STRATEGY BETTER

EPISODE 1 "Beyond Words: A Substance of Strategy"

Eloquence and persuasive language are often mistaken for strategy in our industry. I'm here to remind us (me included) that real strategy goes beyond a clever turn of phrase. This installment aims to challenge us to do better.

Strategy, as we practice it within the Creative Marketing & Advertising business, must be more than just a compelling narrative. More than just A Good Story. We need to reemphasize that the essence of strategy must be a catalyst for tangible action, behavioural change, and measurable outcomes.

A Misconception of Word-Centric Strategy:
- Overemphasis on Language: While the power of words is undeniable, relying solely on linguistic prowess can lead to strategies that are more about form than function.
- An Illusion of Depth: Slick-sounding language may create an initial impression of depth, but without substance, it fails to fulfill long-term engagement or impact. How many times have we looked back at work and asked 'What was the strategy on that?' Or when replaying it say to ourselves 'Well, that's a little flat, isn't it?'

What Real Strategy (should be) all about:
- Action-Orientation: Strategy should serve as a roadmap that guides specific actions and decisions, not just a nice story.
- Direct-Connect to a Business Goal: Every strategic element must tie back to a desired business outcome (in pure terms, only 1), driving ascertainable growth.
- Consumer-Centric Approach: Strategies should be grounded in a genuine understanding of consumer mindsets, emotional context, behaviors, and movements - translating insights into actionable ways forward.

Elevating Strategy Beyond Words:
- Integration of Data and Insights: Beyond just lip service, a real connection to usable data and information - 'knowing' not guessing.
- Focus on Measurable Results: Shift the emphasis from how eloquently a strategy is presented to how effectively it achieves measurable results.
- Connection Across Disciplines: Not one Strategy for this and another for that. The STRATEGY must connect worlds. It must translate and fuse across business, marketing, creative, consumers, channels, and metrics. A single line of thought.

So what?:
Strategy is more than just a narrative art; it's a science of turning insights into actions and possibilities into realities. As strategists and creative professionals, our challenge is to look beyond the allure of words and focus on creating strategies with substance – strategies that drive change, deliver results, and make a meaningful difference.