CTD Roundtable: How to Align Business Strategy and Execution for Real Outcomes

Table of Contents

1. Why Strategy Must Come First
2. Breaking Down Big Goals into Actionable Steps
3. The Marketing Action Plan: Bridging Strategy and Execution
4. Common Pitfalls in Brand Execution
5. The Difference Between Values and Brand Promise
6. Building Long-Term Customer Relationships
7. Avoiding the Brand Promise Breakdown
8. Tailoring the Post-Purchase Journey
9. Every Touchpoint Is Marketing
10. Profitability Beyond Marketing Metrics
11. FAQs

Why Strategy Must Come First

Strategy is the anchor point for everything else. Without it, businesses tend to lurch from one initiative to another, responding to short-term problems rather than building towards long-term success. Strategy begins with a vision of where you want the business to be in ten years’ time. That might be a revenue milestone, an exit event, or a headcount target. While nobody can predict exactly what they’ll be doing a decade from now, having that “North Star” provides direction.

From there, the vision is broken down into a three- to five-year plan, giving the business a clearer sense of direction even as circumstances change. Once that’s in place, leaders can identify the milestones that must be achieved within the next twelve months. Each year’s objectives can then be divided into quarterly priorities, and from there into monthly, weekly, and daily actions. What initially looks overwhelming becomes achievable because it is framed as a series of smaller, manageable steps.

Breaking Down Big Goals into Actionable Steps

This rhythm of long-term vision, medium-term planning, and short-term execution is what moves a business from aspiration to achievement. Glenn emphasises that once the year’s goals are documented, leaders are better able to resist the pull of day-to-day distractions. Instead of reacting to problems, they can act deliberately, knowing that today’s work contributes directly to tomorrow’s success.

The process is deceptively simple: decide what has to be done this year to move closer to the three-year plan, then commit to the specific actions needed each quarter. At that point, teams can map out what needs to happen in any given week or day. The clarity this brings allows businesses to allocate resources more effectively and measure progress more confidently.

The Marketing Action Plan: Bridging Strategy and Execution

The Marketing Action Plan is the bridge between vision and action. It is the document that translates big-picture objectives into channel-level decisions. Without it, marketing risks becoming fragmented, with different teams or partners chasing their own targets in isolation.

The action plan ensures that activities across advertising, email, social media, and other channels are aligned with the broader business objectives. Rather than optimising for narrow measures such as return on ad spend, every channel contributes to the same overarching outcome. When done well, it creates cohesion, ensuring that marketing is not just a collection of disconnected campaigns but a coordinated system working towards long-term transformation.

Two Common Pitfalls in Brand Execution

Two pitfalls frequently derail even the best strategies. The first is poor content selection. 

Too many brands chase whatever is trending, forgetting that not every trend aligns with their strategy or appeals to their audience. The second is misaligned communication of your message. Choosing the wrong tone or channel can mean even the right message fails to resonate.

Paid advertising is often the first impression a customer has of a brand, which makes it critical that the creative reflects both the business goals and the brand promise. If the content does not make sense for the intended audience, the result is wasted spend and weakened credibility.

The Difference Between Values and Brand Promise

A recurring theme in the conversation is the confusion between values and brand promise. Values describe how a business operates internally: its culture, behaviours, and standards. A brand promise, on the other hand, is the commitment made to the customer.

Many companies fall into the trap of using values as a marketing tool. While claiming to care about the environment or inclusivity may sound positive, the message only resonates if it aligns with what customers actually prioritise. Most people are self-interested: they want to know what the business will do for them. If the brand promise and the customer experience don’t align, values alone won’t build loyalty.

Building Long-Term Customer Relationships

True customer loyalty is not built on discounts. Price promotions might win a first sale, but they rarely create a lasting bond. Long-term relationships are built on consistent communication, particularly through owned channels such as email.

