Age of Preemptive Strategies

In present-day market the ongoing complexity and change is tremendously affecting each and every organization in multitude of matters. In such age waiting for disasters with few contingency strategies or plans isn't a smart way to survive. This is no doubt the age of "preemptive strategies" and anyone betting on traditional rules would find it harder to survive with each passing day as the change and complexity increases. 

Why do we need preemptive strategies:

•   It would nip the evil in the bud

         Because now we can gather more relevant data to forecast

• Through market surveys
• Through real-time feedback's
• Through technology
• Globalization

 

Benefits of a preemptive strategy:

•  Competitive edge

Well when you are ahead of your rivals in terms of your strategy that means you are leading in terms of your strategy and that would be demonstrated by a successful preemptive strategy. Now successful preemptive strategy to what end? Well obviously you want to increase your profit, sales, to counter your competitor's so on and so forth so to achieve competitive advantage.

•  More flexible strategy

When you can adapt to any situation any challenge or most of them compared to your competitors that means your strategy is more flexible.

•  Less failures

That is obvious, no rocket science needed to grapple this point.

•  Greater market insight

When you conduct surveys, collect feedback; assess the market in terms of those factors that would directly and indirectly affect your organization, you have basically improved your insight about your target market. Now the more in-depth insight you have the more accurate your strategy becomes in terms achieving its goals and objectives.

How to devise preemptive strategies:

 Market behavior analysis and assessing current and future challenges/threats

•  Through market surveys

Conduct regular surveys of your target market. To devise a targeted survey hire professionals that are not "Jack of all Lord of none" rather "Lord of One". Hire the exceptional brains. Because it is almost impossible for any one person however genius he/she may be, to tackle the increasing complexity and change that is part of today's market. 

For instance if someone is exceptionally good at carrying out an advertising campaign than he is far better and valuable than one who is mediocre at overall promotion mix. The rule of exceptional brain or "Lord of one" should be the basis for all your strategies.

• Collect the real-time feedback

That can be easily done with present-day developments in telecommunication technology all around the world now you can interact with your target market through a few clicks over the internet, not just that alignment of your strategy with information technology is necessary or you are going to be replaced by the one who does it in better way than you(1) .

People just share anything and everything today on social media and you need someone to collect and organize all that information, data well don't forget the rule of "exceptional brain" over here too.

•   Globalization

Now with few "exceptional minds" teams you can collect data about anything thanks to globalization. Use the technology to your advantage and collect data from anywhere that might give you a rich insight regarding future market trends from all around. 

This research would help you a lot regarding your target market in terms of what's going on in similar niches around the globe and how the organizations over there responds to relative situations etc.

• Continuous anatomy of your competitors

It is far better to learn from your competitors that are giving you hard time especially your niche market leader, dig their past to understand their present and future. Keep close watch on their present, identify their strategies, key patterns, strengths and weaknesses etc.

•  Codifying preemptive strategy guidelines in strategy cloud

Once you are done with the research, time to codify the collected data in terms of

•  Actions to avoid

•  Actions to take

The above points are based on the present and future scenarios of different challenges and threats. Name each challenge and threat of present and future and make "Actions to avoid" and "Actions to take" guidelines accordingly. 

Put the name of each challenge/threat in Computer systems (Strategy cloud) allotting each name a distinctive short code and connect them through intranet, executive information systems (EIS) and other systems similar to it. 

This would make the whole data accessible to "exceptional brains" inside your organization to coordinate required things for further action.

Connecting the codes (codified strategy guidelines)

Now any challenge/threat in the present or future might involve a number of codes. It's time for the exceptional brain or brains to identify and connect these codes so to devise a relevant response to the challenge/threat.

Implementing preemptive strategies: 

Devise and apply the strategy/strategies on those "Actions to avoid" and "Actions to take" guidelines to preempt any threats or challenges in the present or future.

Results assessment

If the results are positive keep the strategy if negative reassess through the same steps the aspects, factors of the market along with external and internal factors that might have contributed to negative outcomes. Follow this pattern continuously, as this would further refine and enrich your organization insight about your target market, about internal/external factors influencing your strategy so on and so forth.

Finally success of any organization not only depends on a good strategy but also on the exceptional brains (Lord of One). Such human resource is therefore essential for the success of any organization and its strategies.

References:

(1) Blatterberg R.C, Glazer, R.and Little, J.D (Eds), 1994, The Marketing Information revolution, Harvard Business school press, Boston.