently a prospect’s budget and timing didn’t work, and while we were grateful for the opportunity, we graciously declined.
We are tenured professionals dedicated to your business. We’ve run the course of projects from marketing strategy and planning, brand development, brand refresh, global internal and external communications, CSR, sustainability, operations in retail, fashion, real estate, restaurants, construction and more. We’ve got you covered with experience and expertise.
Join us on the Porch! Pick your two and let’s rock!