Who wants to play a key role in the design of a successful organizational strategy? Raise your hand! It is more important than ever that Marketing is present during strategic planning, because a marketer’s perspective brings key insights that will help companies differentiate themselves from the competition. In this presentation, OnStrategy's Chelsea Voors highlights what makes a great (and a horrible) strategy.

1. A M A R K E T E R ’ S S E A T A T
T H E C O R P O R A T E
S T R A T E G Y T A B L E
R e n o - T a h o e A M A
S e p t e m b e r 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

2.  Have participated in strategic planning?
 Satisfied with your role in determining
your companies’ direction/strategy as a
marketing professional?
 Why or why not?
WHY THIS TOPIC…

3. I. What is Strategy
II. What Makes Great Strategy
III. The Role of Marketing in Great
Strategy
IV. Upping your Game
SESSION FLOW

4. WHAT IS STRATEG Y?

5. STRATEGY MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO
DIFFERENT PEOPLE
Articulated Plan
Established Mission,
Vision, Goals, Actions,
and KPIs for the next 24-
36 months.
Strategic Differentiation
A unique value proposition developed from a
strong market position and customer needs.
Organizational Engagement
Everyone knows the strategic direction, understands their role and
commits to accountability.
An budget/execution/governance process is in place.
Organizational Transformation
High-performing team that is driven by shared values, consistently driving decision
making based on the agreed upon strategy.

6. CLARITY
55% of managers can’t name one
of their organization’s top five
priorities
WHY GREAT STRATEGY MATTERS
FOCUS
92% of employees have difficulty
prioritizing
strategic activities
WINNING
Credibility
+
Vision
ALIGNMENT
40% believe they have poor
vertical alignment of strategy tied
to goals

7. A
B

8. 1. What does success look like? (Vision)
2. Why do we exist? (Mission)
3. How will we behave? (Values)
4. How will we succeed- play & win? (Strategies)
5. What is most important right “now”? (Goals)
6. How will we measure success? (KPIs)
7. Who must do what? (Initiatives)
Elements of a Strategic Plan
SWOT: Diagnosis of the current situation

9. W H AT M A K E S G R E AT
S T R AT E G Y ?

10. 1. What does success look like? (Vision)
2. Why do we exist? (Mission)
3. How will we behave? (Values)
4. How will we succeed – play & win? (Strategies)
5. What is most important right “now”? (Goals)
6. How will we measure success? (KPIs)
7. Who must do what? (Initiatives)
Elements of a Strategic Plan
SWOT: Diagnosis of the current situation
“Kernel of Strategy”

11. WHAT MAKES GREAT STRATEGY
**Where are we now**
(Diagnosis)
**Where to play**
(customers/markets/products)
**How we win**
(competitive advantages)
**What are we not doing**

12. Diagnosis: Construction company - General Contracting & High
Tech; strategic account is Intel; contract is shrinking as HP’s
continue to do poorly in the market.
Where Play: Only non-unionized markets; companies that need
that specialized and valued expertise; design build contracts.
How Win: Act as developer/contractor when appropriate. TBD.
Not Doing: Hard bid contracts.
BRYCON CONSTRUCTION

13. Diagnosis: Japan represents 20% of the company’s overall
revenue; one of the top three outdoor apparel brands in the
market. The market is growing only at about 3%, the population
is shrinking and aging dramatically.
Where Play: 1) Densification and 2) Expansion to new markets
where high online purchases.
How Win: Points of differentiation are uncompromising quality,
culture, and environmental activism.
Not Doing: Not selling products in department stores.
PATAGONIA JAPAN

14. Diagnosis: Aggressively growing, proven track record of cost-
effective anesthesia and pain management models. Market is
highly fragmented.
Where Play: Continue to penetrate current markets, rather
than move into adjacencies. Addressable market can absorb
desired growth.
How Win: Hospitals with between 20K-40K visit volume; above
average clinical results; become great at recruiting.
Not Doing: Not being opportunistic with new business lines.
Not marketing ancillary services to win new business.
LIFELINC ANESTHESIA

15. ROLE OF MARK ETING

16. LIFELINC ANESTHESIA – HOW DID WE GET
THERE?
Aggressive growth trajectory:
 Cannot increase demand.
 What is the addressable market?
 Can is sustain a market penetration strategy?
 What is our current market share?
 What is the competitive landscape?
 How do we define and evaluate market
attractiveness?

18. Choice Points: Do we have the
right internal data to drive
strategy development?
(Tribal knowledge, historical
performance, customer/market data)
If yes – Proceed
If no – Determine other
resources – secondary or primary
Internal Analysis
Employees
Partners
Board
External Analysis
Customers
Market (Direct)
Competitors
Industry
Macro Environment
“Strategy of Record”
Current Business Plan
(accomplishments,
continuations, roadblocks)
Financial Analysis
Strategic Alternatives
& Strategy
Formulation
Plan Development
SWOT Analysis
Strengths Opportunities
Weaknesses Threats
INPUTS TO A GREAT STRATEGY
Strategic Issues

19.  Nets out the SWOT.
 Identifies themes in the current state.
 Is objective.
 Has both internal & external insights.
 Does not try to answer any questions.
 It’s a summary.
A DIAGNOSIS

20. What is the current state of your business?
 Internal & external components.
 Objective.
 Do not try to answer any questions!
YOUR TURN

21.  What information is needed to answer the 3
questions of strategy?
 Start the research there.
 Ask pointed questions – what are you trying to
answer?
 How will you use the information?
TURNING A DIAGNOSIS INTO STRATEGY

24. Where will you play?
 Customers
 Markets
 Products/Services
How will you win?
 Competitive Advantage
What are you not doing?
YOUR TURN

25.  Fear – Strategy is a hypothesis.
 Budget – Get scrappy.
 Laziness.
 Hubris – Fight this with data.
 Need for Speed – Narrow your scope.
WHAT GETS IN THE WAY

26. UPPING YOUR G AME

27. 1. Fight your own myopia.
 The Kernel - building out the full thinking of the strategy, not just
a part of it. Starting with the diagnosis is critical to the whole
kernel.
 Your perspective is a room on a cruise ship.
2. Ability to question your own judgment.
 Create and destroy your own strategies by using a "panel of
experts" - turn to this pack of "virtual experts“.
 Zoom in and Zoom Out – Create & Destroy
3. Start making and recording judgments so that
you can improve.
 Learning something about you in your next meeting.
 Test a hypotheses.
OVER COMING PERSONAL LIMITATIONS

28. Happy Strategizing!