We’ve all experienced it. Perhaps you’ve even felt it yourself.
You learn of a new marketing tactic – and you just gotta have it… you gotta do it. Your factory needs to be on Facebook. Your team needs to tweet.
Alas, sometimes love can be blinding. While your passion may be genuine, there are two things you could be forgetting…
- Does this tactic support an existing strategy?
- A tactic is an idea – not a program. It takes more than the declaration, “Let’s get on Facebook!” to get the job done, properly.
Strategy First
An idea is part of a tactic, which form programs and supports strategy. A series of strategies support your objective. Start at the top [objectives] and work your way down [to tactics] to see if and where the idea fits into your plans.
9 Questions To Transform Ideas Into Actionable Programs
It takes more than a sexy idea to create a successful program. As all good marketers know – it is very difficult to make something act and look simple.
After brainstorming ideas with clients, this is a tool we use to take ideas from concept to something actionable.
To determine if a program is a match with your business, program details need to be fleshed out. I guess it is like filling-in the personal profile for an online dating site, all details need to be complete to properly determine compatibility. (Or maybe it is more like playing “Mad Libs” where you need to fill the blanks to create the story.)
Anyhow, you need to ask and answer…
- Why? Objective? (goal)
- What to do? (action)
- Where? (customer location)
- Among? (audience)
- About? (product/service/program)
- Measured By? (metrics)
- Through? (vehicle/venue)
- By Saying? (message/call to action)
- When? (specific timing)
As a result of a brainstorming session, a retailer decides they need to do get more customer names in their database. Their competitor has a huge catalog mailing and e-newsletter.
Everyone agrees. It supports their goal of creating relationship with their customers – and this is one of the ways to engage. (Good. It checks the “does it meet existing objectives” box).
However, “more names” is not a program.
With further thought, it is decided… they want to start offering a newsletter and special offers. Maybe even look into doing a referral program.
Here’s how they might fill in the blanks:
You can re-order the information anyway you’d like. Additionally, you may decided to include other relevant fields such as: “customer benefit” and “how it supports the brand.”
Finally, just because these questions are answered, it doesn’t mean it’ll be a great program… You’ve got to think through all the details.
- What about operational complexity – can your front-line sales people handle it?
- Do you have the resources necessary – financial, labor, manufacturing, etc.
Be sure you have a tactic to address each of these issues. If you leave something out, you compromise the strength and stability of the program, and ultimately the strength of your strategy.
Next time you find someone with a crush on an idea, make sure it (1) supports relevant strategy and objectives, and (2) is part of a solidly-built program.
How do you prevent tactic lust?
Tags: Marketing Communications, planning, Strategy, tactics
Paul, you’re right…we’ve all experienced tactic lust (or shiny object syndrome). I think your steps for an actionable plan are spot on. I love how you take something that tends to turn into a complicated mess and make it so easy and simple that any marketer can do it.
The one thing I’d like to get your thoughts on is a goal vs. objectives.
Objectives are typically measurable…otherwise how else would you know if you met them? It’s okay to say “generate leads” as a goal, but that’s not measurable (How many? What market? Where? By when?). Generate 1,000 leads via our website in X market by the end of Q3 is measurable.
What do you see out there in the ‘real’ world? Are organizations, clients, etc. worried about measuring? Or is it unrealistic?
Thanks!
Beth,
Thank you for your kind words.
I follow that standard model Objectives should be SMART. (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and have Timing).
“Goals” can be confusing…
Some use it to indicate something bigger than their objectives… Several objectives combine to support the company goal. Example: “We want to have a meaningful relationship with out customers.”
Some use it as a way to set targets for tactics. Example: “Get 100 more customer names per store.”
I think everyone is worried about measuring.
It is easy to see the big stuff… “Did we have more sales this week than last week.”
But the things that can be hard to measure cause frustration. How *do* you measure word of mouth? If we do it, how will we know it was worth it. What’s the ROI for Twitter or the blog articles?
I used to get frustrated working at Starbucks managing the seasonal promotions for North America. I’d work with the teams to build the Summer campaign. The theme, promotions, merchandising, partner (employee) incentives. And, in the end… it would be decided we made the numbers because we had a hot summer and people wanted blended drinks.
Sure – the in-store environment may have been drab without the signs and sampling and promotional materials… but that sounds to me like it was more about Mother Nature than mama marketing.
I’ve always tried to find some way to have each tactic of a marketing plan have a measurable component.
A rambling answer – but hopefully addressed some of what you asked.
Great marketing post Paul and great comment Beth. Both are spot on!
I have a background in strategic marketing planning from the ad agency world – a world which I left because I found them struggling to sell ads(tactics) to clients who needed strategies.
One of my favorite phrases from those days was this:
“That is a tactic looking for a strategy!”
Your post certainly brought me back! Thank you for articulating the eternal struggle between strategy and creative!
Anne Marie & Matthew,
Thanks for reading Daily Fix and for taking time to add your reactions!
Love that line, Matthew… ‘tactic looking for a strategy!’
[...] to do with using a computer. (If you want to read more about tactic lust, you may enjoy my article Tactic Lust I wrote for the Marketing Profs Daily Fix [...]