In the previous article I covered the pros and cons of in-house/3rd party and the role of the gameplan.
The upshot was that we needed a hybrid solution that brought together the benefits of using both in-house and 3rd-party solutions. Collectively we need to aim for a strategic and operations model that offers:
- Low cost
- Fast deployment
- Lots of documented learning
- Clearer vision
- New ideas
- Competitive knowledge
- Scaleable
- Best of breed
We do have to watch the pitfalls: Fear of change, lazy folks, slow evolution, spiralling costs and losing site of the gameplan.
Strategy vs Operations
Its better paying good money for good strategy and operations than paying no money for strategy and good money for operations. However, a good operational marketing team will, broadly, deliver the strategy whilst an exceptional one will over-deliver. It’s all about getting the balance right and the simplest way is to involve everyone in the gameplanning phase and start the process of working out which bits the folks and teams are better are.
With the gameplan published it’s for the teams to come up with the strategy, if they start coming up with operational solutions they need to be gently coaxed into thinking one level up. Some can, and some can’t. It’s not a reflection on the team and we all need a range of skills and experience to be able to successfully deliver a winning digital strategy.
Once you have the bones of the strategy in place, and checked it still drives towards the gameplan, then you can move onto operational delivery, the next article.
The strategy will need regular review, probably every quarter of when something ground-breaking occurs. The gameplan, on the other hand, probably needs checking at the same time but thoroughly reviewing annually. Unless the world (or the business) has done a handbrake turn and headed off in a different direction.
