Planning is something that we all have to do and often try to avoid. Sometimes it can be fun, a lot of times it is not. When it is well done, it relieves some burden or helps achieve something. When it is not well done....well that usually leads to the casserole burning or the budget going into the red.
Strategic planning takes this concept to the next step. I like to think of strategic planning as the process by which one achieves success. On a grand scale, successful strategic planning can propel a company from the sidelines to the forfront of its industry; like Apple's ascent to the top tier of technology innovators. Bad strategic planning can lead to a company at the forfront of its industry imploding and taking everyone else down with it; the descent of Lehman Brothers and the subsequent world-wide recession it heralded comes to mind.
Strategic planning requires precise goal identification, in-depth research, critical analysis, and step-by-step calculation. To achieve each goal, specific objectives are pinpointed, and the assets they require cataloged. Problems must be mitigated and success itself has to be quantified or qualified. The difference between planning and strategic planning is like the difference between planning a family beach outing and planning the invasion of the beaches at Normany on D-Day.
BTW...whether you are interested in the tech field or not, Apple's story has a lot of great lessons on rebranding, marketing, and communications in general.
Steve Chazin, wrote a really interesting ebook about this
that is very cool - Marketing Apple: 5 Secrets of the World's Best Marketing Machine.
