The armies of the Roman Empire conquered the ancient world and virtually every army that took the field against them. There is one central reason that the Roman legions consistently defeated their foes, and understanding the “why” is crucial to your business’ success.
The Roman armies dominated because they operated according to a plan. The forces of the barbarians typically came at the Romans in an unorganized rabble, with each warrior seeking individual glory. The Romans, on the other hand, trained their armies to fight as a unit, repeating successful strategy time and time again. Let’s look at a few strategies that the Romans employed that will also help your business succeed in marketing.
The Romans fought according to a plan, but knew the importance of adapting the plan to changing conditions. Roman armies employed a number of well-drilled tactics that were executed like clockwork upon command. However, they also adapted their tactics to the terrain and the tactics of the enemy. Your business must be guided by a professionally-created marketing plan, and that plan should be reviewed and adapted on an ongoing basis. At least once a year, devote time and resources to a complete tune-up of your plan, analyzing what worked and what did not over the previous year.
The Romans knew their competition. Roman generals employed spies and scouts to gather intelligence regarding their enemies. In the business world, we call this competitive analysis. It is crucial that you understand what your competitors are doing that you’re not doing. What strategies are they employing? Where and how are they advertising? Who are their customers and how do they communicate with them? Your business needs this kind of intelligence, and you should have a competitive analysis done every quarter so that you can stay ahead of the game.
The Romans knew their target audience. Even the great Julius Caesar understood the importance of good marketing and PR. When Caesar invaded the Gallic nations to the north of Rome, he wrote the ancient equivalent of a blog on the whole campaign: Commentarii de Bello Gallico, or Commentaries on the Gallic War. His aim was to convince the public that the invasion was a preemptive defensive action, when in reality the motive was to boost his career and provide booty for paying off his substantial debts. Caesar knew his target audience, and he used these insights to “market” his initiatives. You too should know your target audience. Among other information, you will want to be very familiar with your audience’s location, age, gender, income, occupation, marital status, activities, interests, opinions, attitudes and values.
The Romans used specialized weapons, uniquely suited for maximum effectiveness. It is said that the Roman gladius was the sword that conquered the world. Whereas the barbarians typically employed long, heavy swords for hacking at their enemies, the gladius was a shorter sword designed for stabbing. Typically, the barbarians would throw themselves at the Roman lines, chopping and hacking. The Roman soldiers hid behind large shields and marched forward, thrusting between the shields. This advancing stabbing wall was very effective. The Roman spear was designed to bend upon striking an enemy shield or the ground, thus making it very difficult for the enemy to throw it back at them. You need to know which marketing tools will be most effective for your business, and you need to use those tools as they were intended to be used. Radio, TV, print, social media, Internet, advertising—the choices are many. Which tools you use and how you use them should be carefully and strategically determined within your marketing plan, based upon information from your competitive analysis and research of your target audience.
The Romans conquered the ancient world by out-competing all others. They had a plan, they recognized their enemies, they understood their target audience and they knew which weapons to use. By employing the same principles, you can establish your own empire and dominate your field of business.
