Strategy versus tactics
As a marketing professional, you’ve likely heard the terms marketing strategy and marketing tactics thrown around quite a bit. But do you truly understand the difference between the two?
In my experience, many business people are confused and unsure. These terms are quite distinct and serve different purposes in the marketing process.
First, let’s define each term.
Strategy
A marketing strategy refers to a company’s overall plan or approach to reach its target audience and achieve its marketing goals. It’s a long-term plan that outlines a company’s general direction to achieve its objectives.
Tactics
Marketing tactics are the specific actions and activities a company undertakes to execute its marketing strategy. These include social media campaigns, email marketing, events, advertising and dozens of other marketing activities.
Starting with WHY
So, in other words, marketing strategy is the “why” behind a company’s marketing efforts, while tactics are the “how.”
One of the main reasons is that having a solid marketing strategy helps guide and focus a company’s efforts. Without a clear plan, a company may waste time and resources on tactics that don’t align with its overall goals. This is especially important in today’s fast-paced, constantly evolving digital landscape, where it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends and lose sight of the bigger picture.
I have had clients tell me they need a new website. That tactic wasn’t the actual challenge. They needed something more strategic and related to how their brand’s positioned. The website was not their primary need.
Another reason it’s essential to differentiate between strategy and tactics is that it allows for better measurement and analysis of results. By having a clear strategy in place, a company can track its progress and determine what’s working and what’s not. This helps to inform future decisions and ensure that marketing efforts are as effective as possible.
How to Develop a Strong Marketing Strategy
There are a few key components that every good marketing strategy should have:
Target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your marketing efforts? It’s essential to have a clear understanding of your target audience to create effective marketing campaigns. A narrow, specific target is often better than a broad and less specific one. Who will you serve?
Clearly defined goals: What does your company hope to achieve through its marketing efforts? This could be anything from increasing brand awareness to driving sales. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). What do you hope to achieve?
Unique value proposition: What makes your company unique and differentiates it from the competition? Your unique value proposition should be a crucial part of your marketing strategy and hinges on the value you deliver. How are you meaningfully different from the category?
Marketing mix: This refers to the classic four “Ps” of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion. Consider how each of these elements will fit into your overall marketing strategy. What is the right place or mix of places to invest your marketing spending?
Budget: How much money do you have to work with for your marketing efforts? Your budget will significantly determine what tactics you can implement and how to invest marketing dollars. Your budget will determine what tactical approach you take.
Timeline: Finally, creating a timeline for implementing your marketing strategy is essential. A timeline will help you stay organized and ensure that you are consistently working towards your marketing goals. The timeline aligns everyone in the business on critical milestones and helps to set expectations.
Strategy Versus Tactics – Execution and Alignment Matter!
Once you have a solid marketing strategy, you can develop tactics to execute that strategy. This is where the fun begins. You can get creative and establish various tactics to reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals. Make sure that whatever tactics you choose to align with your overall strategy. Remember it isn’t strategy versus tactics but strategy to guide tactics.
In summary, it’s important to remember that marketing strategies and tactics are different.
Strategy is the overall plan or approach that guides a company’s marketing efforts, while tactics are the specific actions and activities used to execute that strategy.
By understanding the difference between the two, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are focused, effective, and aligned with your overall goals.
Help from ChatGBT – Thirty Examples of Strategy
Since I occasionally have guest bloggers, I thought I’d ask for help from my new friend, ChatGBT.
She gave me 30 examples of brands and their marketing strategies.
I have not made any edits to this ai output, and keep in mind that ChatGBT doesn’t provide information before 2021 – so some of these may be outdated.
Directionally, this is a helpful teaching list, although it was more of an experiment.
I asked ChatGBT to give me thirty large, medium, and small brands or companies and their marketing strategies.
Here is what I got, which is less than perfect but still helpful.
Large Companies
Apple: Apple’s marketing strategy is creating a loyal brand community by offering innovative products and a strong brand image.
Amazon: Amazon’s marketing strategy relies on data-driven personalization and convenience, focusing on fast shipping and a vast product selection.
Nike: Nike’s marketing strategy involves collaborating with top athletes and celebrities to promote their products and create immersive brand experiences.
Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy focuses on emotional branding to create positive associations with the brand.
Starbucks: Starbucks’ marketing strategy includes creating a strong brand image and experience through personalized customer service and a focus on sustainability.
