Thoughts about "strategic marketing communications"

Here's the deal. I'm not sure, finally, that I believe in "strategic marketing communications." Marketing communications is a collection of tools and tactics that serve to implement a strategy. Your marketing communications plan can and should link back to a strategy; maybe that's what the strategic marketers are talking about?

But in my experience, very few people are focusing on the strategy as a daily activity. They are getting stuff done; putting out fires; handling what hits them that day or week. I just wonder how often someone -- at ANY level in the organization -- has time to think, "Am I acting strategically today?" Uh, no. I'm usually wetting down the burlap bags to be ready to beat back tomorrow's flames.

A number of years ago someone codified the whole business outline. What's your mission? Your vision? Your values? Your strategic plan for reaching your vision? for implementing your vision?

You know what? Bullsh*t.

The mission is ALWAYS to make money. No matter how high-flown the language, that message will be somewhere in the mission statement. How are we going to make money? By getting people to buy our sh*t, whether it's a product or a service. Your vision is to be the biggest and the best, or the most successful, or however you define transcendent happiness. In corporate America, that means major dollars back to major share holders. Your values state how far you'll go, or how far you won't go, to achieve your vision. We'll try not to destroy the environment. We'll try not to abuse or kill our employees. We'll try not to poison or otherwise damage our customers. We'll try not to become community pariahs. And so on.

The strategic part happens when you're trying to figure out what your product is, how you'll handle the competition, through being first to market, or the best value, or the luxury brand. Strategic marketing is about research for product and positioning.

The rest of it, in my opinion, is not that strategic. Marketing 101 says the fourth "P" is promotion, but figuring out the strategy for that is pretty straightforward, once you've done your research.

Marketing communications is a TOOLKIT of tactics, tools, timelines. Yes, they have to link back to the strategery (to use one of my favorite non-words), but in my experience the organizations that spend too much time on "strategic marketing plans" never get around to executing.

Maybe what organizations need is LESS marketing STRATEGY, fewer strategic marketing planners, and more on-the-ground do-ers. Communicators who make stuff happen. Maybe it's time for consultants who don't leave behind lengthy plans but completed programs and projects. Real stuff that successfully tells the company's story to potential customers, encourages employees, and helps the community at large feel better about the fact that this organization is a hometown company.

I'm just sayin' . . .