The problem with January
Whilst January is an excellent time to reflect and make big plans for the year ahead, it can also create unnecessary pressure and panic, which isn’t good for you or your brand. Whether it’s pressure you’ve put on yourself or mounting expectations from your senior leadership team, getting clear on where you’re at and what’s next can help you switch gears from reactive to proactive marketing.
The truth is, goals and striving for improvement should be important year-round, not just in January.
We see time and time again teams making huge goals without a roadmap of ‘how’ they will be achieved. Or senior leadership teams turning up the pressure to immediately transform current marketing challenges into marketing gold.
We do want to improve our marketing, but there isn’t a magic wand to fix everything overnight.
How I would approach marketing this January
Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. If you’ve been head down in tactics and simply getting marketing tasks done, here’s what I’d do to get some headspace and to make sure you’re getting the most out of your time, energy and budgets:
Take a breather, and zoom out:
If your diary and to-do lists are slammed, then this might not be easy. Block out your calendar, put your out-of-office on, and give yourself time to focus. If you can only manage one hour, start with that and build up over time.
Think about your target audience:
Who are they? Where do they hang out? What are their needs and challenges? How can you help them?
Do some desk research or speak to them.
Put the focus on them, not what you’re selling.
Audit your marketing:
Not just your marketing materials:
Where are you spending your time? Where are you spending your marketing investment?
What’s working? What’s not working? Where are the opportunities?
What’s just a tick boxing exercise?
Check out the competition:
What can you offer that no one else can? How can you stand out? How can you make it easier for your target audience to choose you?
Create your 2026 marketing calendar:
Map your activities. Map industry events and activities. Shape themes and focuses for quarters/months/weeks. Revisit it regularly. Hold yourself accountable.
Decide on how you show up in the world:
Ideally, get yourself a strategy in place. If that’s a stretch right now, make a plan to show up consistently in a memorable way across your different touchpoints.
Set realistic goals that actually matter to you, and then plan:
FOMO should not be in the driving seat. Decide what you want to achieve, then create a roadmap to get there. Revisit, reflect and adjust goals often.
And remember, more isn’t better; better is better.
The Piñata Lab Approach
At The Piñata Lab, we deliver senior marketing support that’s flexible, approachable, friendly and effective. Here’s how we work with SMEs:
Discovery: We take time to understand your organisational model, customers, and growth goals.
Strategy and planning: we design a roadmap tailored to your industry and resources. And provide a marketing calendar and plan of action to keep everyone aligned and on track.
Execution oversight and support: whether you have an internal team or external agencies, we ensure activity is aligned and driving results. We can also get stuck in to help bring your plans and strategy to life.
Measurement: we set (and review) clear KPIs, so you can see the value marketing delivers, and provide insights for refinement moving forward.
We work across multiple sectors, helping marketing teams and leadership teams build confidence in their marketing.
Still feeling a little frazzled about your marketing? We can help.
We’d love to help you get your ducks in a row in 2026.
Whether it’s ongoing support as your Fractional Head of Marketing (senior marketing support for a fraction of the time, at a fraction of the cost) or a Brand and Marketing Strategy.
By Lauren Martin, Co-Founder, The Piñata Lab