The 1‑Page PR Strategy

Win by pitting strengths versus weaknesses.

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I often use the 1‑page PR strategy template.

The idea of a “1‑Page PR Strategy” aligns with Richard Rumelt’s advocacy for clar­ity and con­cise­ness in stra­tegic plan­ning. In its boiled-down format, it’s all about strengths versus weaknesses.

Here we go:

The 1‑Page PR Strategy

If you can­’t explain it simply, you don’t under­stand it well enough.”
— Albert Einstein

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How to Write a 1‑Page PR Strategy

My inspir­a­tion for writ­ing “no-bull­shit” strategies comes from the clas­sic “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters” by Richard Rumelt. The 1‑Page PR Strategy focuses on how to win. 1Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business.

The most basic idea of strategy is the applic­a­tion of strength against weak­ness. Or, if you prefer, strength applied to the most prom­ising oppor­tun­ity.”
Source: Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters 2Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business.

Here’s how you can write a 1‑Page PR Strategy that fits one page — using the myth­ic­al battle between David and Goliath as an analogy:

1. Analysis

  • David can­’t beat Goliath using his size or raw strength, but he has an advant­age in speed and accur­acy from a distance.

2. Guiding Principle

  • David should­n’t engage in close com­bat but rather use tools that will allow him to strike from a distance.

3. Coherent Actions

  • David should­n’t use any heavy armour because that would slow him down.
  • David should use a sling­shot, a weapon he is famil­i­ar with and can strike from a distance.
  • David should lever­age the sur­prise ele­ment and not advert­ise his advant­age beforehand.

If you write 1 – 2 clear sen­tences per bul­let, your strategy should fit nicely on one page.

Read also: The Easy Street PR Strategy: Keep It Simple To Win

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Good Strategy, Bad Strategy

Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt.
“Good Strategy, Bad Strategy” by Richard Rumelt.
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Good Strategy, Bad Strategy” by Richard Rumelt

Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters” by Richard Rumelt is a sig­ni­fic­ant work in stra­tegic plan­ning and man­age­ment. The book, pub­lished in 2011, clearly dis­tin­guishes between what con­sti­tutes a good strategy and what falls into the cat­egory of a bad strategy. 3Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business.

Here’s a sum­mary of its key concepts:

  • Defining strategy. Rumelt defines strategy as a coher­ent set of ana­lyses, con­cepts, policies, argu­ments, and actions that respond to a high-stakes chal­lenge. He emphas­izes that a good strategy is not just ambi­tious goals or vis­ion­ary plan­ning; it focuses energy and resources on how to win.
  • The ker­nel of good strategy. According to Rumelt, a good strategy has a simple struc­ture he calls the “ker­nel,” con­sist­ing of three parts: a dia­gnos­is that defines the nature of the chal­lenge, a guid­ing policy for deal­ing with the chal­lenge, and a set of coher­ent actions designed to carry out the guid­ing policy.
  • Identifying bad strategy. Rumelt iden­ti­fies the hall­marks of bad strategy, which include plat­it­udes and cor­por­ate cringe (jar­gon and buzzwords), fail­ure to face the chal­lenge of how to win, mis­tak­ing goals for strategy, and bad stra­tegic object­ives. He argues that bad strategy is not simply the absence of a good strategy but a series of mis­guided approaches.
  • The role of lead­er­ship: The author stresses the import­ance of lead­er­ship in strategy for­mu­la­tion. A good strategist must identi­fy and focus on crit­ic­al issues, make tough choices, and engage the entire organ­isa­tion in a strategy that works in the real world.
  • Implementing strategy. The book provides insights into craft­ing and imple­ment­ing a strategy, emphas­iz­ing the need for clear think­ing, insight­ful dia­gnos­is, and decis­ive actions.

A good strategy hon­estly acknow­ledges the chal­lenges being faced and provides an approach to over­com­ing them.”
Source: Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters 4Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business.

Learn more: Public Relations Books

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Thanks for read­ing. Please sup­port my blog by shar­ing art­icles with oth­er com­mu­nic­a­tions and mar­ket­ing pro­fes­sion­als. You might also con­sider my PR ser­vices or speak­ing engage­ments.

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ANNOTATIONS
ANNOTATIONS
1, 2, 3, 4 Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business.
Jerry Silfwer
Jerry Silfwerhttps://doctorspin.net/
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Kaufmann, Whispr Group, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.
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The Cover Photo

The cover photo isn't related to public relations obviously; it's just a photo of mine. Think of it as a 'decorative diversion', a subtle reminder that it's good to have hobbies outside work.

The cover photo has

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