While a Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Dungeon Master and a Marketing Coordinator may seem vastly different at first glance, the truth is they share several similarities.
Dungeon Masters create, shape, and guide a world in which anything is possible, where players are taken through quests and campaigns. The same can be said for marketing. Marketers develop campaigns and guide customers to connect with brands. In both roles, we develop comprehensive strategies, craft messages that resonate with audiences, and pivot quickly when things don’t go according to plan.
Here are some key things that I have learnt from being a Dungeon Master that can be applied to marketing.
Develop your strategy
Strategy is essential, and planning is key to success. Strategies and plans are the foundation of the journey players (and customers!) take. This requires thinking ahead, anticipating pain points, and developing backup plans.
A detailed marketing, content or advertising plan is vital to accomplish our client’s goals. Each plan details the way a brand communicates and engages with its target audience. They inform the content and stories that will resonate, influencing the “end game”, whether it’s sales, conversions, enquiries, or engagement.
Collaborate with your party
Collaboration is crucial both in D&D and marketing teams. Just as a Dungeon Master needs to listen to the ideas and feedback of players, marketers need to foster collaboration within their teams to create impactful campaigns. No one marketer can do everything. That’s why marketing campaigns often involve specialised team members such as graphic designers, copywriters, and digital ad specialists, each contributing their expertise to meet a client’s requirements.
Marketers can develop more effective campaigns through collaboration. The synergy in our team allows for developing cohesive and creative messaging that resonates with a target audience.
Just as a diverse party with unique abilities can overcome various challenges in D&D, a collaborative marketing team can leverage individual strengths to develop and implement innovative tactics.
Unleash your creative powers
Creativity is where the magic happens. Dungeon Masters construct an engaging and immersive world for players, capturing their imagination and fostering memorable experiences. The same is true for marketing.
Whether it’s designing something new or applying a tried and tested tactic to a new client, thinking outside the box will take you far in the world of marketing. Crafting captivating visual designs, developing compelling storytelling techniques, or devising unique promotional strategies, it is creativity that enables marketers to create a connection between a brand and its audience. By unleashing our creative powers, we can develop campaigns that leave a lasting impact on consumers, elevating brand awareness and driving meaningful engagement.
Adapt to the unexpected
Things can go wrong. Even the most planned quest can leave a Dungeon Master scrambling to find a solution. From changing the storyline on the fly in D&D to reframing a media release at the last minute to consider a new government initiative, adapting to the unexpected will take you far.
Marketing plans don’t always unfold exactly as anticipated. External factors, shifting market trends, or changing consumer behaviour can all influence the trajectory of a campaign. Marketers need to pivot strategies, recalibrate messaging and adjust tactics to align with evolving circumstances. Just as a Dungeon Master navigates the unexpected decisions players make to keep the story on track, we must adapt swiftly to ensure our client’s campaign remains relevant and effective.
Being proactive in monitoring shifting trends and consumer preferences informs recommendations to add to or change campaigns. This ensures a brand continues to align with the needs and desires of its target audience.
Leverage your personal passions at work
Developing skills doesn’t have to only be done between the hours of 9am and 5pm, sitting at a desk at work. Hobbies are an excellent opportunity to grow transferable skills, which can be implemented at work.
At Threesides, our individual team members have a range of hobbies that contribute to and build skills. Some in our team love to paint on the weekend, which helps to nurture creativity. Others embrace health and mindfulness practices, instilling a growth mindset that has helped them adapt and grow in their careers. And some love to cook and try new recipes, cultivating attention to detail, which is important in almost any profession. By recognising that transferable skills can be acquired almost anywhere, we can develop a versatile skill set that propels our careers.
If you’d love to bring your transferable skills to a new team, join us.