5 Reasons Why Strategy and Integration Should Be Your Approach
When we set out to rebrand The DeBerry Group, we explored many many name options. Some of them were literal, and some were conceptual. (Why no one liked my contribution of “Cableknit” is beyond me.) But the one thing they all had in common was that we wanted STRATEGY to be front and center in the new identity.
Here are five reasons why strategy is so important, and how it is central to our integrated approach, and the success of our clients.
1
Strategy is forged by setting clear objectives and asking tough questions. It’s not enough to say—let’s grow the business. Successful campaigns need well-articulated goals so that all parties agree on what success looks like. This is easier said than done, hence the tough questions. When we conduct our strategic deep dives with clients, it can sometimes feel like a therapy session. But from these debates, discussions, and rigor, comes the necessary clarity.
2
Strategy keeps a campaign—small or big—focused and unified.
As marketing leads, you can have the best intentions to work in a strategic way. But when an email announces that your boss’s boss wants to see a one-off execution, strategy provides a framework to redirect the request, or to evolve it to align with the strategy. Organizations don’t intentionally set out to muddy messaging—in reality they just need strategy and a bit of discipline to stay on track.
3
Strategy is not restrictive, just definitive. In fact, strategy helps us articulate and visualize entire communications ecosystems in which our target customers live, work, and engage. When we set the strategy, we define not only our objective, but the audience(s), what these folks think or don’t think about us, how they interact with content on a regular basis, and how we plan to shift their perceptions of us. It is rich and robust and textured and provides a broad palette from which our messaging and campaigns can come to life.
4
Through strategy, integrated hits its stride. The media ecosystem we create contains every touchpoint that we will use to share our messaging with the target—winnowed down from a near-infinite universe, to the most effective set. We take into account earned, owned, and paid, and how all our messaging, no matter the channel, aligns with the strategy. And when the messaging and graphics and videos all hit home the same points, we gain efficiency in how we create multi-functional materials that serve numerous purposes.
5
Strategy defines the roadmap for years to come. Whether tackling a short-term project, or long-term business goals, the strategy will reveal truths and insights that can fuel an organization’s journey for extended periods of time. Setting strategy today is an investment in success tomorrow. Just like a great cableknit sweater is a wardrobe investment for decades.
When we conduct our strategic deep dives with clients, it can sometimes feel like a therapy session.
Strategy is integral to everything we do at talkStrategy. Our tagline, “Discourse by Design” underscores how strategy creates purpose and drives intention. Could your business or cause benefit from strategy? If so, give us a shout and let’s talkStrategy.