The Strategy

“In the Mind of a Strategist”, Kenichi Omae wrote that, “In business, as on the battlefield the object is to bring about conditions most favourable to one’s own side”.

A strategy is really a road map to your destination. It’s how you get there to beat out your competition.

A good strategy must have a killer instinct. It must reflect a consumer need. It must not be written in stiff, predictable language and address the whole world. And it must not have a premise that is interchangeable with that of another product.

There are many formats for strategies, but most have three main components.

• 1.An objective/mission statement that refers to what the advertising is to achieve. It should be written in communications terms. It should also identify the customer and state a benefit for that customer.
• 2.A support statement that proves your benefit. It may be “why” the customer enjoys the benefit.
• 3.A statement of “tone” or “brand character” to describe the selling attitude of the advertising or long term values of the brand.

There are many types of strategies: advertising strategies, communication strategies, marketing strategies, promotional strategies and design strategies are just a few.

To be accepted, the executions of the various types of strategies must be “on strategy”. That is, the work must follow the road map.

More about strategy later.