Integrating the RACE Framework to improve your marketing strategy

If you're using AIDA, DRIP, To/Mo/BoFu, STP, or any marketing mix models, but not integrating RACE, you may be missing out

At Smart Insights, we are proud to champion our internationally acclaimed, practical, strategic RACE Framework of Plan, Reach, Act, Convert, and Engage. But of course it's not the only framework that modern marketers are using.

Our Free Members' Essential marketing models guide covers 15 other models, which we encourage members to use at different stages of assessing and improving their marketing plans.

Of course, paid members can also access our best-practice library of 250+ processes, templates, and tools - many of which dip into marketing expertise outside of the traditional realms of RACE. Professional Members regularly book account reviews to talk through which solutions would best suit various elements of their RACE strategies.

If you're not sure where to start, you can read through some basic pointers in our Free digital marketing plan template, which is based on a simplified RACE Framework, as per the infographic below:

How to integrate RACE if you already use a different marketing model

It's interesting to me when we receive requests from customers who already have a marketing strategy based on other models but are looking to RACE to make further improvements. In these cases, marketers will reach out with questions about either starting again with RACE, or integrating RACE into their existing practices.

Of course, creating/rebuilding your RACE strategy puts you in a strong position to keep developing and adapting in the market. For example, our recent Using AI for marketing Learning Path is designed for marketers with a RACE strategy already in place.

But particularly for larger organisations, with complex marketing infrastructures, it can be a useful starting point incorporating RACE within your existing strategy and tactics to see some quick wins first.

In these cases, RACE can be broken down into a step-by-step improvement process to add value to existing plans. As a hands-on marketer myself, this is how I use the RACE Framework in my day-to-day, and how I track improvements across our marketing performance.

Popular resources such as our 90-day planning templates and RACE digital marketing dashboard are great examples of how RACE can be deployed quickly and start adding value to existing strategy in less than 3 months.

In this article, I'll break down how you can integrate elements of RACE which may be missing from your current approach...

Integrating the RACE Framework with other traditional marketing funnels - AIDA, DRIP, To/Mo/BoFu

Borrowing the sentiment from one of my favourite marketing campaigns, RACE is not just a marketing funnel. Marketers who are currently working within a marketing funnel can benefit from integrating RACE to improve their approach to retention, data, and agility.

Use RACE to improve funnel retention

RACE emphasizes a continuous, customer-centric journey with four integrated stages of customer behaviour - Reach, Act, Convert, Engage. Whereas traditional models often conclude with a sale, RACE's "Engage" final stage is dedicated to maintaining customer relationships after the initial conversion and aiming for long-term loyalty and advocacy.

Use RACE to unlock data-driven insights

RACE aligns granular customer data at each journey stage to optimize marketing efforts from the bottom-up. This data can be incorporated into ready-made strategic tools such as journey mapping and customer experience analysis to help marketers maintain a realistic view of their customers' experiences of their brand.

Use RACE to make faster decisions

Many traditional models are too rigid to adapt to different customer behaviors/market conditions. But RACE, with a clear focus on the customer above all else, makes it easier to identify the top priorities and react quickly when needed.

Applying the RACE Framework to optimize your marketing mix strategy models

Marketing mix models include, but are not limited to:

• 4/7 Ps
• 4/5 Cs
• SIVA
• SAVE
• SERVQUAL

It's not unusual for an organisation to take some approach to marketing mix modeling based on one of the above. But, did you know you can use RACE to quality-test your marketing mix?

Use RACE for digital marketing integration

Marketing mix modeling pre-dates the digital marketing era. As such, these models don't typically accommodate digital techniques. Use RACE for guidance on each digital channel and tactics needed to achieve your required objectives for each stage of the customer journey.

Top tip: If you're still not sure whether an integrated digital marketing strategy is for you, read Dr. Dave Chaffey's 10 reasons why you need a digital marketing strategy.

Use RACE to better understand your customers

RACE is structured across ongoing interactions and engagements with customers. So using RACE to keep your strategy aligned with your customer journeys is a win-win. This is particularly prominent where personalization is included in your marketing strategy - with new AI-lead developments which focus on consumer-focused personalization.

Use RACE to define success measures

With a RACE strategy you can identify and track KPIs to quickly determine if your marketing is performing as needed. For media tracking, templates like VQVC can be useful to get past 'vanity metrics'.

Applying RACE Framework tactics to optimize your top-line brand and market positioning techniques

It can take years of painstaking research, ideation, and iteration to define a full brand and market (re/)positioning strategy.

We have tools for brands covered in the Plan section of the RACE Framework, including our Market research guide, Brand vision and identity playbook, and recent masterclass Unlocking 12 key psychological principles to enhance brand loyalty.

But where RACE really comes into its own, though, is for practical application of marketing strategy, which can be visually mapped out, and formed into action plans, with goals and accountabilities at each step.

Use RACE to inform competitor benchmarking

Our popular competitor benchmarking template helps you pinpoint exactly where and how competitors are getting the upper hand in the marketplace, and how to assess any 'gaps' in your market share, with specific tests and actions at each stage of your RACE funnel.

Top tip: Don't forget to assess your personal digital marketing capability too, our Free digital marketing maturity benchmarking templates are a great starting point.

Use RACE to improve your always-on tactical marketing

In addition to support with PR and campaign communications, the RACE Framework also identifies opportunities for improving always-on marketing such as CRO, marketing automation, and search marketing.

Use RACE to upskill your team

As a Business Member using RACE to manage your marketing, you'll also get access to certified, modular training. This includes both the RACE Practical Digital Strategy Learning Path, and other specialist training too, integrated across each customer journey stage.

Why more marketers are using the RACE Framework

What's clear in the increasing number of conversations our team is having with marketers turning to RACE, is that there is a lot of unsatisfaction with current marketing management setups. What they're doing isn't working for them anymore.

I imagine this issue is something that more and more marketers are coming up against now with AI developments helping make their marketing more efficient, but not necessarily more effective!

Now is a great time to re-examine exactly how you are building out your strategy, and if there are any RACE-centric approaches that would help. If you're still unsure, why not book a consultation to find out how Business Professional Members are benefiting from our RACE tools and training?