Why it Matters - Tools and Tactics

Marketing tools and tactics bridge the gap between abstract strategy and tangible customer experience. Sun Tzu’s strategic wisdom holds true: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat”. This reinforces that effective execution (tactics, utilising tools like Canva) must be seamlessly integrated with the overarching marketing plan (strategy).

The use of creative tools to enhance visual communication aligns with the principle that "A picture is worth a thousand words", maximising the impact of content through high-quality visual assets.

Crucially, the deployment of tactical tools must be rigorously honest about delivery capability. Avinash Kaushik provides a fundamental warning on functional integrity: “Never let ads write checks your website can't cash”. This stresses the necessity of ensuring that all promotional promises (ads) are fully supported by the underlying infrastructure, user experience, and technical capabilities (website, CV portfolio, or product delivery channel).

Tactical execution is the ultimate test of brand integrity. When tactical tools fail to support the promise made in the communication (e.g., a beautiful Canva-designed ad leading to a broken customer journey), the brand promise - defined by Jason Hartman as a commitment to reliability - is immediately breached. This failure in execution directly contributes to the swift erosion of reputation described by Buffett.

Building on the principles of integrity in marketing tools, David Ogilvy, who established the foundational agency Ogilvy & Mather, mandated that all advertising and tools should be driven by the core purpose: ‘We sell – or else,’ ensuring that every tactical deployment, from content to digital assets, is centred on measurable, effective commercial outcomes.

"Why It Matters" offers a collection of afterthoughts for my marketing students, specifically designed to deepen their understanding of the week's topic. It provides crucial added insights to the content explored in each workshop.