Before The MODE, the modus operandi of managing marketing had no standards
Human cultures are based on rules. A business culture isn’t much different, except these rules need to be managed, and therefore we call them “company standards”. The guidelines for setting a standard are abbreviated SMART. A proper business standard should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and limited to a specific Timeframe. To make it more interesting for those who need to respect the standards, one can add a capital “C” for Challenging (C-SMART).
Accounting & financial standards – The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) aim to specify exactly how accountants must maintain and report their accounts, including SMBs. IFRS guidelines, issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), set the principles which organizations can use to maintain transparency, accountability, and efficiency to accounting and financial reporting.
Environmental, social and governance standards – The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a non-governmental organization that aims to drive sustainability and Environmental agendas, along with Social and Governance (ESG) reporting, including SMBs.
GRI guidelines set the principles and indicators that organizations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance. GRI guidelines for social responsibility are set in conjunction with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 26000), used also by SMBs.
Marketing standards – there are none. That simple fact served as a trigger some 20 years ago, for the development of a marketing standard that could serve many. Serving as an effective management tool, several versions of a standardized marketing plan have been tested over the years by thousands of SMB stakeholders and business students to finally announce “The MODE“.