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Scoop.it!
There is no shortage of stories and anecdotes to illustrate how the best strategies can nearly always be reduced down to a brief but powerful statement and even more ink has been spilled describing the dangers of strategy statements that read like detailed action plans. But how do you go about actually crafting — and using — a 15-word strategy statement? My approach is based on narrative techniques. I begin by working with clients to write a story based on this template:... 
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Scoop.it!
Even before you entered into the world of “business”, you were watching your competition. Whether it was in a classroom or on a sports team, you not only wanted to keep up, you wanted to know where the marker was set so you could go one step further. It was about finding new opportunities and setting new goals based on someone you aspired to beat. At this time, when search is so important and detailed, and the Internet has grown so extensively, you have tons of different factors to consider when spying on your competition. This is where marketing tools come into play.In many cases, tools that help you monitor your own web performance also can help you gather data on your competition. So, you might be using some of these tools already, without using the features that help you evaluate your competitors. Here are some of the best tools out there...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Every once in a while a terrific article like this comes along. In this post from Kissmetrics, you'll find an excellent summary of 26 tools to help you gather competitive intelligence. Recommended reading. 10/10
Jeff Domansky's curator insight,
March 8, 2014 3:24 AM
A superb post and list of top notch competitive intelligence tools shared by Kissmetrics.
Scoop.it!
I must have heard the words "we need to create a strategic plan" at least an order of magnitude more times than I have heard "we need to create a strategy."
This is because most people see strategy as an exercise in producing a planning document. In this conception, strategy is manifested as a long list of initiatives with timeframes associated and resources assigned. Somewhat intriguingly, at least to me, the initiatives are themselves often called "strategies." That is, each different initiative is a strategy and the plan is an organized list of the strategies.
But how does a strategic plan of this sort differ from a budget? Many people with whom I work find it hard to distinguish between the two and wonder why a company needs to have both. And I think they are right to wonder. The vast majority of strategic plans that I have seen over 30 years of working in the strategy realm are simply budgets with lots of explanatory words attached....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
This post is a must-read for PR, marketing and corporate communication strategists.
Pedro Barbosa's curator insight,
February 6, 2013 4:38 AM
Pedro Barbosa | www.pbarbosa.com | www.harvardtrends.com
Scoop.it!
...Setting the right objective is a simple concept that eludes many marketers.
There are dozens of ways to slice strategic communication, but let's start with one — the most obvious. Marketers ought to be less concerned with brand awareness and more concerned with brand integrity.
Brand integrity means that not only do people know who you are, but also what you do and, ideally, that you do it well. Awareness alone is futile. Ergo, Gen. Pertraeus has more brand awareness now than at any time in his career. The scandal ought to be a footnote in his career and not the other way around. It might have been a footnote too, but awareness has eclipsed any previous integrity that reached a smaller audience.
The point is what we communicate is ten times as important as how much we communicate. And what we communicate ought to be based solely on the objectives of the company....
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Scoop.it!
“Imagine you’re sitting across from a reporter at lunch. You’re telling them what you do, your story, why they should care about your product. You have to convince this reporter to not only write about you, but that what you’re doing matters. That you’re going to be successful.” This is Caryn Marooney, Head of Technology Communications for Facebook. But before that, she co-founded OutCast, the elite PR agency that worked with one-time startups Amazon, Salesforce.com, Netflix and VMware. She’s seen firsthand how hard it is for young companies to capture press attention when they have zero brand recognition and limited resources. Most founders set out to create something iconic but don’t know where to start. At First Round’s recent CEO Summit, Marooney boiled down this massive challenge into an execution plan and guidelines for startups to craft an image that will resonate with the public and the press, launch on a strong note, and build momentum as they grow — regardless of size and resources...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Caryn Marooney shares a combination of agency and Facebook Tech communications insight and experience. Recommended reading for PR, marketing, and content strategists. 9/10
Scoop.it!
...Questions, on the other hand, can provide a reality check on whether or not a business is staying true to what it stands for and aims to achieve. So herewith, derived from interviews for my forthcoming book, A More Beautiful Question, are thoughts from a couple of top CEOs (Panera Bread’s Ron Shaich and Patagonia’s Casey Sheahan) and a trio of leading business thinkers/consultants (the Harvard Business School’s Clayton Christensen, Peer Insight’s Tim Ogilvie, and SY Partners’ Keith Yamashita). The following five “mission questions” are designed to keep a business focused on what matters most....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Great ideas for strategic-thinking managers and leaders.
Scoop.it!
...Spending before thinking is more fun... but it's backwards.
You need the value proposition in place before you can do any of the fun stuff.
It's like you need to eat your broccoli before you eat dessert.
You need to know who you're selling to, what problem they're trying to solve, and why they would buy a solution from you instead of somebody else....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Peter Cohen will get you thinking like a strategist.
Scoop.it!
We are rapidly approaching the end of the year and I'm already hearing murmurings about plans for 2013. Here are 10 items that should be on your radar for your 2013 strategic planning....
[Sally Falkow shares a valuable list of elements to consider for your PR, marketing or social media plan. ~ Jeff]
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Feeling strategic? Try this approach from Alessandro Di Fiore in Harvard Business Review.