Strategy … one of those words like ‘insight’ that tends to have quite a ‘flexible’ definition, often determined by the needs/wants/egos of the individual who wishes to manipulate it to justify their own personal goals and agendas.
The problem with strategy – like insight – is that there is rarely a fundamentally wrong choice, it’s just that some will be more ‘effective’ than others … though that opens up the debate as to what ‘effectiveness’ means because that’s another one of those words that has seemingly multiple interpretations, often determined by the situation and circumstance of the individual discussing it.
There’s been way too many occasions where I’ve seen strategy and insight cast aside or ‘re-interpreted’ by agencies and clients just to fulfil/justify a personal objective … and whilst business will always require an element of flexibility to thrive, that should not mean companies can shred the ‘policies’ of how they operate [or more importantly, the ‘policies’ of what they should never do] just because they inadvertently create an obstacle to some short-lived ego trip.
It’s for this reason that I find it hysterical when clients and adland talk about the importance of strategy – because just like Charlie “I don’t pay prostitutes for sex, I pay them to leave” Sheen and his hooker obsession – they’ll kick them out without a second thought as soon as they think there’s a new cheap thrill available.
Hell, at least adland has the decency to pay some sort of homage to what is supposedly the client’s long-standing business strategy … too many companies change their mind like they’re one of Billy’s bloody dates!
Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. Thank you.