The Best Marketing Strategy Frameworks

Marketing strategy frameworks are essential tools that guide businesses in developing effective strategies, aligning with market dynamics, and achieving their goals. Here’s an in-depth look at some of the best marketing strategy frameworks and why each deserves a spot among the best.

1.?Porter’s Five Forces

Michael Porter’s Five Forces framework is a cornerstone of competitive analysis. It evaluates the intensity of competition within an industry, which is crucial for strategic planning. The five forces—threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products, and competitive rivalry—provide a comprehensive view of the factors affecting industry profitability. Understanding these forces helps businesses craft strategies to improve their market position and profitability.

Why it’s the best:?Porter’s Five Forces framework is a cornerstone of competitive analysis. It evaluates the intensity of competition within an industry, which is crucial for strategic planning. The five forces—threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products, and competitive rivalry—provide a comprehensive view of the factors affecting industry profitability.

When to use it:?This framework is ideal for businesses entering a new market or reassessing their position within an existing one. By understanding these forces, companies can develop strategies to improve their market position and profitability.

2.?JTBD - Four Forces

The JTBD Four Forces framework is a powerful tool focusing on four key drivers which influence consumers switching from one product of service to another: two forces push and pull consumers towards a new solution, the other two forces inertia and anxiety support the status quo and discourage change. It helps businesses stay agile and responsive to external influences that can significantly impact their operations.

Push - This represents the issues with the current solution or service. Things consumers are dissatisfied about or find annoying.

Pull - This represents the attraction to a new way of doing things and the desire of the promise of a new solution to the same 'job' or problem that a consumer has already 'solved for' bought or used.

Inertia - This represents the behaviours and habits that keep them wedded to the current solution or status quo.

Anxiety - This covers the natural anxiety experienced in switching and whether the new solution they have 'hired for' will actually alleviate the issues that have pushed them away from the status quo.

Why it’s the best:?The Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) Four Forces framework focuses on understanding customer needs and motivations. It analyses the forces driving customers towards or away from adopting a new product or service. The four forces are the push of the current situation, the pull of the new idea, the anxiety of the new solution, and the inertia of the existing solution.

When to use it:?This framework is especially useful for product development and innovation. It helps businesses understand what drives customer decisions, enabling them to create products and services that better meet customer needs and overcome barriers to adoption.

3.?Ansoff Matrix

The Ansoff Matrix, or Product/Market Expansion Grid, guides businesses in identifying growth opportunities. It offers four strategic options: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification. Each strategy addresses different aspects of growth, from deepening market presence to exploring new markets and developing new products. This matrix helps businesses systematically evaluate and pursue growth strategies aligned with their risk tolerance and objectives.

Why it’s the best:?The Ansoff Matrix guides businesses in identifying growth opportunities. It offers four strategic options: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification. Each strategy addresses different aspects of growth, from deepening market presence to exploring new markets and developing new products.

When to use it:?This matrix is useful for businesses looking to expand their operations or product lines. It helps in evaluating the risks and opportunities associated with each growth strategy.

4.?Customer Journey Mapping

Customer Journey Mapping is a visual representation of the customer’s experience with a brand across various touchpoints. This framework helps businesses understand and improve the customer experience, ensuring that every interaction adds value and fosters loyalty. By mapping the customer journey, companies can identify pain points, optimise processes, and enhance customer satisfaction, which is vital for building long-term relationships.

There are many variations in this framework, but most focus on four key stages: awareness, consideration, purchase, service, and loyalty. We have developed our own framework, which has 12 stages:

Why it’s the best:?Customer Journey Value Mapping is a visual representation of the customer’s experience with a brand across various touchpoints. Our framework focuses on where marketing effort adds value to the consumer experience. This framework helps businesses understand and improve the customer experience, ensuring that every interaction adds value and fosters loyalty.

When to use it:?This tool is particularly effective for businesses aiming to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. It’s useful for identifying pain points and optimising the customer journey.

5.?PESTLE Analysis

PESTLE Analysis examines the macro-environmental factors that influence business operations: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental. This framework provides a holistic view of the external environment, enabling businesses to anticipate and adapt to changes that could impact their strategy. It’s essential for strategic planning and risk management, helping companies navigate external challenges and leverage opportunities.

