Introduction
A marketing strategy session is a focused workshop that aligns leadership and execution teams around customer insight, positioning, goals, and a prioritized plan for the next 90–180 days. Done well, it reduces cross‑team friction, clarifies what to stop, start, and scale, and turns strategy into a calendar of accountable actions. This playbook shows how to design and facilitate a high‑impact marketing strategy session with clear agendas, exercises, decision criteria, and follow‑through routines.
Why run a marketing strategy session now
Fragmented focus: New channels, AI tools, and shifting buyer behavior create noise. A deliberate session refocuses on the few moves that drive revenue and brand outcomes.
Speed with alignment: Cross‑functional participation surfaces constraints early, reducing rework and accelerating delivery.
Measurable outcomes: Strategy without metrics stalls. A structured session couples objectives, KPIs, and ownership, so progress becomes visible and manageable.
Session objectives (pick 3–5)
Define/refine the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and top jobs‑to‑be‑done (JTBD).
Clarify value proposition and differentiated positioning for 1–2 core segments.
Set outcome‑based goals and marketing OKRs for the next quarter/half.
Prioritize 6–10 initiatives with owners, timelines, and dependencies.
Map the operating cadence: rituals, dashboards, and decision checkpoints.
Pre‑work packet (send 5–7 days before)
Briefing doc: Context, goals, agenda, and roles.
Market snapshot: Customer research highlights, win/loss themes, competitive shifts.
Performance baseline: Pipeline, CAC payback, ROAS, channel mix, top pages, and conversion rates.
Audience insights: ICP draft, personas, JTBD, pain points, and buying triggers.
Constraints and dependencies: Budget ranges, resourcing, product timelines, and legal/compliance notes.
Reading list: 2–3 succinct references (internal memos or dashboards) that anchor debate in facts.
Room composition and roles
Attendees: Marketing lead, product/growth, sales/CS leader(s), data/ops, and a decision‑maker (GM/CEO or BU head).
Facilitator: Neutral moderator to manage time, extract specifics, and drive decisions.
Scribe: Captures decisions, owners, dates, and parking lot items in real time.
Decider: Breaks ties when consensus stalls.
Three proven agendas
90‑minute reset (rapid alignment)
0–10: Objectives, ground rules, decision criteria.
10–25: Performance snapshot—3 successes, 3 misses, 3 surprises.
25–45: ICP & JTBD checkpoint—what changed, what stays.
45–70: Prioritization—brainstorm initiatives, score with ICE/PIE, pick top 5.
70–85: Owners, milestones, and success metrics.
85–90: Risks, dependencies, and next steps.
180‑minute quarterly planning (deep dive)
0–15: Objectives, scope, and non‑goals.
15–45: Market and customer insights—win/loss, competitive moves, channel performance.
45–75: Positioning/value prop—segment‑specific proof (why us, why now).
75–115: Initiative sprint—idea generation by funnel stage (acquisition, activation, retention, expansion).
115–145: Scoring and trade‑offs—ICE/PIE + guardrails (brand, compliance, margin).
145–165: Roadmap—owners, timelines, budget ranges, content/creative dependencies.
165–180: Cadence—rituals, dashboards, decision checkpoints, risks.
240‑minute offsite (strategy to execution)
0–20: Success definition—what outcomes prove this session worked.
20–60: Audience truths—ICP, JTBD, key buying moments; gaps in knowledge.
60–100: Messaging and offers—category narrative, proof density, and offers by segment.
100–140: Channel strategy—role of each channel (Search, Paid Social, Email, Events, Partners, Community), overlap rules.
140–180: Experiments and bets—2–3 bold bets and 6–8 incremental tests; hypothesis templates.
180–210: Plan and resourcing—timeline, owners, sprint plan, budget envelopes, enablement needs.
210–240: Operating system—OKRs, dashboards, rituals, risks, “stop doing” list.
Exercises and templates
ICP & JTBD canvas
ICP: industry, firmographics, roles, tech stack, triggers.
JTBD: primary job, pains, desired outcomes, alternatives.
Value prop statement
For [ICP], who struggle with [pain], our
delivers [outcome] by [how], unlike [alternative], because [proof].
