Many activities, few priorities
Advertising, social media, email and exhibitions are all happening, but it is unclear which matter most and what can safely wait.
Marketing
Marketing strategy development
We define whom to sell to, what to offer, which channels to use and the order of action. We work with your budget and team, not an ideal world with unlimited resources. You receive a plan linking every action to a goal and metrics showing whether you are heading in the right direction.
What a marketing strategy means at Eqvola
A marketing strategy connects your business goal with specific marketing actions. It defines whom you sell to, what you offer, which channels you use to reach customers, the resources required and how to assess whether the plan works.
A plan, not implementation. This service delivers a strategy and implementation plan. Ad launches, content production and other work are agreed separately.
For your resources, not an ideal budget. A strategy that your available team and budget cannot implement is useful only as motivational reading.
Not a content plan. A strategy answers “what do we do and why?” A content plan answers “what do we publish on Tuesday?” The second follows from the first.
Assumptions are labelled as hypotheses. If a decision lacks data, we say so clearly and suggest how to test the hypothesis.
A document you can use. No 80 pages of theory for a drawer: only what helps you make decisions and assign tasks.
When you need a marketing strategy
You are launching a product or a new business area
Before spending the budget, you need to decide whom to sell to first, what to say and where to find customers. Marketing launches for products and new business areas
The old plan no longer works
The market has changed, new competitors have appeared or results are no longer what they were. It is time to review the approach rather than simply add budget.
You plan to hire a marketer or agency
A strategy gives them a clear brief and lets you assess their work against agreed metrics rather than impressions.
You are planning the next period's budget
A strategy helps allocate money between channels by priority rather than “last year's budget plus a little”.
You may need something else
First, you need to understand what currently works in marketing → Marketing audit
You lack market and customer data → Market, competitor and customer research
You need both planning and implementation → Full-service marketing
What a marketing strategy includes
Goals and metrics
What we aim to achieve during the period and which figures will show it.
Audiences and segments
Whom we sell to, how customer groups differ and which one comes first.
Offer and key messages
What we offer each group and how we explain why they should choose you.
Channels and their roles
Where we find customers and what each channel should do: introduce, persuade or bring people back.
Budget and resources
How much money, time and staffing are required and how to allocate them between channels.
An implementation plan
Stages, a schedule, responsibilities and task dependencies.
How we assess progress
Which metrics we monitor, how often, and what we do if they deviate from the plan.
Hypotheses to test
What remains an assumption and how to test it quickly and affordably.
The scope fits the task. A strategy for one product is more compact than one for a business with several lines.
What informs the strategy
- your goals, budget and team capabilities;
- sales, customer and enquiry data;
- marketing audit or research findings, where available;
If data is limited
We can start with what you have. Some decisions will then be labelled as hypotheses, with validation built into the plan. If gaps are too large, we recommend starting with a marketing audit ormarket, competitor and customer research.
What you receive
Metrics and criteria
Which figures measure progress and what signals a need to change the plan.
Allocation of responsibilities
Who handles what: your team, contractors or Eqvola, if you ask us to undertake part of the work.
Starting the work, producing content and running ads are not included in strategy development. These can be assigned to Eqvola separately.
How a finding becomes a specific action
Each strategic decision follows a chain: what we observed, what we decided, what we do and what we monitor.
Example: the product attracts different buyers than expected
Finding: most buyers are small teams, although ads target large companies. Decision: make small teams the primary segment for the next period. Action: rewrite key messages around their tasks and reallocate ad spend to channels where they look for solutions. Metric: the share of enquiries from this segment and cost per enquiry.
HOW WE WORK
How strategy development works
- 01
Goal and resources
We discuss your objectives, budget and who will carry out the work. Deliverable: an agreed brief and cost estimate.
- 02
Data collection and analysis
We study sales, customers, channels and competitors within the agreed scope. Deliverable: a picture of the current situation.
- 03
Options and priorities
We propose possible directions with supporting arguments. You choose; we develop the details. Deliverable: an agreed strategic direction.
- 04
Strategy and plan
We define audiences, offer, channels, budget, plan and metrics. Deliverable: a strategy document and implementation plan.
- 05
Presentation to you and your team
We explain the strategy to those implementing it and answer questions. Deliverable: the team understands what to do and why.
Meet the team
What we need from you
- the goal you want to achieve;
- an approximate budget and the people available to do the work;
- sales, customer and enquiry data;
- view-only access to analytics and advertising accounts, if needed;
- someone who makes decisions and approves the strategic direction.
What to do after the strategy
The plan is ready. You decide who implements it; no option obliges you to continue working with us.
Implement it independently
Your team or contractors put the plan into action. It is written to be handed over without our involvement.
Assign full-service marketing
Eqvola implements the strategy and manages marketing within the agreed scope. Full-service marketing
Bring in a marketing director
An Eqvola marketing director manages implementation while your specialists deliver the work. Outsourced marketing director
Commission individual services
We handle specific parts of the plan, such as advertising, SMM or website improvements. All marketing services
Formats and pricing
One product or business line, or the entire business
Strategy for one product or business line: a compact plan for a specific task, such as a launch.
Strategy for the entire business: several products, segments and channels in one plan.
What determines the cost
- the number of products, segments and channels;
- how much data is already available;
- the need for an additional audit or research;
- the planning horizon.
Implementation is priced separately
If you want Eqvola to carry out the work after the strategy, we prepare a separate estimate.
Discuss a strategyFAQ
Marketing strategy questions
Can’t find your question?
Send it through the form and we will reply.
Go to formHow does a strategy differ from a content plan?
A strategy defines whom you sell to, what you offer, which channels you use and the resources required. A content plan schedules publications for one of those channels. It follows from the strategy rather than replacing it.
Do you help implement the strategy?
Yes, if you wish. You can commission full-service marketing from Eqvola, involve an outsourced marketing director or order individual services. Implementation is priced separately from strategy development.
What do you need from us at the start?
A goal, approximate budget, an understanding of who can do the work, sales and customer data, and a decision-maker. Perfectly prepared data is not required: we work with what exists and identify gaps.
What if we have little customer data?
We can start with existing data and label some decisions as hypotheses with a validation plan. If gaps are substantial, we recommend a marketing audit or market, competitor and customer research first.
Will you account for our budget and team?
Yes, these are fundamental to the strategy. We plan around your available resources. If they are insufficient for the goal, we explain clearly what needs to change: the goal, timeframe or resources. All questions and answers
RELATED EXPERTISE
What else you may need
Marketing · group 01
Marketing management and strategy
- Full-service marketing
- Outsourced marketing director
- Marketing audit
- Market, competitor and customer research
- Marketing strategy development
- Developing and repackaging your commercial offer
- Marketing launches for products and new business areas
YOUR NEXT STEP
Let's establish what is worth doing.
And what is not needed yet.
Describe your business and the decision for which you need a strategy.