Why it’s the best:?PESTLE Analysis examines the macro-environmental factors that influence business operations: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental. This framework provides a holistic view of the external environment, enabling businesses to anticipate and adapt to changes that could impact their strategy.

When to use it:?Ideal for strategic planning and risk management, especially when entering new markets or launching new products.

6.?Marketing Mix (7Ps)

The Marketing Mix, initially comprised of the 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) and later expanded to the 7Ps (adding People, Process, Physical Evidence), is fundamental for developing a comprehensive marketing strategy. It ensures that all aspects of marketing are aligned to meet customer needs and achieve business goals. This framework helps businesses create a balanced approach, addressing every element that influences customer perception and decision-making.

Why it’s the best:?The Marketing Mix, initially comprised of the 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) and later expanded to the 7Ps (adding People, Process, Physical Evidence), is fundamental for developing a comprehensive marketing strategy. It ensures that all aspects of marketing are aligned to meet customer needs and achieve business goals.

When to use it:?Use this framework when developing or revising marketing strategies to ensure a balanced approach that addresses all key elements influencing customer perception and decision-making.

7.?STP Model

The Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (STP) Model is a strategic approach to identifying and reaching the right audience. It involves segmenting the market, targeting the most viable segments, and positioning the product to meet their needs. This model helps businesses focus their marketing efforts on the most promising market segments, ensuring a more efficient and effective strategy.

Why it’s the best:?The Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (STP) Model is a strategic approach to identifying and reaching the right audience. It involves segmenting the market, targeting the most viable segments, and positioning the product to meet their needs.

When to use it:?This model is essential for businesses aiming to tailor their marketing efforts to specific market segments for better efficiency and effectiveness.

8.?AIDA Model

The AIDA Model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is a classic framework for guiding the customer through the buying process. It emphasizes creating awareness, generating interest, fostering desire, and prompting action. This model is particularly effective in crafting marketing communications that move customers from awareness to purchase, making it a valuable tool for driving sales and conversions.

Why it’s the best:?The AIDA Model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is a classic framework for guiding the customer through the buying process. It emphasizes creating awareness, generating interest, fostering desire, and prompting action.

When to use it:?It is particularly effective in crafting marketing communications that move customers from awareness to purchase, making it a valuable tool for driving sales and conversions.

9.?Blue Ocean Strategy

The Blue Ocean Strategy framework encourages businesses to create uncontested market space, or "blue oceans," rather than competing in overcrowded markets. It focuses on innovation and differentiation, enabling companies to capture new demand and achieve high growth. This strategy helps businesses break away from the competition and create unique value propositions that attract new customers.

Why it’s the best:?The Blue Ocean Strategy framework encourages businesses to create uncontested market space, or "blue oceans," rather than competing in overcrowded markets. It focuses on innovation and differentiation.

When to use it:?This strategy is ideal when traditional markets are saturated, and there’s a need for innovative approaches to capture new demand and achieve high growth.

10.?Hook Model

The Hook Model is designed to build habit-forming products. It outlines a cycle of Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment that encourages repeated user engagement. This framework is essential for businesses aiming to create products that become a regular part of users’ lives, fostering loyalty and long-term usage.

Why it’s the best:?The Hook Model is designed to build habit-forming products. It outlines a cycle of Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment that encourages repeated user engagement.

When to use it:?This framework is essential for businesses aiming to create products that become a regular part of users’ lives, fostering loyalty and long-term usage.

11.?RACE Framework

The RACE Framework (Reach, Act, Convert, Engage) provides a structured approach to digital marketing. It covers the entire customer lifecycle, from initial awareness to post-purchase engagement. This framework helps businesses optimise their digital marketing efforts, ensuring a seamless customer experience and maximising return on investment.

Why it’s the best:?The RACE Framework (Reach, Act, Convert, Engage) provides a structured approach to digital marketing. It covers the entire customer lifecycle, from initial awareness to post-purchase engagement.

When to use it:?Ideal for businesses focusing on digital marketing efforts, ensuring a seamless customer experience and maximising return on investment.