Email nurture sequences are a powerful way to deepen the relationship after the first purchase. Instead of pushing another sale immediately, businesses can deliver how-to guides, founder-led stories, or useful resources that help customers get more value from what they’ve bought. These interactions may not lead to an instant conversion, but they build what we call “emotional equity.” When the customer is ready to buy again, they are far more likely to choose the brand that has already delivered value beyond the transaction.

Avoiding the Brand Promise Breakdown

We share a personal experience that illustrates the damage caused when the brand promise and customer experience are misaligned. After being assured that a digital planner was compatible with his device, Glenn mentions he purchased it only to discover that it was little more than a static PDF, lacking the advertised features. The disappointment was enough to prompt a refund request and, more importantly, it eliminated any chance of future loyalty.

The lesson is clear: when the promise made in marketing is not delivered in reality, customers lose trust not just in a single product but in the brand as a whole. 

Tailoring the Post-Purchase Journey

Businesses can avoid such pitfalls by designing tailored post-purchase journeys. The sequence begins the moment an order is confirmed, with clear expectations set about what happens next. Follow-up messages should be timed around delivery and onboarding, and they should be specific to the product or device the customer is using.

Generic communication risks alienating the very people who are most likely to become loyal advocates. Instead, by segmenting customers and delivering guidance that is relevant to their purchase, businesses can build trust and encourage repeat buying. Done correctly, post-purchase communication becomes less about transactions and more about strengthening the relationship.

Every Touchpoint Is Marketing

Marketing does not end when the campaign finishes. Every interaction, from customer service enquiries to social media comments, contributes to the brand’s reputation. If a customer receives inconsistent information through a chatbot or a dismissive reply to a question on Facebook, the damage to trust can be immediate.

This is why alignment must extend beyond content creation to the way teams interact with customers in real time. Each response, whether automated or human, must reinforce the brand promise and support the wider strategy.

Profitability Beyond Marketing Metrics

Profitability, not isolated metrics, is the ultimate measure of marketing success. Return on ad spend is not the same as profit. Rising costs in other parts of the business, changes in margins, and shifts in customer behaviour all affect the bottom line.

This is why every marketing action plan should be tied to outcomes that matter to the business, such as improving customer lifetime value or lowering acquisition costs. Sustainable growth comes not from a single flashy campaign but from systems and channels working together over time.

Aligning brand, business strategy, and execution is not about chasing the latest trend or focusing on short-term success. It is about building a long-term vision and breaking it down into clear, actionable steps. It is about ensuring that every campaign, every piece of content, and every customer interaction reinforces the brand promise. It is about measuring success, not by vanity metrics but by profitability and sustainable growth.

FAQs

What is the difference between values and a brand promise?
Values describe the culture, behaviours, and internal standards of a business. A brand promise is the commitment made to the customer, what they can expect to receive and experience every time they interact with the brand. Customers care more about the brand promise, because it directly affects them.

Why is strategy more important than short-term marketing tactics?
Strategy provides direction and ensures that short-term actions contribute to long-term goals. Without it, businesses fall into reactive marketing, chasing short-term wins that may not lead to sustainable growth.

How can businesses build long-term customer loyalty?
True loyalty comes from consistent communication and delivering value beyond the transaction. Owned channels such as email nurture sequences, how-to content, and storytelling help deepen relationships and increase customer lifetime value.

What is a brand promise breakdown?
A brand promise breakdown happens when what is marketed does not match the customer experience. This creates disappointment, erodes trust, and can eliminate future loyalty, even if the first sale is made.

Why should profitability matter more than ROAS or CPC?
Metrics like return on ad spend or cost per click provide partial insights, but they don’t reflect the whole picture. A campaign may look efficient but still fail to contribute to sustainable profitability if rising costs, poor retention, or weak margins are not addressed.

Every part of your business should reflect your brand promise. If you’re not sure they all line up just yet, we’re happy to help. Get in touch and book a call with us to see how we can bring your brand, strategy and execution together.