For the past several years, those in my profession have focused heavily on “trust marketing” as the linchpin of customer engagement and retention. In other words, trust in a particular brand’s authenticity and integrity is the primary driver of that brand’s ultimate sustainability and marketability.

While we are not ready to cast aside the value of trust in terms of how customers relate to marketplace choices, a new buzzword is emerging in the world of marketing  . . .  and that is relevance. People can still think highly of – and trust – a brand that has peaked out and is on the downward side of its growth curve, but if that company and its products are no longer truly relevant to current customer needs, then its market share is going to decrease. Brands have to continually feel the pulse of their marketplace and morph themselves accordingly. They have to stay relevant.

What is required in order to do this is constant improvisation and innovation. Plus, we have to do it at warp-speed. Companies used to spend months – or even years – studying and conducting in-depth market research before introducing new products or services. While research will always be critical to the new product introduction and marketing process, we often no longer have the luxury of doing these “deep dives” that we were able to do in the past.

Today’s corporations and marketing leaders must be more comfortable than ever before in making decisions “in the moment” and in trusting their gut instincts. Therefore, they must constantly stay tuned-in to their customers’ preferences and changing priorities and not allow themselves to “cocoon in their executive suites.” They must be able to think quickly on their feet and have the confidence to make fast, customer-centric decisions on the spot. And, they must let go of overly-methodical and bureaucratic decision-making processes which can strangle their ability to innovate and respond to changing market conditions. Some of the most lucrative and game-changing opportunities have windows that open and close quickly, so the ability to capitalize on them immediately is critical.

Sometimes, the best corporate and marketing decisions are made in the midst of chaos. It is in these situations when we sometimes see previously unknown companies emerge with new business models or highly innovative products that quickly overtake entrenched dominant brands. Why? Because they discover new and more relevant ways to approach and excite their customers.

Here are some things to remember about staying relevant in our ever-changing world of commerce:

• Expect and embrace chaos. Get comfortable with making important decisions in the midst of it.
• If you are feeling totally satisfied with the way your business is currently going, you may be in danger of being lulled into thinking that there are not marketplace forces at play every day which can disrupt your seemingly safe model of doing business.
• Creativity and innovation happen best in an environment of “business tension.” When your competitors are taking new (and sometimes exciting) risks and/or when your customers are restless, bored with your products, or facing new challenges themselves, that is the perfect time to leap out there into uncharted territories and push the outer edges of your comfort zone, in order to explore how you can become ultimately relevant within  an ever-changing and constantly-demanding marketplace.

Cathy Ackermann, founder and president of Ackermann Marketing and PR, may be reached at cackermann@thinkackermann.com.

For the online version of this column, please visit www.thinkackermann.com