Is there any more misused phrase than digital strategy?
In this guest post, Slingshot Digital’s Simon Corbett argues the meaning of digital strategy is widely misunderstood by those that should really know better.
Most people I come across who talk about digital strategy, and their ability to develop it, don’t know what it is. In fact so often they simply don’t know what strategy is full stop. They use the phrase digital strategy as replacement for what they really mean – a list of cool stuff they think the client can do in digital.
So before we talk about what digital strategy is let’s just clear up exactly what it isn’t.
Digital strategy is not a list of goals, a target or objectives. Those things are great at focusing people on the things that you would like to accomplish, or the success metrics for the business, but they are not a plan of action that will lead you ultimately on how to win. How often have you looked at an articulation of a strategy and it is simply a to-do list? A great strategy might populate a to-do list… but it sure as hell isn’t one. Digital strategy is not just a list of digital tactics. In fact it can be easy to think that because a brand has got a large footprint in digital it must have a clear strategy. In fact, being pretty much everywhere in digital often means the opposite is true.
Neither is a lofty vision or ‘blue-sky thinking’ a digital strategy. Yes you might want to be the online retailer of choice for digital natives but wanting that doesn’t get you any closer to actually achieving it. I would strongly suggest that blue-sky thinking has no place in anything that seriously attempts to guide a business to success. Blue-sky thinking might look great scripted on a wall in a cool warehouse office in Sydney’s Surry Hills… but not in a battle plan for success.
And finally, we must not mistake a great digital idea as a strategy. It’s just an idea, which is great, but it’s not a strategy.
So what are the attributes of a digital strategy?
Make no mistake, strategy is about focus and direction. Strategy is about sacrifice and tough choices. I often say to the team that if we are rolling strategy into a client and some stakeholders are not upset and disappointed then likely we are not delivering true strategy.
Put simply it’s about making tough calls on what to do – choosing the path that leads to success and neglecting the many paths that do not. This will almost always mean that some people won’t get to do what they want or get their own way. It is almost impossible to please everyone with a strategy. However the secret here is to try and get all stakeholders involved as much as possible in the early stages of development of strategy. Firstly this ensures that everyone actually understands what a digital strategy is and the possible ramifications of focusing all efforts, energies and resources in one particular approach. Personally I have found going through this process collaboratively with clients always allows you to come back to this anchor point when dealing with their disappointment about things not going their way.
I truly believe that a great digital strategy should be easy to understand. This is obviously different to it being simple as some strategies can be extremely complex and difficult to execute. But they must be easy to understand and articulate because only then can they be universally understood and communicated. I have a client right now who has a digital strategy that was written for them a couple of years ago. It is a 100-page word doc of 10-point type. I look at it and think I would struggle to read it let alone execute it. The master of strategy Richard Rumelt would call it ‘bad strategy’, which of course is worse than no strategy at all.
Finally digital strategy must be realistic – it must acknowledge and confront honestly the obstacles to success. A strategy is a way through a difficulty, an approach to overcoming an obstacle, a response to a challenge. If the challenges to success are not clearly articulated, understood and defined then it is difficult or impossible to assess the quality of thestrategy. I know that I am in a room with smart digital people when there is a lot of honest recognition and discussion about the challenges that exist and that can – or cannot – realistically be overcome. A good strategy leverages the assets and resources available and recognises the pressures and restrictions which exist. As we said earlier ideas can be blue-sky – strategy cannot.
So what’s my definition of digital strategy? As many of us know there are many, many definitions of what strategy/digital strategy is – just bang it into Google and be amazed. I would be mad if I proposed I had the definitive definition of digital strategy. And I think it far less important to be able to roll out a super snappy definition of digital strategy than it is to understand the key tenets of it.
However to stir the honey pot here is the definition of digital strategy according to my Gospel:
A digital strategy outlines how to leverage all assets, people and resources available to apply digital in the most meaningful way to help the business win.
And he’s off!
Simon Corbett is the managing director of Slingshot Digital
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Let’s stop using the word strategy. It has completely lost its meaning.
