How to Create Tactics that Bring Strategic Planning to Life

By Richard Czerniawski and Mike Maloney

Which Comes First—Strategy or Tactics?

The mere suggestion that tactics precede strategy causes traditional marketers to shudder. We have been schooled—drilled—in what has become almost instinctive within many organizations: we start marketing planning by identifying objectives; then proceed to create strategies designed to realize our objectives and, finally, choose to execute those tactics that give life to our strategies.

Why is it, then, that many strategies are still-born and others live an unfulfilled life?

As Leo Kiely, president of Coors Brewing Company, has said, “Strategies are war-games. Tactics are war itself.” Oh, the strategies are critically important. They provide needed direction for mobilizing an organization to achieve a competitive advantage. In an “age of sameness,” this could be the essential difference between winning and losing in the marketplace. But the strategies chosen are appropriate direction only if we can execute them (and they lead to the achievement of our objectives).

We’re all familiar with companies and brands whose poorly executed strategies resulted in failure. Think about it. A given strategy is useless—even counterproductive—if the company lacks the ability to successfully execute it. And, all too often, strategies are concocted without understanding the company’s capabilities in successfully executing them in the marketplace.

Before we can begin to develop a strategy, we need to have a sound understanding of the objective and our ability to achieve it, particularly with competitors striving for similar or opposing objectives in what is typically a win/lose marketplace (one wins at the expense of another’s loss). Even in those categories where significant market growth pulls every competitor into the winner’s circle, some will win more.

So it makes sense to take inventory of potential tactics that the company can employ before finalizing strategic thinking. We can’t use what we don’t have (e.g., size). And we shouldn’t attempt to lead with what we have but our competitor has more of. So we have to appreciate our company’s capability to execute in relation to its competitors. Which also means that we need to understand what we can execute in the marketplace and what our competitors can and cannot do.

Gatorade’s Branding Success Story

Gatorade represents an example of a brand that has successfully evolved strategy from tactics. Gatorade got its commercial start by selling products to college teams. It was all its resources, market development and product development (remember the powdered form?) would allow. Outstanding collegiate athletes and coaches eventually found their way to the professional ranks and so did Gatorade.

When the Quaker Oats Company took over ownership of Gatorade, it drove long-term relationships with organized support teams and associations. They also had the capability to develop product and drive retail distribution to broaden availability. When Coca-Cola, with its PowerAde, and PepsiCo, with its All Sport, entered the market (which Gatorade created), neither could make a meaningful dent against the brand, given its impenetrable position with organized sports, sound product and retail strength.

Quaker Oats Company was able to build upon previous brand successes with the company’s tactical capabilities. As such, they were able, over time, to immunize consumers against the entry and muscle of cola giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. More important, neither of these two companies could achieve success by playing the same game as Gatorade. Now, with PepsiCo’s acquisition of Gatorade, the brand has even more capabilities and tactics at its disposal and, with them, a greater degree of strategic freedom.

In summary, tactics precede strategy in those cases when we need to gain an appreciation of what we are capable of executing and thus achieving. An examination of potential tactics reveals the degrees of strategic freedom open to our brands versus the competition. Knowledge of executable tactics enables us to create winning strategies.

Tactical Action Steps

• Start marketing planning by identifying key business and marketing objectives.
• Brainstorm tactics available to you and assess the potential of each in enabling the brand to achieve its strategic objectives.
• Identify the key drivers for success and competitors’ capabilities in these areas.
• Determine the degrees of strategic freedom open to your brand through your company’s capabilities in both the absolute and relative to competition.
• Create strategies you can successfully execute, that will permit you a competitive advantage and lead to achievement of your key objectives.

Authors Richard Czerniawski and Mike Maloney are principals of Brand Development Network International (847-256-8820) and authors of Creating Brand Loyalty (AMACOM 1999).