What is a marketing strategy?

One of the biggest challenges the team here at Let'sTalk Strategy sees is the confusion between strategy and tactics. You'd be amazed at how many otherwise brilliant business leaders struggle with projects and campaigns simply because they've mistaken a set of tactics for a full-blown strategy.

So, let's start by ironing out this problem. Strategy is the map that takes you to your destination. Tactics are the vehicles you use to get there.

So, your strategy, your map, is the overarching plan. It defines what you want to achieve, why you want to achieve it, what you're working with, who your audience is and how you can measure your success.

Tactics are a big part of your strategy, but they're not the whole thing. A good strategy will help you to determine the best tactics to use. It will also tell you why you're using those tactics, when to deploy them for best results, and how they can link up into a coherent campaign.

Case study: the General Motors problem

Why is it so important to get these definitions right? Because when businesses get this wrong, it never ends well.

Once upon a time, General Motors was among the most respected vehicle manufacturers in the world. So much so that names like Pontiac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Buick are still famous today.

But what are they famous for? For being up to the minute, cutting-edge modern vehicles? Or for being classic, vintage cars from a bygone era?

At one point, the likes of the Cadillac and the Buick were among the best cars you could buy. They were sleek, modern, and would make their drivers the envy of the neighbourhood. So what happened?

It all started when General Motors brought in a less strategic mode of operation. In the 1940s the leader of GM, Alfred Sloan, took what he'd learned during the Second World War and used it to construct a company along military lines, with a rigid hierarchy, formalised procedures, and thick binders full of leadership-approved marketing tactics.

In the chaos of the post-war era, this kind of solidity and authority served General Motors well. The approved tactics did their job, and did it well for years.

The problem was that, as the world changed, General Motors did not. All they had were lists and lists of tactics. There was little to no overall strategy guiding the company's direction. What's more, nobody who saw the problem was able to do anything about it. The military-style hierarchy ensured that nothing was able to flow up the chain of command. The only communication between different management tiers was orders, and the orders always headed downwards.

As the 20th century wore on, General Motors struggled to compete against more fluid, agile, and crucially strategic companies like Ford. By the time the 21st century rolled around, GM was on its knees. The company went bankrupt in 2009, despite a billion dollar bailout from the US government.

While the company is now using a more flexible, strategic approach to painstakingly rebuild itself, decades of poor-to-nonexistent strategising have left their mark. If a company as big and, at one time, successful as General Motors can go bankrupt through lack of strategy, so can any company.

Where does a vision come into it?

Let's take a look at another company, one that does understand strategy: Apple.

Apple's trajectory has been the direct opposite of General Motors. General Motors was huge when Alfred Sloan brought in his strategy-free approach, and its fortunes dropped. By contrast, Apple began with one man and a strategic vision, and it has risen to become one of the most successful brands in history.

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, began with the core element of any good strategy: a vision. He wanted to create technology that everyone could use. He built a clever strategy around that vision, adding in clear principles and values, carefully researching the needs of consumers, and deploying the perfect tactics at the perfect time. He never deviated from his vision, even when times were tough and other companies would have abandoned their strategy in favour of cash-grab tactics.

And it worked. Jobs' vision, his skill, and his strategic approach took Apple from one man tinkering in a garage to the world-conquering company they are today.

Seven things you can do right now

If you want your brand to compete, to thrive, and to survive everything the future can throw at it, you need to think strategy at all times. Here are seven things you can do right now to build a strategic vision.

1. Write down your vision as succinctly as you can. Ideally, your vision will be easy to disseminate throughout your company, which means it needs to be easy to remember. The language you use should fit your brand tone of voice and company culture, and it should be extremely clear. Be succinct, be memorable, and leave no room for misinterpretation.
2. Don't come up with your vision alone. If you can, involve as many people within your organisation as possible in your vision-creation process. When people are involved in something, they become invested in it.
3. Keep a close eye on your vision. Make sure that it's being properly implemented in every department. Check up with your managers to see how vision work is going, perhaps with a monthly vision meeting.
4. Reward engagement with the new vision. You could reward individual employees or entire departments, depending on what works best for your business. Make sure people know what these rewards are for, and be careful not to create imbalance by over-rewarding some people.
5. Choose the right person to deliver your vision statement. This is a pivotal moment. You want someone who can speak well, who is positive and likeable, and who has the authority to decisively get your message across.
6. Make sure everyone charged with delivering your vision is fully informed. They need to be able to answer any questions that may come up. If the person in charge of your vision in any given department can't answer questions, you risk people being confused or losing confidence in it.
7. Make the vision fun. People will get behind your vision if you make it as exciting, fun, and motivating as you can. From initial delivery to strategic rollout, amp up the positivity.