Tactical marketing refers to the context in which marketing takes place, such as print advertising or product placement, while strategic marketing involves the content of a message. Tactical marketing executes a marketing strategy and is essential for reaching target audiences. Both strategic and tactical marketing are necessary for a successful campaign.
Tactical marketing refers to the medium or context in which marketing takes place, rather than the actual content of a marketing message. Print advertising, online interactive advertising campaigns, and product placement in cinema or television are all examples of the tactical side of marketing, rather than the strategic side of marketing, which governs the content of a message. Tactical advertising often takes place once a strategy is formed and implemented, as it deals with the actual implementation of an overall marketing plan.
It is often easier to explain tactical marketing by contrasting it with strategic marketing. Strategic marketing essentially involves the content of a marketing strategy and message. “What” is said in a marketing campaign, “who” is targeted, and “how” is it built to effectively appeal to that segment are all aspects of strategic marketing. Tactical marketing, on the other hand, involves the context of the message. When advertisements are placed in magazines, websites on the internet, or within a movie, the magazines, websites, and movies are all considered aspects of the tactical nature of the marketing plan.
Tactical marketing is often thought of as the means by which a marketing strategy is executed. If marketing research indicates that teens may be more likely to be interested in a certain product, for example, the tactical aspect of marketing involves finding contexts that can reach that audience. An advertising campaign can be designed around strategic considerations, with print layout and language that appeal to a certain market segment, but such considerations can be useless without effective tactical approaches. Because tactical advertising involves how a message is ultimately conveyed, a lack of tactical considerations can render a well-crafted message obsolete as it never effectively reaches its target audience.
There are several ways tactical marketing can be considered and executed during an advertising or marketing campaign. Letters can be mailed to businesses or local residents notifying them of a new business or service that is becoming available in their area. The use of letters and mailers themselves forms the tactical side of such a marketing campaign, while the content of the letters is the strategic side of the campaign. Proper execution of both strategic and tactical marketing is essential to a strong campaign, as the message of the campaign needs to be well crafted and delivered in such a way as to reach the target consumer base.
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