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Great post
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In my experience confusing objectives with strategy is probably the most common mistake in marketing, full stop.
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Definitive definition.
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This article make no sense to me and feels like a digital rant!
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Excellent post Simon. Your reference to Richard Rumelt is awesome.
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Great work. Clear, succinct, and challenging.
I hope many people get it.
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Well written, Simon!
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Bravo!
And whilst we’re at it, the digital strategy cannot exist in isolation to the overall strategy for the brand. Given many “digital strategists” I’ve come across have no idea about brand strategy at all, I’m often left scratching my head as to what they actually think they are doing.
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My favourite definition would be “From one thing know 10.000 things.”
If it is not immediately clear to you what this implies and how it is implemented, you can still use the word ‘strategy’ but consider carefully if you call yourself a ‘strategist’.
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No idea what you just said.
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There is no point in creating any strategy unless you have a plan in the first place.
So what’s the digital plan?
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Mmm I agree and disagree. There is a little bit of what Mat says and there is also a major contradiction I think. The definition starts of with “strategy outlines “how to” leverage all assets”. When you start explaining “how to” doesnt this become a task list? I would have thought strategy is the combination of setting objectives, detailing the assets (including resources) required to achieve those objectives. Explaining how those assets contribute achieving the end result and the creating a task list to put that plan into action. Isnt it all the above?
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Those that talk non stop about ‘digital strategy’ generally follow those words with ‘can i have a media first execution with a case study please?’
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Great post, good comments.
Strategy is not objectives, targets or tactics, or a compilation of all three. Very few people seem to understand those distinctions. It is possible to put together a plan without considering strategy. When it’s done the implied strategy may or may not be obvious and may or may not lead to success. So we can’t drop ‘strategy’ because it will always be there embedded in the plan.
My definition essentially agrees with Simon’s: strategy tells you how – how you will reach your objectives, how you will leverage your assets, how you will deploy your tactics. And in that process of deciding how you discuss all obstacles and opportunities, eliminate options that contribute little or nothing, dismiss tactics that distract from the objectives, and irritate people whose ideas don’t make the cut.
Sorry Mat.
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Good article Simon.
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All good stuff but it always amazes me that people focus on digital as if this is be all and end all.
Digital must be a part of a firm’s overall advertising strategy encompassing mainstream as well as online.
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Nice article Simon. Straight to the point!
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Opinion is exactly that.
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Great article
Just to reply to the rhetoric question in the heading; yes, and the answer is insights. Facts are not insights. Arrgghhhh
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Finally…..someone who is brave enough to write simply about something not terribly complicated – strategy. Well written Simon, thank you.
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Well articulated but I still wonder at the number of people who just don’t get it. The other point, made by a couple of commenters already, is that digital strategy shouldn’t exist in isolation from business strategy and marketing strategy.
And while we are at it, lets not confuse a digital technology strategy with digital marketing strategy. Both important, both intersect, but both different.
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Agree with your points on what is not a digital strategy, but would have loved to have seen some specific examples of real digital strategies in this article…. as im still not sure…
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Great post
On the whole i agree on what a strategy is and what it isn’t but I don’ think there is a need for digital strategies anymore. There only needs to be one strategy of which digital plays an important part in delviering the strategy.
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A tiny bit vague for me – the article seems to talk about what strategy should be as defined by the communications industry today rather than how digital impacts or (re)defines strategy today. Which is fair enough but not actually that illuminating.
To take the debate forward I think you have to understand how digital adds depth to strategy i.e:
A digital strategy is the who, what, when and where of listening and responding to consumers, bridging brand experiences, iterating offerings and collecting and activating consumer relationships in order to accomplish an actionable and measurable objective…
just sayin’
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I agree with the headline but the article made no sense
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Nice article Simon. It hints at that awkward moment just before the implementation of a strategy when people get, well, very human, and decide to ‘put everything back in’. Strategy is the willingness to fight our human urges and aversions to loss, compromise and focus.
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We get it, you’ve read Good Strategy/Bad Strategy. Fortunately Richard Rumelt is able to clearly articulate his thoughts.
