.png)
Tactics: Why Every Tactic Needs a Strategy
The latest in my series based on my new book, Marketing Strategy, brings us to the second T in STRATEGY: Tactics.
Chapter Six of my book, Marketing Strategy by Jenna Tiffany, contains everything you could ever want to know about campaign tactics.
Every marketer loves a good tactic. That's why we got into marketing in the first place, right? Nobody signed up to comb through lists or become experts on GDPR. We want to get creative and come up with those incredible Don Draper-style ideas that launch campaigns into the stratosphere.
And you can, by reading Chapter Six of my book!
However, before you dive in, I've got something important to tell you.
There's a reason why Tactics is the sixth chapter of my book, with plenty more before and after it. Remember, my book is called Marketing Strategy. All those amazing tactics you're going to come up with are nothing if they're not built on a good, solid strategy.
What's the Difference Between Strategy and Tactics?
If you've followed me for any amount of time, you know my feelings about tactics. Or rather, my feelings about focusing on tactics at the expense of strategy.
Tactics are what I call the "shiny" side of marketing. When we create tactics, we give our creativity free rein. Imagery, scripts, fonts, colour schemes, celebrity backers, quirky promotions... all of that fun stuff falls under "tactics".
Which is great, so long as it's all informed and supported by a wider strategy.
Let me explain with an extract from my book:
Strategy is the map which takes you to your destination.
Tactics are the vehicles you use to get there.
Tactics are the "how".
Strategy is the "who, what, where, when, and why".
Let's Dig a Little Deeper
Sun Tzu is one of the greatest strategists of them all. More than two thousand years ago, he defined strategy in ways that are still relevant today.
"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Strategy and tactics work hand in hand. Neither is nearly as effective on its own as they are together. Unfortunately, many marketing campaigns today tend to be "noise before defeat": throwing tactics around without much strategy.
Remember General Motors? The car company famously filed for bankruptcy in 2009 after failing to keep up with changing times. For decades, its "strategy" was little more than a fixed deck of tactics. Later in the chapter, we uncover the damage this did to the brand.
Most modern marketers know the execution of a marketing plan very well: the tactical "how". However, not many have been taught, learned, or experienced the "who", "what", and "when" of strategy.
Relying too much on tactics, with little or no strategy, is what has brought retail to the sorry state it's in today. The endless price-cutting cycle is largely the result of throwing tactics at a problem without the deep strategic work that could help solve it.
I could talk a lot about this (and I do! Buy my book and see 😉), but for now, the takeaway is this:
Tactics are fun. Tactics are important. But tactics only work when they're part of a much larger strategy.
Everything You Need to Know About Tactics (and More!)
When you order my book, please don't flip straight to Chapter Six and ignore the rest! At least, not unless you already know how important a wider strategy is 😉
When you do get to Chapter Six, here's what you can expect:
- A full overview of the most popular marketing tactics.
- Rich, detailed descriptions of each marketing channel, including their history, audiences, and most practical uses for modern marketers.
- An explanation of SEO and how search engines work, to help get your tactics in front of the right audience.
- A look at what the future holds for marketing tactics, and how we can push the envelope even further.
- An insightful interview with Victoria Peppiatt, COO and co-founder of Phrasee.
A Taster: Victoria Peppiatt on AI in Marketing
I'm particularly excited about the interview with Victoria. She's an amazing woman who has done incredible things in AI, marketing, and more. Here's a taster:
Do you think AI has a role in a marketing strategy?
"Marketing technology is a critical component of any marketing strategy today. The marketers of the future are already building it into their plans.
We've applied high technology to every part of the marketing mix... except copywriting. Because we've always assumed that language was the unique domain of humans, and humans alone. But what if we were to apply the same level of rigor to copywriting that we do to every other part of the value chain? That's what Phrasee does, and that's the game we're changing and why it should be a component part of any strategy."
To read more of Victoria's fascinating insights into AI and marketing, buy Marketing Strategy here.
