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PR Smith, self-published e-book available via http://prsmith.org/books/
Digital marketers may already be familiar with Paul Smith from previous books such as eMarketing eXcellence or Marketing Communications. With his latest e-book, Smith discusses in some depth the trademarked communications framework he has developed, called SOSTAC.
This comprises six stages: Situation, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Actions and Control. Developed over a decade, the framework grew out of a meta-analysis of other marketing planning tools, identifying their common elements and synthesizing them into a new, more accessible and flexible approach. Recognizing the current high profile of digital marketing, Smith has written this book to provide channel-specific guidance for both experienced and new practitioners, while ensuring that the framework aligns with the master marketing plan since, as he notes, 'eventually we won't have digital marketing plans, it'll just be integrated marketing plans'.
Putting situational analysis at the start of the SOSTAC process actually leverages key strengths of digital marketing, since 'listening tools' (social media, etc) now allow marketers to gain unprecedented insight into their...