Identify What's Missing in Strategy Using 4 Points Strategy Framework
Your current strategy deck is likely 80 slides of competitive charts and one slide of 'we should do more digital.' It’s not a plan; it’s a cry for help. Most strategies have massive, gaping holes where the logic should be, usually because someone was too lazy to find a real insight or too scared to pick a side. The 4 Points Strategy Framework is the autopsy tool you need to find out why your strategy is dead on arrival. It’s four points. If you can’t connect them in a straight line, you don't have a strategy; you have an expensive collection of hallucinations written in Helvetica.
The TL;DR
Stop guessing why your campaigns are flopping. Use the 4 Points to expose the weak links - whether it's a fake problem, a boring insight, a generic advantage, or a strategy that's actually just a list of tactics.
Why This Stops Your Strategy From Being Total Garbage
Most strategies fail because they're too polite or too vague. This framework is a reality check that forces you to be honest about what's actually missing.
PROBLEM
Forget your KPIs for a second. What is the annoying, frustrating, or embarrassing thing happening in the customer's life? If you can't name a human struggle, you're just shouting into a void.
INSIGHT
This is the 'Who.' What do they believe that they won't admit to a pollster? Insights aren't found in spreadsheets; they're found in the weird things people do when they think no one is watching.
ADVANTAGE
Be honest. Is your product actually better, or just better marketed? Your Advantage must be the specific tool that solves the Problem. If it's 'innovation,' go back to bed.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. One sentence that uses your Advantage to solve the Problem through the lens of the Insight. If it's more than 15 words, you're still lying to yourself.
PROBLEM
Forget your KPIs for a second. What is the annoying, frustrating, or embarrassing thing happening in the customer's life? If you can't name a human struggle, you're just shouting into a void.
INSIGHT
This is the 'Who.' What do they believe that they won't admit to a pollster? Insights aren't found in spreadsheets; they're found in the weird things people do when they think no one is watching.
ADVANTAGE
Be honest. Is your product actually better, or just better marketed? Your Advantage must be the specific tool that solves the Problem. If it's 'innovation,' go back to bed.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It’s the bridge. One sentence that uses your Advantage to solve the Problem through the lens of the Insight. If it's more than 15 words, you're still lying to yourself.
Ways You'll Probably Screw This Up
(And look like a junior intern)
- ×Defining the 'Problem' as your own declining revenue instead of a customer's struggle.
- ×Mistaking a demographic (Women 18-34) for an Insight.
- ×Claiming your 'People' are your Advantage (every company says this, and it's almost always a lie).
- ×Writing a 'Strategy' that is actually just a list of channels like 'do TikToks.'
- ×Having four points that don't actually relate to each other - like a strategic Frankenstein.
- ×Using 'corporate-speak' to hide the fact that you don't have an actual idea.
- ×Ignoring the Insight because it feels 'too negative' for the brand guidelines.
- ×Trying to solve three problems at once because you’re afraid to tell the CEO 'no.'
If your strategy feels like a warm hug, it’s probably useless. It should feel like a sharp knife.
Real Examples
High-End Coffee Subscription
Fixing a strategy for a brand losing to supermarket convenience.
PROBLEM
Coffee snobs feel like sell-outs when they settle for grocery store beans, but they're too busy to visit a roastery.
INSIGHT
They value the 'ritual' of elite coffee more than the taste, but their morning schedule is a disaster.
ADVANTAGE
A delivery system that uses geolocation to ensure beans arrive 24 hours after roasting, every single time.
STRATEGY
Position the brand as the 'Roastery in Your Mailbox' to eliminate the guilt of the morning compromise.
PROBLEM
Coffee snobs feel like sell-outs when they settle for grocery store beans, but they're too busy to visit a roastery.
INSIGHT
They value the 'ritual' of elite coffee more than the taste, but their morning schedule is a disaster.
ADVANTAGE
A delivery system that uses geolocation to ensure beans arrive 24 hours after roasting, every single time.
STRATEGY
Position the brand as the 'Roastery in Your Mailbox' to eliminate the guilt of the morning compromise.
Enterprise Cybersecurity
Turning a generic 'we are secure' pitch into something that actually sells.
PROBLEM
IT Directors are terrified of being the 'person who let the breach happen' more than the breach itself.
INSIGHT
They don't want the most 'advanced' tech; they want the tech that is easiest to explain to a non-technical board when things go wrong.
ADVANTAGE
A one-click 'Board-Ready' reporting dashboard that translates jargon into 'we are safe' metrics.
STRATEGY
Pivot from 'unhackable tech' to 'The Career Insurance Policy' for IT leadership.
PROBLEM
IT Directors are terrified of being the 'person who let the breach happen' more than the breach itself.
INSIGHT
They don't want the most 'advanced' tech; they want the tech that is easiest to explain to a non-technical board when things go wrong.
ADVANTAGE
A one-click 'Board-Ready' reporting dashboard that translates jargon into 'we are safe' metrics.
STRATEGY
Pivot from 'unhackable tech' to 'The Career Insurance Policy' for IT leadership.
Budget Airline
Fixing a brand strategy that is currently just 'we are cheap.'
PROBLEM
Travelers hate the 'hidden fees' of budget airlines more than they value the low base price.
INSIGHT
They feel like they are being punished for being thrifty, which makes the whole vacation start with a feeling of resentment.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Total Transparency' pricing model that includes one bag and one snack but is still 20% cheaper than legacy carriers.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Honest Budget' category by weaponizing the hatred of the 'fine print' industry.
PROBLEM
Travelers hate the 'hidden fees' of budget airlines more than they value the low base price.
INSIGHT
They feel like they are being punished for being thrifty, which makes the whole vacation start with a feeling of resentment.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Total Transparency' pricing model that includes one bag and one snack but is still 20% cheaper than legacy carriers.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Honest Budget' category by weaponizing the hatred of the 'fine print' industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can't find an 'Advantage' that isn't generic?
Then you don't have a strategy problem; you have a product problem. Go tell the product team to build something worth talking about, or find a tiny, weird feature and blow it up into a 'thing.'
Can the 'Strategy' (the 'by' field) be a tagline?
No. A tagline is a mask. The Strategy is the bone structure. You can turn the strategy into a tagline later, but if you start with the tagline, you're just putting lipstick on a pig.
How do I know if my 'Insight' is real?
If you say it in a room and everyone gets quiet and then says 'Oof, I do that,' it's an insight. If they just nod and look at their phones, it's a boring fact.
Why is the Problem a 'human' problem and not a 'business' problem?
Because businesses don't have feelings or credit cards; people do. If you solve a business problem (like 'low awareness'), nobody cares. If you solve a human problem (like 'I feel like a bad parent'), people buy.
What if the four points don't align?
Then you've identified exactly what's missing. Most 'strategies' have an Advantage that doesn't solve the Problem, or an Insight that has nothing to do with the Strategy. Fix the alignment, fix the deck.
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