Offer architecture
Awareness: POV content, checklists, benchmarks.
Consideration: webinars, comparison pages, ROI tools.
Decision: demos, trials, case snapshots, guarantees.
Prioritization matrix (ICE or PIE)
Impact, Confidence, Effort (or Potential, Importance, Ease).
Score 1–5; sort top 10; cut the bottom third.
Experiment brief
Hypothesis, audience, channel, message, metric, guardrails, run dates, owner, next action if win/loss.
90‑day roadmap
Weeks 1–2: enablement (data, creative, pages), launch 2–3 tests.
Weeks 3–6: expand winning variants, launch 2 more tests.
Weeks 7–10: scale winners, kill losers, ship 1 bigger bet.
Weeks 11–13: consolidate learnings, update OKRs, plan next quarter.
Decision frameworks
“Onlyness” check
What can we credibly claim that matters to buyers and rivals cannot? If weak, boost proof density (numbers, logos, certifications, outcomes).
Guardrail metrics
Margin‑adjusted CAC and ROAS, CAC payback, LTV/CAC, brand/search share, complaint rate, unsubscribe rate.
Resource sanity
If everything is priority, nothing is. Limit to 3–5 major initiatives plus 4–6 tests for a 90‑day cycle.
Facilitation tips
Time‑box relentlessly; pin tangents to a parking lot.
Convert opinions to hypotheses and tests; pick owners on the spot.
Ask for numbers: “What metric moves and by how much?”
Close on “who does what by when,” not abstracts.
End with a written “stop doing” list to free capacity.
Operating cadence after the session
Weekly standup (30–45 min): pipeline, blockers, next launches, red/green status by initiative.
Biweekly experiment review: wins, losses, rollouts, new hypotheses.
Monthly business review: OKRs, channel mix, cohort performance, budget shifts.
Quarterly strategy refresh: big bets, resourcing, capability gaps, updated risks.
Measurement and dashboards
Outcomes: pipeline, revenue, CAC payback, LTV/CAC, net new SQLs/PQLs.
Leading indicators: CTR, CVR, cost per qualified action, demo/trial starts, activation rate.
Quality: SQL acceptance, win rates, sales cycle time, retention signals.
Brand: search share, branded queries, direct traffic, social mentions, PR hits.
Common pitfalls—and fixes
Pitfall: Endless ideation with no owners. Fix: Assign names and dates in room; publish immediately.
Pitfall: Vanity metrics. Fix: Tie every initiative to pipeline, revenue, or retention.
Pitfall: Overstuffed roadmaps. Fix: Cap initiatives; create a waitlist.
Pitfall: No post‑session cadence. Fix: Lock weekly/biweekly/monthly rituals in calendars before leaving.
Sample 180‑minute session agenda (copy/paste)
Goals: Lift qualified pipeline 25% in 90 days while maintaining CAC payback < 10 months.
Agenda:
0–15: Objectives, decision rules, non‑goals
15–45: Insights—win/loss, ICP shifts, channel performance
45–75: Positioning—segment value props, proof density gaps
75–115: Funnel initiatives—2 per stage with hypotheses
115–145: Score and select top 8; assign owners
145–165: Timeline, budget envelopes, creative/data dependencies
165–180: Cadence, dashboards, risks, “stop doing” list
Deliverables: 1‑page strategy, 90‑day roadmap, experiment backlog, metrics sheet, meeting cadences.
FAQs
What is a marketing strategy session?
A structured workshop that aligns teams on ICP, positioning, goals, and a prioritized 90‑day plan with owners, timelines, and metrics.
Who should attend?
Marketing lead, product/growth, sales/CS leads, data/ops, and a decision‑maker. Include a neutral facilitator and a scribe.
How long should it be?
Common formats are 90, 180, or 240 minutes. Choose based on scope: quick reset, quarterly plan, or strategy‑to‑execution offsite.
What do we produce by the end?
A 1‑page strategy, a 90‑day roadmap, an experiment backlog with hypotheses, owners, timelines, and a meeting cadence with dashboards.
How do we ensure follow‑through?
Calendar the weekly/biweekly/monthly rituals before leaving, publish the decisions within 24 hours, and report progress against OKRs each month.
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