Marketing Strategy versus Marketing Tactics
Without a marketing plan, you're going on a trip without a map. You'll have a lot of adventures, but never get to your intended destination.
Tactics the "doing" part of marketing:
- Creating a direct mail program.
- Developing a web site.
- Filming a video.
The strategic part of marketing, the "thinking" part, doesn't show results but is the game plan:
- What you want your target market to feel, think or do.
- Who exactly you want to attract.
- Where you are going to interact with them.
Many companies do tactics. Few do strategy first. It's amazing what energy the strategy will provide to those tactics!
Is your marketing plan written down? Does it identify your target market? Do you stick to it -- or do you create tactics?
3 comments:
Great post Chris. I often tell people that tactics without strategy comes across as manipulation. You paint a good story.
Here in the DC area we've got a tremendous amount of technology companies whoreject the idea of strategy and only want to apply low level tactics - often thought of by senior level management - that are ineffective. The tactics are designed to be directly tied into revenue but they ultimately fail, primarily because they were poorly though out in the first place and secondly, because they weren't tied into any strategy.
Companies who think this way are usually headed by headstrong technology types who are control freaks.
I don't think that this practice is limited to just the DC area... I've seen it with clients located in North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Boston and elsewhere.
Some may be control freaks, but generally I find that they are uncomfortable not seeing the "doing" part of marketing... somehow the "thinking/planning" part of marketing doesn't seem like they are getting their money's worth. It's the tangible tactic that feels more like marketing... not the brainstorming, discussion, research, more discussion, strategizing that comes with trying to put a plan together.
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