It's one of the oldest arguments in communications: what's the difference between an objective, and a strategy, and a tactic? Argue with me if you like, but here's a master set of definitions I've adapted over the years, improving them as I go.
Objective
An objective is a statement expressing a mission, a purpose or a standard, which can reasonably be achieved with a defined time-frame and available resources. Generally, an objective is broader in scope than a goal. Also, an objective may comprise several goals.
Objectives should be S-M-A-R-T, a system championed by Peter Drucker in his 1954 seminal work, “The Practice of Management.”
- Specific - A precise outcome
- Measurable – A defined and objective figure to demonstrate that the objective has been achieved
- Achievable - Realistic objectives, given all resources
- Relevant - Directly linked to the overall goal
- Time Specific - The expectations of when the achievement should be reached
Issues
Issues are the gap between the current state of affairs (“where we are today”) and the desired state of affairs (“where we want to be.”) Issues stand in the way of an organization achieving its communications objective, and possibly its business objective as well.
Issues can be divided into two types: perceptual and environmental. They can be further sub-divided into internal (inside an organization) or external issues (outside the organization).
Perceptual issues are what people think or believe - more specifically, why a target audience doesn’t like, agree, or buy an organization’s product or service. While "perceptions are real," they are not necessarily accurate.
Environmental issues are broad topics which provide context or background why an target audience believes what it does. These issues typically fall into sub-categories: societal, economic, situational, political, logistical or competitive.
Strategy
A strategy is a statement which addresses, eliminates, minimizes or neutralizes a communications issue. By removing the issue, the communications objective – and subsequently, the business objective - is more likely to be achieved. If the strategy is written in a way which directly has an impact on the issue, the strategy will never sound like an objective, and vice versa.
Generally, a communications campaign has one strategy for each issue. Sometimes, one issue may need two strategies to adequately address it. Likewise, one strategy might address multiple issues.
Tactic
A tactic is a specific step of action, planned and implemented to bring a strategy “to life.” As such, a tactic usually has a vendor (the “do-er”), a budget and a time-frame. In other words, the simplest difference between a strategy and a tactic: if you can put a price-tag on it, it’s a tactic.
