Strategy is a fundamental aspect of business, yet it's one of the most frequently overused, misused, misunderstood, and heavily diluted words in marketing.

Organizations frequently conflate "strategy" with mission or operational effectiveness with predictably underwhelming results. Moreover, they often mistake strategy for tactics or excessively focus on executing marketing activities.

This misconception and distortion persist due to the rise of corporate strategy departments and job titles mislabeled as "strategy," which, in reality, universally involve minimal strategic planning. Instead, these roles either encompass miscellaneous business activities that don't fit elsewhere—a sort of business catch-all—or merely serve as a formality or validation process that serves no purpose in meeting business goals.

The dilution of the word "strategy" comes in many forms, with new titles seemingly every year—content strategist, social media strategist, digital strategist, brand strategist, growth strategist, data strategist, marketing strategist, corporate strategist, workplace strategist, communications strategist, transformation strategist, innovation strategist, and people strategist—that taken in the aggregate are so generic that they cease to have any concrete meaning at all. In the last decade, the proliferation of strategic roles—more than 20 new job titles—has resulted in a surplus of positions that seem designed to keep us busier rather than more effective. This surge, however, has also had a more insidious effect: an influx of underprepared and underskilled individuals filling vague roles that often overlap with existing responsibilities. The prevailing belief that more personnel equals heightened activity warrants critical examination, as it may have inadvertently diluted and undervalued the expertise and clarity needed in strategic positions.

The result is that the once-coveted title of the strategist is gradually losing its relevance in the place and hearts of agencies, clients, and brands.

While it is true that strategist positions are constantly in flux and have grown tremendously in scope over the past decade (in response to how companies themselves have changed their operational procedures), the fundamental truth has not changed. Strategists have mastered the increasingly intricate dance of big data, the ascent of artificial intelligence (AI), and deciphered the byzantine codes of social media algorithms. Personalization and precision aren't trends; they're our battleground, and we're at the helm, pioneering the revolution.

AI has emerged as the driving force behind turbocharging personalization and precision in various industries. Its ability to process vast amounts of data and discern intricate patterns enables unparalleled customization. Strategists are pivotal in pioneering AI's use, bridging the gap between technology and business objectives. Aside from analyzing market trends and customer behaviors, we assess operational dynamics to identify opportunities where AI can enhance personalization. Moreover, strategies outline the ethical boundaries, ensuring AI-driven personalization respects privacy and delivers value without compromising consumer trust. Through strategic planning and implementation, we navigate the integration of AI technologies, leveraging its capabilities to deliver tailored experiences while aligning with the organization's overarching goals.

A strategist no longer has the luxury of being confined to expertise in a single subject. We're required to be multidisciplinary mavens, well-versed across various domains. To excel, we must intricately connect the dots across content, business, marketing, advertising, communications, data, psychology, creative, media, client services, technology, and operations, converging them into a cohesive, universally understandable focal point. I still vividly recall the time I applied for my inaugural senior strategist position. Back then, I held the weight of every pitch element on my shoulders—it had to be flawlessly airtight, brimming with data-backed insights. But today, there is a puzzling shift—strategists entering the room after the briefing, arriving only after the impossible has already been pledged, leaving little room for data-centric strategy from the outset.

It's time for a seismic shake-up triggered by the evolution of data, the surge of AI, and the relentless demand to keep pace with lightning-fast shifts across the marketing ecosystem. By necessity, we must continuously navigate a labyrinth of digital platforms, extracting insights from consumer behavior and leveraging technological innovations to sculpt strategies that guarantee a brand's product and messaging reach the right people at the right time on the right platforms. While executed through media planning, this originates from strategic thinking, born from the strategist's vision.

Every meaningful action a brand takes hinges on a strategist's work — making it problematic that many organizations mistakenly believe they possess a strategy when they often lack one entirely.

Despite high-level decision-makers assuming they have a strategy, it often doesn't align with a comprehensive, economically grounded definition of what a strategy should involve. Internal issues frequently lead to the failure of strategies within organizations that don't do the hard work of landing on agreed-upon objectives upfront. The traditional concept of strategy, which should meticulously assess various options related to supply and demand dynamics within the market, must be further examined. The absence of clear direction inadvertently prompts an increase in the number of initiatives undertaken or to put it more plainly, there's never enough time to do it right but always enough time to do it over. At its core, strategy revolves around disciplined decision-making. Without a defined strategy, the capacity to make strategic choices becomes stunted. If you have no strategy, how can you make strategic choices?

Strategists wield a potent blend of skills essential for their roles. Beyond analyzing economic trends, advertising methods, and demographics, we adeptly synthesize vast, disparate data into compelling narratives. Pouring resources into marketing communications sans a clear plan is like setting sail without a map – you will expend a lot of effort and resources, but without direction, you're adrift and unlikely to reach your intended destination. Opting for a data-driven strategy requiring continual optimization is a no-brainer. However, decision-making remains the crux; many companies falter not due to right or wrong choices but to indecision itself. This operational mishap arises from the understanding that strategy transcends quick fixes or one-off campaigns; it embodies a cohesive, continuous process rather than a temporary solution.

Without a carefully considered and cogently articulated strategy, your brand is DOA.

If your brand needs reviving or, better yet, ways to thrive, I invite you to read Part II: Reviving Your Brand: A Strategist's Survival Guide (coming soon).