for Interactive Business Strategists

C R E AT I V E B R I E F
by ENVANO INTERACTIVE Defined:
The word straudiment is a portmanteau word that combines audit, assessment, and strategy.

Interactive Straudiment!
Actionable Strategy through Accurate Assessment
Straudiments are developed to address client needs, opportunities and threats, competitive positioning, and resulting growth strategies in the interactive space. A combination of audit, assessment, and strategy, the straudiment encompasses a threefold process, guided by outside in thinking. Todays digital marketplace is a constantly evolving and it takes a variety of strategic approaches to stay relevant, while remaining abreast of new trends and effectively managing campaigns over a variety of channels and platforms.

Audit - a formal examination of an organization's or individual's accounts or situation; a methodical examination and review.

! !

Assessment - the action or an instance of assessing: appraisal. Strategy - a careful plan or method : a clever stratagem; b : the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal.

! The primary value of a straudiment lies in its outside perspective

to acquire competitive and business intelligence that informs strategy and growth. It includes a written document that: Highlights and addresses brand positioning. Identifies competitive landscape and initiatives. Builds an actionable strategy through accurate assessment.

OVERVIEW
For todays business leaders, assessing and understanding the current landscape against company initiatives is a key component of developing an effective strategy and determining direction, particularly in the interactive space. Success in business today demands agility. Business problems must be defined and dealt with swiftly. Think of a straudiment as you might a car most people do not drive 10,000 miles without maintenance or at least a diagnostic check up. The same is true for interactive strategy and touch points. Plus, the interactive audience demands fresh content and new ideas. A website, among other channels, always requires maintenance and updates. A straudiment acts as that diagnostic check up, providing a tangible snapshot of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the interactive space.

STRAUDIMENT

PAGE !1

JANUARY 2013

STRATEGY
In the initial audit, creative strategy organizations - like Envano - look at what a client can do differently from what they are currently doing in the interactive space, particularly regarding website, mobile, social, and search initiatives. Identifying and diagnosing strengths and weaknesses is imperative to complete the remainder of the straudiment. Evaluate efforts to date. This paints a clear picture of the primary keys to interactive success: SEO, active and inactive campaigns, social, mobile and analytics.

! In the second stage of the straudiment, the assessment highlights the overall situation, making note
of a client's primary competitors, posing the questions, "What is going on in the industry? What is happening outside of our niche industry and what can we take from that? What are competitors doing? And how does this affect the client?" First understanding yourself, or the client, lends to painting the picture of how the business fits within their own industry and throughout the greater realm of consumer buying, pinpointing the opportunities and threats. final element of a straudiment. Develop and propose strategies for change and implementation, including objectives and goals, strategic and tactical plans, timelines, stakeholders, and often, investment.

! The insights gained through the audit and assessment phases influence strategy development, the

OUTSIDE IN THINKING
The business value of investing in an interactive straudiment lies in the outside perspective. Too often, organizations operate from the inside out, and not in a good way. Organizational politics, internal roadblocks, and other business problems tend to result in poor brand to consumer communication, particularly on the constantly evolving and growing internet - 84% of U.S. adults that use the web daily. This outside in perspective brings light to internal and external roadblocks, opportunities, and low hanging fruit.

! In the Win Without Pitching Manifesto, Blair Enns offers the following insight regarding outside in creative thinking. ! "One of the advantages the outside expert brings is perspective. And one of the hallmarks of ! In order to ensure positive customer reception and inform an accurate and agile decision making ! Beginning with this end in mind allows for better understanding of end user needs, which in turn
perpetuates sales and success in the interactive space.

creativity is the ability to see problems differently, and thus find solutions others cannot see. To bring our perspective and problem - solving skills to bear we must be allowed time and freedom to diagnose the clients challenges in our own manner. process, outside in thinking is often coupled with an audience centered approach. This allows an outside in look and thorough review of the needs and wants of both the enterprise and the audience; with the ultimate goal of concluding with a strategic, actionable roadmap exceeding current expectations for customer fulfillment and company growth.

STRAUDIMENT

PAGE !2