Let’s start with 3 typical marketing scenarios.

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Two
Mike and Greg are respectively CEO and COO of a SaaS startup operating in asset management.

This year, for the first time, they have established the company’s OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) process to reflect company strategy.

OKRs are an exercise in goal setting and measuring progress towards those goals. The process typically looks like this: once a year, each department head is asked to come up with their own departmental OKRs, which are supposed to be connected to company goals.

Then each department breaks down their OKRs into sub-OKRs for their teams to carry out, which are then broken down into sub-sub-OKRs for sub-teams and/or specific individuals, and so on and on down the chain.

Mike presents company strategy to the entire team, which is now reflected by the OKRs. The overarching company strategy looks something like: increase revenue, decrease costs, become the leader in the space.

Mike is happy that strategy has been finalized and even happier because it has now been shared with (and cascaded to) the entire company.

Three
Charles is President and COO of a 7-years old startup in the MarTech sector.

The company has enjoyed impressive growth rates in the first 5 years of life. Then, sales canada cell phone number list have started to slow down, and for the first time ever, the company has closed 2019 with a flat growth — well, this is, no growth.

Pushed by the board, Charles moves all marketing budget away (actually: he suggests the CMO put all budget away) from branding activities and focus completely on online demand gen.

Charles is convinced that pushing demand gen will help boost sales and will move back the needle to the growth space.

Here we go.

The three scenarios look so different. Many of us have faced similar challenges. Truth is, all scenarios have something in common.

Their total lack of strategy.

Better, a wrong approach to strategy, what Richard Rumelt calls “Bad Strategy” in his seminal book “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy”.

It may be time for a summary of the strategic marketing process before proceeding any further.