Writing doesn't come easy for me. It just happened that I have found an image (and a great quote) that exactly illustrates what I know is true. Tactics alone are inconsequential. To compete in the 'big boy' world of business, a company really, really needs a good strategy.

I was fortunate enough in my career having worked on at least two extremely strategic clients: Procter & Gamble and State Farm. P&G not only employs 'design thinking' principles, but also have methodologically developed it's business strategy, consumer strategy, and strategies for each of their brands. I spent some time in Cincinnati, too, so I had an insider's view how they work. Result? P&G maintains majority of the market share in many product categories (Tide, Pantene, Olay, Crest, Charmin, Bounty, Swiffer, Gilette, etc.). State Farm on the other hand had separate strategies for acquiring new clients (you will never see SF going after Allstate in their advertising despite it's their biggest competition, as people often confuse the two, sometimes to SF benefit), and a separate strategy for retention (talk value, don't mention price). And, again they maintain #1 spot in the customer insurance world.

Strategy takes time, but it always pays off. Having the right people at the right positions doing the right thing is the way to go.