Digital planning – real world SOSTAC
By Paul Morris
Original SOSTAC ABOVE:
… Paul Morris reworked version:
Planning is amazing. Seriously. Without it the marketing world would not turn.
I started to truly understand the planning process when a rather dour Dave Chaffey (intelligent tinterweb guru) taught part of my Certificate in Digital Marketing course in 2005. He introduced me to SOSTAC (Situation Analysis Objectives Strategy Tactics Action Control = VERY TOP ABOVE) and it was like a light going off in my e-planning wilderness.
Fast forward a few years and I’ve realised that whilst it’s a great structure I rarely follow the detail.
As a result I thought it worthwhile to document how I have tailored this great planning tool (2nd FROM TOP ABOVE).
Situational Analysis
Ignore everything in the above (top of page) SOSTAC diagram apart from…
Obtain customer insight and brand perception information from internal teams.
Follow it up with a TOWS analysis (an adaptation of SWOT and below).
I never bother with stuff like PEST or Porter’s Five Forces.
TOWS
Objectives
Ignore everything in the above (top of page) SOSTAC diagram apart from…
Understand what your organisation offline and online objectives are and what your department digital objectives are. Make sure yours are SMART.
I generally do not bother with the following advice however it’s sometimes worth developing an Ansoff’s Marketing Objective matrix. Below.
I never bother with stuff like BCG matrix’s (despite my love for Cash Cows).
Ansoff’s Matrix
Strategy
Pay attention to everything in the above (top of page) SOSTAC diagram…
Ascertain Segmentation, Targeting, positioning and your brand / product(s) Online Value Proposition.
Tactics
Ignore everything in the above (top of page) SOSTAC diagram…
Instead use ‘Paid Owned Earned’ and my adapted Customer Lifecycle. Below.
Paid Owned Earned
Customer Lifecycle
Then I sprinkle on top specific models/ thought pieces depending on what the ‘SOS’ out of SOSTAC throws up to in turn focus the Tactics piece. E.g. ROMPOD, ROPO, Reverse ROPO, Dual Screening, SOLOMO(CO), Social Search, etc
Actions and Control
Pretty much pay attention to everything in the above (top of page) SOSTAC diagram however I ignore the 5Ss as I think they’re naff.
Et voila. Digital planning made easy.