Strategic Q&A - that is, we answer your questions

Q: Strategies of what are you building?

Ola Bulanda, Strategy Planner: Marketing, Brand and Communications Strategy. 

‍

Q: A better strategy will be created by being a newcomer to a brand's world, an outsider, or heavily involved? 

Ola: In my opinion, definitely a person-strategist from outside the brand world. When the situation is diagnosed, this fresh perspective is at a premium. 

‍

Q: How long does it take to write a strategy?

Yossarian Malewski, Strategy Planner: If we diligently complete the first two steps of the process - research and workshop - it takes 10 to 21 days to write out the strategy.

‍

Q: Should the decision to change or adapt the strategy implemented by the client come from the client or the agency?

Yoss: The initiator of change can be both the client and the agency. What is key is to know that a strategy should not be changed if the goal set for that strategy has not been achieved. Why? Because such an action drastically increases the risk of not achieving the goal (if the new strategy does not take over the goal in a 1:1 form - it does not so much increase the risk as it simply makes it impossible to achieve the goal). If the need for change is due to the lack of results of the actions taken, first of all I recommend revising the action plan, the tactical solutions that we introduce on the canvass of the strategy - here let's look for solutions.

‍

Q: For how long is a strategy created?

Yoss: This is a very good question. As a general rule, the strategy is to be "long-term." Why in quotation marks? Because long-term can include "only" the period of achieving the goal - so we can have a strategy for a particular battle. But we can have a strategy for the entire war. Experience shows that a brand strategy - if properly constructed - remains valid and can be a good support for other activities for 4-6 years. After this period, I recommend verifying the components. After 10 years, I would call the lack of verification nonchalance. Communication strategy if it is created for a certain period of time, for example, a year - after a year it needs to be replaced by a new strategy. But we often develop a strategy for a single campaign - which means that after the implementation of the campaign we reach for a new strategy.

‍

Q: What is the difference between strategy and tactics from your perspective?

Yoss: The strategy is to be long-term and surprising, to be unique, original and difficult to copy. It addresses the whole situation - it is general (global). The strategy is supposed to answer the questions "why" and "what for."

The tactics are short-term, generic and easy to copy. It addresses a specific task (it is local). It answers the question "how to do it"

‍

Q: What is insight?

Ola: To me, insight is an unspoken, undiscovered truth (motivation, barrier, need) about a consumer that sheds a whole new light on a challenge. When you utter it, it seems obvious...but you are the one who first says it out loud. It's a bit like language - if you don't have a concept in your head, you don't see it, you don't recognize it, you don't identify it. But when you name it, it seems obvious.
‍Insightis that "Eureka" moment when you feel you've caught what everyone else has missed so far.
It's the moment when you no longer look, but finally notice.

‍

Q: Is the logo or its color already elements of a brand strategy?

Ola: Definitely yes! The visual identity of the brand - including the logo - is part of the brand strategy. 

‍

Q: Name your Top 3 books on strategy

Yoss: For me, what is really important in a strategy can be found in:

• The Art of War, Sun Tzu
• On war, Carl von Clausewitz
• Good strategy bad strategy, Richard P. Rumelt

‍
Ola: If you are looking for books to help you be a better strategist, don't just look at books about strategy. Read about "everything" to develop your sensitivity to notice things you hadn't noticed before, and look for books that improve your writing skills to better express what you manage to notice.

• To understand the function of a brand: How brands grow, Byron Sharp
• To understand how we think: The traps of thinking On thinking fast and slow. Daniel Kahneman
• To express your ideas in a compelling way: Superslogans, Steve Cone

‍

________

For more questions and answers from our strategists, check out the recording of a past webinar on YouTube!

Do you have any more questions? Sound off on our channels: Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube and let us know what else you want to learn about the strategy! 🐅