12.?SWOT Analysis

The humble SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) still makes it onto the is as it is a fundamental tool for internal and external analysis. This framework is still important for strategic planning, enabling companies to leverage their strengths, address weaknesses, capitalise on opportunities, and mitigate threats.

Why it’s the best:?SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is a fundamental tool for internal and external analysis. It helps businesses identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats.

When to use it:?Use this framework for strategic planning, enabling companies to leverage their strengths, address weaknesses, capitalise on opportunities, and mitigate threats.

13.?BCG Matrix

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a portfolio management tool that helps businesses evaluate their product lines or business units based on market growth rate and market share. It categorises products into four quadrants: Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks, and Dogs. This framework assists in resource allocation, helping businesses prioritise investments in high-potential areas.

Why it’s the best:?The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a portfolio management tool that helps businesses evaluate their product lines or business units based on market growth rate and market share. It categorises products into four quadrants: Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks, and Dogs.

When to use it:?Useful for resource allocation, helping businesses prioritise investments in high-potential areas.

14.?Value Proposition Canvas

This is probably the most used framework in our consultancy, as it is designed to align products and services with customer needs. It focuses on understanding customer jobs, pains, and gains, and developing value propositions that address these aspects. This framework helps businesses create products that resonate with customers, ensuring a strong product-market fit. We also use it to develop messaging hierarchy and refine positioning.

For a full explanation, check out Value proposition canvases – Why do we need them?

Why it’s the best:?The Value Proposition Canvas is designed to align products and services with customer needs. It focuses on understanding customer jobs, pains, and gains and developing value propositions that address these aspects.

When to use it:?This framework is beneficial when developing new products or refining existing ones to ensure a strong product-market fit.

15.?Lean Analytics Stages

The Lean Analytics Stages framework emphasises data-driven decision-making throughout the product development lifecycle. It involves identifying key metrics at different stages (Empathy, Stickiness, Virality, Revenue, Scale) to guide product development and growth. This framework helps businesses focus on the right metrics at the right time, ensuring efficient use of resources and faster growth.

Why it’s the best:?The Lean Analytics Stages framework emphasises data-driven decision-making throughout the product development lifecycle. It involves identifying key metrics at different stages (Empathy, Stickiness, Virality, Revenue, Scale) to guide product development and growth.

When to use it:?Ideal for startups and businesses looking to scale efficiently by focusing on the right metrics at the right time.

16.?SOSTAC

The SOSTAC framework (Situation, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, Control) provides a comprehensive approach to strategic planning. It covers every aspect of strategy development, from situation analysis to implementation and monitoring. This framework ensures a structured and systematic approach to planning, making it easier to execute and track progress.

Why it’s the best:?The SOSTAC framework (Situation, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, Control) provides a comprehensive approach to strategic planning. It covers every aspect of strategy development, from situation analysis to implementation and monitoring.

When to use it:?This framework ensures a structured and systematic approach to planning, making it easier to execute and track progress.

17.?Marketing Funnel

The Marketing Funnel framework illustrates the stages a customer goes through from awareness to purchase. It helps businesses understand and optimise each stage, from attracting prospects to converting them into loyal customers. This framework is essential for developing targeted marketing strategies that guide customers through the buying journey.

Why it’s the best:?The Marketing Funnel framework illustrates the stages a customer goes through from awareness to purchase. It helps businesses understand and optimise each stage, from attracting prospects to converting them into loyal customers.

When to use it:?Essential for developing targeted marketing strategies that guide customers through the buying journey, we use this to define activity within a marketing programme, particularly paid media, as it helps define the goals and KPIs for the stage within the funnel.

Recap

Understanding and applying the right marketing strategy frameworks can significantly impact your business's success. Whether it's analysing competitive forces with Porter's Five Forces, identifying growth opportunities with the Ansoff Matrix, or enhancing customer engagement through Customer Journey Mapping, each framework offers unique insights and tools to guide your marketing efforts.

If you’re a founder or business owner looking to dive deeper into these frameworks and how they can be tailored to your specific needs, we’re here to help. Reach out to explore these strategies in more detail and discover we can drive your business forward.