Is military strategy similar to marketing strategy?

We’ve been living through a year of war, and it often feels like there’s no real strategy (there is a strategy of self-exhaustion, but that’s less recommended). In ancient times, war strategies were primarily learned through combat experience, tradition, and the passing of knowledge from generation to generation. Military leaders such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Sun Tzu developed theories and models based on their battlefield experiences. Tactics were passed down orally or through writings like Sun Tzu’s "The Art of War," which outlined guiding principles for managing warfare. Additionally, armies learned from their enemies' mistakes and victories, using the lessons learned to refine their military doctrine and adapt it to the terrain and the human forces at their disposal. Similarly, trade strategies in the ancient world evolved through merchants' accumulated experience, observation of supply and demand patterns, and collaboration between different cultures. Major trade routes like the Silk Road between China and Europe and maritime trade in the Mediterranean served as platforms for exchanging goods and ideas. Merchants learned to capitalize on seasons, weather conditions, and geographical features to optimize trading processes. They also developed bargaining methods, dynamic pricing, and utilizing local resources to gain a competitive edge. Trade was an economic process and a tool for building diplomatic ties and spreading cultures, which contributed to developing more complex strategies over time.

Here are some overlapping principles between military and marketing strategies, with the hope that the right people will use them in the right places.

Strategy

1. Mass Over Technology:

- Military: When lacking the most advanced weapons, use greater numbers of troops to capture territory and overwhelm the enemy.

Marketing: When the budget is limited and it's impossible to compete with more expensive campaigns, focus on content and engagement. Produce large amounts of high-quality content, be present on more platforms, and target broader audiences. This increases reach and establishes a dominant market presence.

2. Divide and Conquer:

- Military: Create chaos on one side of the battle to divert the enemy's attention and weaken their ability to attack weaker areas.

- Marketing: Divert competitors’ attention and engage the audience by creating provocative or viral campaigns that force the competitor to respond with significant discounts or counter-campaigns, thus causing them to exhaust their budget.

3. Target Weak Spots:

- Military: Focus intense fire on the enemy's weak points, where quick advantages can be gained.

Marketing: Identify competitors with weaknesses in specific areas—like poor customer service or subpar user experience—and focus marketing efforts to outshine them in these vulnerable areas.

4. Ambush:

- Military: An unexpected attack with force from an unanticipated direction.

- Marketing: Create surprising campaigns that change the game or catch the audience off guard, such as launching new products, unexpected promotions, or creative moves that generate sudden interest and capture new market share.

5. War of Attrition:

- Military: A prolonged engagement to exhaust the enemy’s resources over time.

Marketing: Develop a content strategy to create a continuous and sustained presence. This will benefit the algorithm and educate the audience consistently with your key message.

6. Flanking Maneuver:

- Military: Attack from unexpected sides to surprise the enemy and gain an advantage.

- Marketing: Use non-traditional channels or spaces where competitors are inactive, such as focusing on smaller social media platforms or niche markets that can lead to an advantage in the central market.

7. Mobile Defense:

- Military: Always stay on the move, change positions, and prevent the enemy from easily capturing territory.

Marketing: Be flexible in marketing campaigns. Quickly

adapt to market changes, adjust messaging to new trends, and respond quickly to the audience, ensuring the brand remains relevant and up-to-date.

8. Cutting Off Supply Lines:

- Military: Cut off the enemy’s supply lines to prevent access to critical resources.

- Marketing: Block competitors’ access to marketing resources like partnerships, influencer campaigns (securing exclusivity with an influencer), or key markets where you have a strong presence, and competitors struggle to break in.

9. Pre-emptive Strike:

- Military: Attack before the enemy has time to organize.

- Marketing: Enter the market early before competitors can react, launching a new product or service before the trend becomes mainstream, thus capturing significant market share.

10. Peripheral Offensives:

- Military: Focus on peripheral areas before attacking the central territory, weakening defenses and preparing the ground for a larger conquest.

- Marketing: Strengthen the brand through smaller communities, local markets, or niche segments, building relationships with loyal audiences that allow for organic growth and eventual breakthroughs into larger markets.