McDonald’s: McDonald’s marketing strategy includes extensive advertising campaigns, partnerships, and menu innovation, to appeal to a broad customer base.
Google: Google’s marketing strategy includes focusing on search engine optimization and targeted advertising, as well as developing new products and services.
Microsoft: Microsoft’s marketing strategy involves promoting its products and services as essential tools for businesses and individuals, focusing on productivity and innovation.
Toyota: Toyota’s marketing strategy focuses on sustainability, innovation, and partnerships with organizations and events that align with their brand values.
IBM: IBM’s marketing strategy focuses on thought leadership and showcasing its expertise through content marketing and events.
Mid-Sized Companies
Basecamp: Basecamp’s marketing strategy involves creating valuable content for its target audience of small business owners and freelancers and offering a free trial of their project management software.
Mailchimp: Mailchimp’s marketing strategy includes creating humorous and creative content and offering a free plan for small businesses to get started with email marketing.
Drift: Drift’s marketing strategy involves offering a free live chat tool and creating educational content to attract and retain customers in the customer relationship management space.
Drip: Drip’s marketing strategy includes offering a free trial of its email marketing software and creating valuable content for e-commerce businesses.
Notion: Notion’s marketing strategy involves offering a free version of its productivity software and creating educational content to attract users in the project management and productivity space.
Canva: Canva’s marketing strategy includes offering a free version of its graphic design software and creating valuable content for small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Hootsuite: Hootsuite’s marketing strategy involves offering a free plan for social media management and creating educational content for social media professionals.
Zendesk: Zendesk’s marketing strategy includes offering a free trial of its customer service software and creating valuable content for customer service professionals.
Hubspot: Hubspot’s marketing strategy involves offering a free CRM and creating valuable content for sales and marketing professionals.
Asana: Asana’s marketing strategy includes offering a free version of their project management software and creating educational content for project managers and team leaders
Nestle: Nestle’s marketing strategy includes a focus on health and wellness, as well as partnerships with health organizations and sponsorships of sports events.
Unilever: Unilever’s marketing strategy includes a focus on sustainability and social responsibility, as well as partnerships with organizations that align with their values.
Kellogg’s: Kellogg’s marketing strategy includes a focus on health and wellness, as well as partnerships with health organizations and sponsorships of sports events.
Budweiser: Budweiser’s marketing strategy involves sponsoring major sports events and creating emotional advertisements that appeal to a broad audience.
General Mills: General Mills’ marketing strategy includes a focus on health and wellness, as well as partnerships with health organizations and sponsorships of sports events.
PepsiCo: PepsiCo’s marketing strategy focuses on emotional branding and partnerships with celebrities and events that appeal to its target audience.
Heinz: Heinz’s marketing strategy focuses on sustainability and partnerships with organizations that align with their values.
Smaller Companies
The Chia Co: The Chia Co’s marketing strategy includes creating educational content about the health benefits of chia seeds and collaborating with influencers in the health and wellness space.
Kombucha Town: Kombucha Town’s marketing strategy involves offering a variety of flavors and using social media to connect with customers and promote their products.
Nékter Juice Bar: Nékter Juice Bar’s marketing strategy focuses on health and wellness, offering a loyalty program and promoting their products through social media.
The Honest Stand: The Honest Stand’s marketing strategy involves promoting their plant-based snack products as a healthier alternative and using social media to connect with customers.
Nature’s Path: Nature’s Path’s marketing strategy includes a focus on sustainability and organic ingredients, as well as partnerships with organizations that align with their values.
The New Primal: The New Primal’s marketing strategy involves promoting their meat snacks as a healthier alternative and using social media to connect with customers.
Health-Ade Kombucha: Health-Ade Kombucha’s marketing strategy includes offering a variety of flavors and using social media to connect with customers and promote their products.
Moola: Mooala’s marketing strategy involves promoting their plant-based milk alternatives as a healthier option and using social media to connect with customers.
Beanfields Snacks: Beanfields Snacks’ marketing strategy includes promoting their bean-based snack products as a healthier alternative and using social media to connect with customers.
The Gluten Free Bar: The Gluten Free Bar’s marketing strategy involves promoting its products as a healthier alternative for people with dietary restrictions and using social media to connect with customers.
Strategies always come first. Tactics must support the strategy. It is that simple, and you don’t need ChatGBT or ai to explain it.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Jordan Madrid on Unsplash
