Strategic Marketing Basics

As in other management disciplines, marketing frequently distinguishes between strategy and operations but the distinction is often poorly understood and thus poorly used.

 

Strategic marketing refers to the fundamental choices made by marketing managers :

 

• the choice of the target customers or users is a first fundamental choice, often neglected or unclear;

• the choice of a clear and differentiating positioning concept and its translation into a clear value proposition;

• product policy decisions and management of a balanced product portfolio;  

• the image policy (branding or corporate reputation) : defining the identity, style and specificity to be expressed in the communication ;  

• the pricing policy : general level and pricing philosophy consistent with the positioning idea, etc.

•  fundamental objectives and guidelines of the communication process (choice of markcom targets, copy strategy, budgets,...)  

•  the choice of distribution channels systems (may even be the basis for a strategic differentiation).

 

In strategic marketing, clarity, difference and coherence are favored.

 

Operational marketing is related to implementing the practical tools and concrete actions that transform strategic choices into reality:

 

• techniques to study and analyze market, competition and the “business environment” will be used to feed strategic reflection  

• the establishment of the “product catalog” (as distinguished from the product portfolio) will be updated regularly and in detail;  

• ”brand or corporate image activation” through mass communication, targeted or even personalized actions;

•  management of distribution channels (key account management, trade marketing, etc.) and customer relationship management;

• sales promotion, point of sales advertising (POS), promotional advertising, event management, etc;

• the sale itself, even if its importance is clear, can be considered an execution tool in a marketing process;

• budget management and marketing planning is also one of the operational facets of the profession.

 

In operational marketing, the essential qualities to deploy will be execution talents, rigor, attention to detail, respect for timing and budgets.