42 September 2008 VIEW on Marketing STRATEGIC PLANNING As an agency, we’ve seen many marketing communications plans the size of telephone books. Heck, we’ve even helped create them. But just because a plan is comprehensive, does that mean it’s strategic? The truth is, that all of the data, all the charts, and all SWOT analyses should be in support of (not in place of) the most important element in your plan: a simple, focused strategy. Emphasis on the words “simple” and “focused.” Remember, the whole purpose of developing a communications strategy is to help you make the decisions you need to accomplish your objectives. It forces you to prioritize resources, activities, and budgets right from the start. By keeping your strategy simple, decisions can become almost obvious when you ask: “Does this support the strategy or not?” But my market is complicated, you say. I have lots of good clinical data, you say. My boss loves bar charts, you say. All the more reason, your strategy must stay simple. We’ve all been told over and over again that simple, singleminded ideas are what sell. It’s not hard to understand why. Simple is easier to understand. Your customer is busy. Your sales force is busy. They’re not going to give you the time to decode a complicated message. Are you trying to switch customers from another brand? Reassure them of product safety? Build an entirely new category? Then say that. Simple enables big ideas. Once you get your positioning statement down to a single selling idea, you open the door for big creative ideas. The truth is, good, creative people are naturally strategic, always looking for the singular idea they can run with. Complex strategies and positioning only slow them down. Simple gives you a rallying cry. There’s a reason phrases like, “scale the summit” or “swing for the fences” make it into sales meeting themes. They’re short, active, and offer a clear picture of what the goal is. Encapsulate your communication strategy into a simple phrase, and you give your marketing team and ad agency words to live by. So how do you keep marketing strategy, positioning, and planning simple? Notice we’ve never said simple equates to easy. In fact, keeping it simple is one of the most difficult things to do (which is why some plans end up the size of phone books). But sticking to a few basic principles can help. Basic Principle No. 1 Think big about your brand. Not in the sense of setting unrealistic goals, but rather looking critically about what’s going on in the market and with your brand. It’s easy to get caught up in the details of sales figures and market research stats and miss the big picture. Identify the biggest challenge facing the brand, then create a strategy to solve it. Or, find the biggest opportunity, then capitalize on it. Basic Principle No. 2 Keep a photo of your customer in your head. Never forget that at the end of the day, you’re connecting to a real person. Keep that physician, nurse, hospital buyer, or patient in your head as you work through your plans. Do research to find insights — it’s amazing how clear your customers can be about what they want if you ask them. Basic Principle No. 3 Remember that strategy means sacrifice.Your brand cannot be all things to all people. Choose your targets wisely, knowing you may have to leave an audience out. Tackle one issue at a time. Decide on the one (not seven) most compelling advantage of your brand. Basic Principle No. 4 Focus on your real competition. Not every product in your category is a competitor. You may not have the budget to outspend the market leader, so aim at the middle tier. Or, your competition may not be a product at all — it may be attitudes or habits. Figuring that out will give you tighter focus. Basic Principle No. 5 Use simple language. If you’ve seen the IBM “Buzzword Bingo” spot, you’ll know what we mean. Try using conversational language instead of corporate speak. That will not only make your strategies sound simpler, but probably more interesting and unique at the same time. In Conclusion… Now, we know that your first audience (your boss on up) may demand detail and data. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just remember that it all has to support a simple, singleminded strategy, other wise all that data is just … well, data. Topin & Associates, Inc. TOPIN & ASSOCIATES is a full service healthcare marketing communications agency. As key strategist for clients, Mr.Topin heads up the agency strategic development and planning services. For more information, visit topin.com. A Strategy for Simplicity Keeping it simple is one of the most difficult things to do (which is why some plans end up the size of phone books). But sticking to a few basic principles can help. Alan Topin President and Founder

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