Strategic Planners – the South African Dilemma

"Competitive strategy is a combination of goals for which the firm is striving and the means by which it is getting there."
Porter

"The art of the employment of battles as a means to gain the object of war."
Von Clauswitz

"The art of distributing and applying military means to fulfil the ends of policy."
Liddell Hart

" A plan ... a pattern ... a position ... a perspective."
Mintzberg

"A pattern of decisions ..."
Andrews [Kenneth]

"The framework which guides those choices that determine the nature and direction of an organisation."
Kepner-Tregoe

In advertising, strategy has a specific desired outcome - maximising shareholder wealth for the client. It is the raison d'être of the advertising agency.
With downward pressure on margins and an efflux of skills from the 'pool' of marketing professionals, clients have never before been under such pressure to perform from such a weak base. Clients often look at advertising agencies to provide the strategic planning skills, for one simple reason; it's free. Initially, agencies responded by offering this service as a competitive advantage, but with increased pressure on their own margins, as well as a dearth of planners with the unique talents and skills required for the position, agencies are in dire need of planners that can 'run with the ball'. Although a sound academic base will stand the planner in good stead, planners perform badly if they have not developed the core competencies required.

These core competencies represent a different paradigm for strategic planning, devoid of the somewhat lengthy and tortuous attempts to describe the word in greater detail than its original Greek roots of 'generalship'.

In today's tough marketing arena, where scarce resources take on a more ominous tone, clients want the definition to read;

"What you need to do to win."

The knowledge and skills needed for successful strategic planning within the marketing arena are highly specific. From an academic perspective, they may also appear unconventional, if not highly unusual, if not clearly outside the existing paradigm for strategic planning. But these are the skills necessary to enable clients to win, thereby increasing shareholder wealth;

They include

1. Presentation Skills. The 'cash register' of the advertising agency is Powerpoint - it is where the sale is 'rung up'.
   
2. Presentation Construction, including an intimate understanding of the three-part story structure.
   
3. An understanding of available Quantitative and Qualitative Tools.
   
4. Fielding the request - finding out what client service actually mean when they ask for a Comstrat.
   
5. The Creative Brief - doing them, dealing with creative and linking consumer insights to shareholder wealth.
   

Evaluating planners on their academic achievements or work history has never been, in the opinion of the author, a successful predictor of success in this field.
It is rather the generalist that has worked out 'the rules of the game' that tends to have the ability to support both client service and creative.

I do not propose that the list of five skills mentioned above are all 'the rules of the game', but they would certainly be an indication of the tablestakes required for effective planning. It is such a pity that there are so many gifted young planners that are sent for training, but training that neglects the very core skills that will allow them to perform as individuals.

Sid Peimer is a trainer of strategic planners in advertising and marketing.