When we first start talking to a new client, I’ll often ask, “Do you have a strategy document that you’re working from?” What we’ll then get presented with is usually a list of tactics and plans. Rarely is it an actual strategy document. The reality is that most people talk about “strategy” when what they really mean is a plan. But a plan and a strategy are not the same thing. In fact, conflating the two can seriously limit your business’s potential to thrive.

Plans: Comfortable Yet Limited

We all know what a plan looks like—it’s a neat list of tasks, budgets, and timelines. Plans feel comfortable because they turn you, the business owner, into a consumer of your organisation’s resources. You become a buyer of to-do lists, marketing spend, and product investments. It’s reassuring because it’s tangible: you can see where your money’s going and what everyone will be doing tomorrow.

The trouble is that plans don’t need internal coherence. They can just be an assortment of activities—“We’ll launch this product, we’ll hire these people, we’ll attend that conference.” There’s no inherent ‘why’, just a set of ‘whats’. Without a guiding purpose or sense of direction, a plan is simply a safety blanket that may not lead you anywhere special.

Strategy: Integrative and Disruptive

Strategy, on the other hand, is a bold commitment. It’s an integrative set of choices that positions you on a playing field of your own choosing and lays out not only where you’ll compete, but why you’ll win there. This requires logic, a theory, and the courage to commit to a direction you can’t fully prove in advance. Unlike plans, which can live in a comfortable vacuum, strategies are inherently outward-facing. They’re about understanding the landscape, mapping out the competition, and deciding how you’ll secure a decisive advantage. It’s a ‘why’ and a ‘how’, not just a ‘what’.

In practice, a strategy must translate into actionable steps, but it starts with coherence: we know where we’ll play, how we’ll win, and what capabilities we need. A strong strategy can live on one page, not buried in binders. It’s concise, clear, and confident.

Why Strategies Feel Unsettling

Real strategies can make you feel uneasy. They involve risk and force you to commit to a path without total certainty. Yet this discomfort is where true progress lies. Strategy is like a bet—you’re betting on your interpretation of the market, your executional prowess, and your ability to adapt on the fly. A bit like riding a bike, whilst also eating a sandwich and taking a sales call.

While you’re refining plans, at least one competitor is figuring out how to kick your arse – Especially if your an incumbent in the industry. They’re taking risks, making strategic choices, and preparing to shake things up. That’s why start-ups often outmanoeuvre established players. Without legacy baggage or the fear of rattling shareholders, they can move fast on bold ideas. Established companies often become risk-averse, favouring plans over genuine strategies, and end up “playing to participate” rather than “playing to win.”

Winning the Season, Not Just a Single Race

It’s easy to mistake action for impact. Plans often amount to incremental steps—just enough to stay busy. Strategies are different: they’re about the bigger picture—about winning seasons, not just individual races. By focusing on the underlying reasons why something might work (or at least why you believe it will), you give your business a fighting chance to stand out and thrive.

The Hallmarks of a Great Strategy

The best strategies fit on a single page. They tell you:

  • Where you’ll play: The market, niche, or customer segment you’ll target.
  • How you’ll win: The unique value proposition or competitive advantage you’ll bring.
  • What capabilities you’ll need: The tools, skills, and resources to succeed.
  • The logic behind it all: Your theory for why this approach will work.
  • How you’ll monitor and adjust: The metrics and feedback loops you’ll use to stay on track—or pivot if needed.

A great strategy is about integrated choices that guide your every move. By focusing on ‘why’ and ‘how’—not just ‘what’—you set yourself up for differentiation and long-term success.

Great Marketing Strategies Flow From Great Business Strategies

This principle holds especially true when it comes to marketing. Great marketing strategies don’t emerge in a vacuum. They’re not just campaigns you run or channels you choose. They stem from a well-defined business strategy. Highly strategic businesses understand that marketing isn’t a department tucked away in a corner—it is the business. Marketing shapes how you engage with your audience, how you present your value, and how you achieve your commercial goals.

When you build a strong business strategy—identifying your ‘why’ and ‘how’—it naturally informs a great marketing strategy. The two can’t exist without each other. Marketing is how your strategy shows up in the world, how it speaks to customers, and how it makes its mark in the marketplace. By starting with a solid business strategy, you ensure that your marketing efforts aren’t just plans and budgets, but purposeful, coherent actions that help you win.

Moving Beyond the Comfort of a Plan

So, the next time you’re tempted to settle for a tidy list of actions, ask yourself: what’s the underlying strategy here? Why are we doing this, and how will it help us genuinely succeed rather than just stay busy? Embrace the discomfort. Effective strategies are risky, and they must be. Unlike a simple plan, a real strategy dares you to think ahead, place a bet, and back yourself to win. And when you do, your marketing will align naturally, powering your business forward with purpose and impact.