A bullshit PR strategy is little more than a word salad.
Strategy is an overused and inflated term, especially in PR and marketing. Many conflate strategies with specific plans, codes of conduct, mission statements, visions and values, etc. Those are the hallmarks of a bullshit PR strategy.
In short: Many PR strategies are word salads.
Read also: Corporate cringe
A strong PR strategy should outline how you expect to outperform your competitors. Most of everything else should go into your PR plan instead.
But we often get this wrong.
The Bullshit PR Strategy is Dead
Most businesses have competitors. A strategy should tell you how to face these market competitors and come out on top. Simple, right?
To put it as simply as possible:
A strategy is how you win at something. Nothing more, nothing less. Otherwise, your strategy is bullshit.
The why, where, when, how and what are important questions to answer, but you can save them when it’s time to create an actual plan. Many people talk about “strategies” when they mean “plans” — and vice versa.
How to Write a 1-Page Strategy
My inspiration for writing no-bullshit strategies comes from the classic Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt. The 1-page strategy focuses on how to win.
Here’s how you can write a 1-page strategy that fits one page—using the mythical battle between David and Goliath as an analogy:
1. Analysis
2. Guiding Principle
3. Coherent Actions
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
The above can easily fit on one page. Please note: The carry-out details could be outlined in the plan — and the plan always comes later.