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Well written Simon.
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Great post – for anyone interested here my similar thoughts on the same topic – http://www.onerabbit.com.au/Bl.....80%9D-word and http://www.onerabbit.com.au/bl.....l-strategy
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Ironically I really don’t get what this article’s objective was.
I get that Simon’s strategy was to show that others don’t understand what a digital strategy is (therefore potentially implying that by simply writing this piece he did know what it was and we should therefore engage him or slingshot for work!?!?)
I get that he used the resources of his writing and experience to frame the article, i get that he then sent the article to mumbrella for publishing (action) but i still don’t get what he wanted me to do.
And there be the flaw
A strategy is the the way that you deliver objectives, and objectives are contextually set by your vision. This is why strategies are inherently bespoke, it is also why most can only write about what they are not – which Simon has managed to do extremely well, but my problem as a participant is but i still don’t get what he wanted me to do with that information.
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You describe the characteristics of a strategy without explaining what it is. Then you suggest a definition that suggests what a strategy does, without really explaining exactly what it is.
I suggest people just google ‘digital strategy’ you’ll get a better definition.
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A note to “wow” if you want to point out flaws in other peoples work and have credibility in doing so you should have the courage to put your name to it.
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Top article – i’ve sat in many a meeting with ‘digital strategists’ and wondered why all that was being presented was a list of tactics rather than a roadmap to commercial success.
Amazed that quite a few people didn’t understand what the article was saying, but then this probably reflects the level of understanding in this market of what strategy actually is.
Thanks for sharing Simon.
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Simon ,
As you have been so candid , allow me. This is tripe. There is no such thing as digital strategy, just like there is no such thing as above line strategy. Secondly , your 100 page document you refer to has governance, policy and mitigation documentation. This is critical to any organizational success . I suggest you read a little more on marketing and communications before climbing the ivory tower.
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Nigel Fisher.
Thanks you for the feedback.
Did you write the 100 page document that I refer to? It doesn’t have your name on it and it also doesn’t have governance, policy and mitigation in it either.
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… Can any of you ‘define’ what is digital and isn’t?
Let’s say most of us define ‘digital’ as… “Relating to or being a profession or activity that is performed using digital devices” (Not mine, it’s from dictionary)
And ‘Strategy’… defined as.. “a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim” (again, Oxford rules.)
So why can’t we just go and say that digital strategy is A plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim through activities performed using digital devices??
#Icouldbetrollin’
#orIcouldbeontosomethin’
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As long as what is provided allows and organisation to better connect and communicate via digital channels, then it doesn’t really matter what it is called or how its formatted. I don’t believe its misused at all, a strategy can definitely be a page of objectives, goals and tactics. But it also can be bullet points in word, or an infographic or a video. The main thing is, who ever is doing the ‘digital strategy’, should enable, empower and help an organisation navigate through the digitisation process.
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Well said Christian
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Agree with Awards – Good title, confusing article.
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Strat Jacking is what we do at my Agency. Check out Alex Blagg at bajillionhits.biz to see how the pros do it.
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“23. Captain
Agree with your points on what is not a digital strategy, but would have loved to have seen some specific examples of real digital strategies in this article…. as im still not sure…”
Totally agree.
Can someone give us some examples of what the mUmblers consider to be strategy vs what isn’t?
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There are too many to list. Some of the more irritating ones in my opinion are:
State of the art, Worlds best practice, Our focus going forward (as if anyone focuses on going backwards) Our “proactive” approach to it, (when they simply mean that they are involved) A lengthy process (do they mean it’s a long process or not?) Any company that charges for its services claiming that “We are the professionals.”
I could go on and on, but I will spare you.
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re Blue this is my take on what a strategy is and isn’t http://www.onerabbit.com.au/bl.....80%9D-word
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The problem here is the GFC: when you can’t afford to give someone a pay rise, you can sometimes fob them off with a better title.
So everyone in every agency is now a Director.
And almost all of those Directors are Strategy Directors.
Even if they aren’t.
I should know, I am Strategy Director (Tea & Biscuits).
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