Strategy or Tactics ........ I agree with Peter's comment above "Tactics are great at winning battles but to win a war you best have your strategy sorted".
....... that unless you set out your 'battle' plan with a clear understanding of the basic difference between the short, mid and long term strategic objective and tactical actions required to achieve those objectives, then both the campaign and the war will be lost ....... no matter how much time and money you throw at it.
An old saying comes to mind here "that we should know our song well.....before we start singing"
When you start a campaign of any kind to increase YOUR market share then you are taking something away from your competitors and if, through research, you know exactly who THE customer is, have done your homework and focus on the positive solutions you bring and not the negative of your competitor (s) then you give yourself a strategic and tactical 'edge'
A simple answer would be to suggest that everyone reads a copy of Sun Tsu 'The Art of War' and leave it at that - but would be too easy and the short answer is that it is never easy to get the balance right........ but it can be done!
Small to medium sized businessess (SME's) have a distinct advantage when fighting the 'big guns' as although we have a less stable financial and budget structure, we can afford to make slight errors in judgement and then 'change horses in midstream' and if that proves folly ........ then simply change back again.
The 'big guns' often commit massive marketing and advertising budgets to attacking the proposed target market on several fronts ...... but when the target moves, forced perhaps by a change in the economic climate etc. they (the big guns) become like a huge oil tanker and have less control when trying to stop and change direction quickly.
I have often been asked: "Why bother with something as esoteric sounding as Strategy? Why not just go out there and sell?"
Ask any military theorist and they will tell you that having a strategy is vital because it determines......where to hit and when and with how much force.
Wouldn't the above be great if you just knew exactly where to place your advertising, along with how long it will take and just how much market saturation was required?
Well it is possible and we can all do it ...... it just takes some homework and planning in advance ....... the more guesswork you remove, the more flexible your plan then the more likely you are to have a successful outcome.
Or to quote Sun Tsu direct 'is to place your strengths where the enemy is weak'
A good example is to look at the Holiday Inn Express strategy and tactics.
Key strategy was simply to increase their market share of the business and short stay holiday accomodation sector.
Tactics were to place their Hotels/Motels along the major road networks or on the edges of cities and towns within easy transport links to major business centres.
They did this for two primary reasons.
# 1 They didn't have to compete directly against the established hotel chains which were located near to or in the heart of major cities.
# 2 Land prices, planning, build costs and taxes on the outskirts are generally lower, which meant less overhead allowing them to offer lower prices yet still make a profit.
So whether you are first in an area ..... or first in a new market your strategy should be what you bring ...... not what your competitors don't.
In summary .......
Strategy should be viewed as short, mid and long term objectives.
Tactics are simply the small steps required to get you to each objective.
John
Quote of the day: 'If you stand for nothing .....you will fall for everything'
