When we talk about marketing, it is very important to establish the differences between operational marketing and strategic marketing. They are two complementary marketing branches, which must be dealt with in the same strategy, although this is not always the case.
While operational marketing is developed in the short term, as are the marketing actions themselves, strategic marketing occurs in the medium and long time. It is the cornerstone around which our marketing actions will pivot.
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Strategic Marketing: Long-Term Market Opportunities
Strategic marketing is the market knowledge and analysis methodology. That aims to detect market opportunities that allow the company to meet users’. Needs more effectively than the competition.
In other words, strategic marketing seeks to solve the unmet needs of users, taking advantage of the new market opportunities that exist. From this competitive strategy, operational marketing actions will be developed.
Gone are when a new product was designed and launched on the market, even creating the need for users. The current way of functioning of the markets is based on analyzing the users’ needs. And then those products or services are developed to cover them. Thus, those responsible for strategic marketing must detect. These new markets and their attractiveness, study the effects, analyze the competition, and look for the advantage they can obtain against the competition.
How is Strategic Marketing Characterized?
1. Long-term Goals
Its most significant element is the long-term vision. Which forces us to efficiently carry out a series of actions before planning. To coordinate operational and strategic marketing strategies efficiently. Logically, the first thing we need will be a market analysis that allows us to get an idea. Of the economic situation in general and our market in particular. Only then will we discover the unmet needs of users and why they aren’t.
2. Define your Target Audience
We will also have to segment our target audience. We must draw a profile of our services’ ideal user, their needs, challenges, and characteristics. Consumers are the central axis of any marketing strategy, and they are becoming more critical and demanding. Only then will we know who to turn to and know what to offer to study the competition. From the analysis of our rivals, at least the most important ones. We can draw interesting conclusions such as their products and prices.Their strategies, and how we can improve their offer. And take advantage of the differential factor.
3. Design the Strategy
With all the information collected, we can define the marketing strategy that we will carry out. There are many variants: portfolio strategies, functional, segmentation, positioning, growth, customer loyalty …
Within these strategies, some can be complemented. While others are more suitable for a specific moment in the evolution of the product’s life. Thanks to them, we can also define very clear, realistic and achievable objectives or missions that guide our efforts.
4. Decide Missions, Milestones, Objectives to Conquer
Within the coexistence between strategic marketing and operational marketing. We must use all the information we have to plan our campaigns. We have already defined the long and medium-term strategy and the missions or milestones that we want to achieve. Hence, we only have to design short-term -operative- actions to fulfil them.
It is also important that while designing this strategy. We prepare a plan to face any crisis that may be triggered. And remain prepared to act In these situations where marketing can remain key to recovery.
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