Forge Clarity With The "4 Points Strategy" Framework
The OG of all frameworks. The 4 Points Strategy Framework is a simple yet powerful tool for building strategic clarity. It helps identify a human problem, uncover a deep behavioral insight, leverage a brand's unique advantage, and shape a sharp strategic direction. No fluff, just focus. Author: Mark Pollard, founder of Sweathead and author of Strategy Is Your Words.
Why This Stops Your Campaign From Being Garbage
Most campaigns fail because they are too polite or too focused on the brand's ego. This framework forces you to be honest, which is usually painful but always more effective than 'brand love.'
The Actual Framework Template
PROBLEM
Ignore the business goals. 'Low market share' is your problem, not the customer's. What is making their life slightly worse? If there's no human tension, there's no campaign. Are they bored, scared, annoyed, or just trying to look cooler than their neighbor?
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It's not a data point; it's a 'why.' Why do they do the dumb things they do? If the insight doesn't make you feel a little bit like a creep for knowing it, it's probably just a boring fact.
ADVANTAGE
This is where you stop lying to yourself. What does your brand have that actually fixes that specific human friction? If your advantage is 'innovation,' go back to the drawing board. It needs to be a specific tool that solves the Problem.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It's the bridge. It connects the Problem, Insight, and Advantage into a single, aggressive sentence. It's a marching order for the creative team. If it's more than 15 words, you're still rambling.
PROBLEM
Ignore the business goals. 'Low market share' is your problem, not the customer's. What is making their life slightly worse? If there's no human tension, there's no campaign. Are they bored, scared, annoyed, or just trying to look cooler than their neighbor?
INSIGHT
This is the Insight. It's not a data point; it's a 'why.' Why do they do the dumb things they do? If the insight doesn't make you feel a little bit like a creep for knowing it, it's probably just a boring fact.
ADVANTAGE
This is where you stop lying to yourself. What does your brand have that actually fixes that specific human friction? If your advantage is 'innovation,' go back to the drawing board. It needs to be a specific tool that solves the Problem.
STRATEGY
This is the Strategy. It's the bridge. It connects the Problem, Insight, and Advantage into a single, aggressive sentence. It's a marching order for the creative team. If it's more than 15 words, you're still rambling.
Key Implementation Steps
4 Points Strategy Use Example
This example shows how the 4 Points framework can be applied to identify a human problem, uncover a behavioral insight, leverage brand advantage, and shape strategic direction.
Ideal For
Creative briefs, reframing categories, finding emotional tension
Simple and intuitive structure anyone can use
Brings sharp creative focus and emotional depth
Less Ideal For
Performance campaigns, media channel planning, granular targeting
Doesn't replace full research or segmentation
Can feel repetitive without fresh insights
Ways You Can Screw This Up
(We've all been there, right?)
- ×Defining the 'Problem' as a lack of your product (narcissistic and lazy)
- ×Listing 'Innovation' as a capability (it's a buzzword, not a tool)
- ×Confusing a 'Fact' with an 'Insight' (Facts are boring; Insights have teeth)
- ×Writing a 'Strategy' that is just a list of three different goals
- ×Ignoring the capability you actually have because it's not 'sexy' enough for the PR team
- ×Making the Strategy so vague it could apply to a lemonade stand or a tech giant
- ×Failing to connect the Advantage to the Problem (it's a chain, not a list)
- ×Trying to solve three problems at once because you're afraid of commitment
Strategy is about sacrifice. If you aren't leaving 'good' ideas on the floor, you're just making a mess.
Real Examples
B2B Cybersecurity
Aligning a complex technical capability with a paranoid target audience.
PROBLEM
IT Directors are drowning in 'alert fatigue' and live in constant fear of the one mistake that gets them fired.
INSIGHT
They don't want 'total protection'; they want to stop feeling like they're babysitting a temperamental alarm system.
ADVANTAGE
An automated 'Zero-Trust' architecture that handles the 99% of grunt work without human input.
STRATEGY
Position the brand as the 'Autonomous Bodyguard' that lets IT Directors finally sleep through the night without checking their phones.
PROBLEM
IT Directors are drowning in 'alert fatigue' and live in constant fear of the one mistake that gets them fired.
INSIGHT
They don't want 'total protection'; they want to stop feeling like they're babysitting a temperamental alarm system.
ADVANTAGE
An automated 'Zero-Trust' architecture that handles the 99% of grunt work without human input.
STRATEGY
Position the brand as the 'Autonomous Bodyguard' that lets IT Directors finally sleep through the night without checking their phones.
DTC Skincare
Using lab-grade capability to disrupt a market full of 'magic' promises.
PROBLEM
Consumers are cynical about 'miracle' creams but are terrified of the aging process they can't control.
INSIGHT
They know the 'luxury' ingredients are mostly fluff, but they buy the expensive bottle anyway because it feels like 'doing something.'
ADVANTAGE
A high-concentration, medical-grade retinol formulation that is usually only available via prescription.
STRATEGY
Bridge the gap between 'Spa Luxury' and 'Doctor's Office' by becoming the 'Prescription-Strength Rebel' for the skincare-obsessed.
PROBLEM
Consumers are cynical about 'miracle' creams but are terrified of the aging process they can't control.
INSIGHT
They know the 'luxury' ingredients are mostly fluff, but they buy the expensive bottle anyway because it feels like 'doing something.'
ADVANTAGE
A high-concentration, medical-grade retinol formulation that is usually only available via prescription.
STRATEGY
Bridge the gap between 'Spa Luxury' and 'Doctor's Office' by becoming the 'Prescription-Strength Rebel' for the skincare-obsessed.
Enterprise CRM
Aligning software simplicity with a workforce that hates new tools.
PROBLEM
Sales teams spend more time entering data into the CRM than they do actually selling products to customers.
INSIGHT
Sales reps secretly view the CRM as a 'Spy Tool' for management rather than a helpful resource for their own commissions.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Mobile-First' interface that allows for voice-to-text updates in under 10 seconds after a meeting.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Salesperson's Best Friend' slot by making the software so fast it feels like a shortcut rather than a chore.
PROBLEM
Sales teams spend more time entering data into the CRM than they do actually selling products to customers.
INSIGHT
Sales reps secretly view the CRM as a 'Spy Tool' for management rather than a helpful resource for their own commissions.
ADVANTAGE
A 'Mobile-First' interface that allows for voice-to-text updates in under 10 seconds after a meeting.
STRATEGY
Own the 'Salesperson's Best Friend' slot by making the software so fast it feels like a shortcut rather than a chore.
Generate a Framework for your Use Case
Use our framework generator to generate various Get Who To By, 4C, 4 Points Strategy, and other frameworks — all in one place and directly to editable Google SLIDES!
Go to Framework GeneratorFrequently Asked Questions
What if our brand capability is actually quite boring?
Then find a boring problem to solve. Most people have boring problems. Boring is profitable if it's reliable. Don't try to dress up a hammer as a magic wand; just find the nail.
Can we change our capability to fit the strategy?
Only if you have the budget and three years to spare. Strategy should be based on what you can do today, not what you hope to do in a fever dream.
How do I know if my Insight is actually an Insight?
If you say it out loud and the room gets quiet because it's a little too true, you've got one. If they just nod politely, it's a fact, not an insight.
What if the capability doesn't match the problem we want to solve?
Then you're in the wrong business. You either find a new problem or build a new capability. Forcing them together is how you end up with a 'pivot' that leads to a bankruptcy filing.
Is the Strategy just a tagline?
No. The Strategy is the internal logic. The tagline is the lipstick. If the logic is broken, the lipstick won't help.
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