The Power of Strategy: Less Guesswork, More Impact

We believe a strong digital marketing strategy starts with clarity. That means understanding exactly what you’re up against—your competitors, your market, your internal limitations—and designing a plan that tackles these head-on. Done right, a well-crafted strategy doesn’t just improve your marketing—it builds long-term brand value and business momentum.

Our approach to strategy is rooted in the work of US strategist Richard Rumelt, author of Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters (2011). Rumelt’s philosophy? Strategy isn’t about buzzwords like “vision” or “ambition”—it’s about clear choices, backed by insight and action.

A Great Digital Strategy Has Three Key Ingredients:

1. Diagnosis: See Clearly, Act Smart

This is where the work begins. A solid marketing diagnosis dives deep into your business, market, and audience. What’s really going on? What’s holding you back? This phase unearths the critical insights that shape everything else.

As Rumelt says, “an especially insightful diagnosis can transform one’s view of the situation.” Whether it’s underperforming campaigns, unclear messaging, or a mismatch with your audience—clarity here is everything.

2. Guiding Policy: Set the Direction

Once you’ve diagnosed the real challenges, you need a direction of travel—a guiding policy that shapes all your decisions moving forward. Think of it as your North Star: not a detailed route map, but a clear compass bearing.

Great guiding policies provide structure and purpose. Just like how Barcelona FC embraced ‘Total Football’ as a unifying vision, your marketing needs its own strategic heartbeat to align teams and efforts.

3. Coherent Action: Do the Work That Works

Strategy without action is just theory. Your diagnosis informs your guiding policy, which fuels coherent, consistent action. These aren’t just random tactics—they’re connected, aligned, and built to move the needle.

Every action should reinforce the next. And every step should be measurable. Ask: are we making progress? Are we learning? Are we adapting?

Strategy Is a Cycle, Not a One-Off

The best strategies evolve. With regular performance reviews and a commitment to learning, you stay agile, relevant, and ahead of the curve. Skip the deep thinking, and you risk running fast in the wrong direction.

In summary: If you want your marketing to deliver real results, don’t rush the strategy. Build it right—from deep diagnosis to guiding policy to coherent action. That’s how we help brands cut through the noise and unlock growth.

Join us on June 18th 2025 for free 1-2-1 marketing strategy sessions, exclusive to PLATF9RM members with Stu Davies from Creative Bloom.