The Playbook is Not the Game Plan

As we are now head first into football season, there is no shortage of coach interviews, sports talk shows, polls, etc that question, analyze, and criticize the game plan. The game plan is essentially defined and discussed as the strategy to be used against the opponent to win the game. Will they focus on running the ball or is a more balanced run/pass approach the answer? Will they pay closer attention to time and clock management this time? The answers to these type of questions make up the game plan.

As a complement to the game plan, we have the playbook. The playbook is not the game plan. The playbook is the compilation of specific plays that you can/will/should execute based on your game plan. Outside of football, and in the marketing world, the game plan is the strategy and the playbook is the compilation of potential marketing tactics. Just how a playbook without a game plan makes for an unaligned assortment of plays, marketing tactics without a strategy represents the same random assortment.

It is almost certain that each sports analyst, avid fan, and sports talk show host would think it just plain crazy to run plays without any game plan in mind. The same perspective should go when even considering executing a random assortment of marketing tactics with no strategy. You won't win.

So before you yell at your TV this weekend, "why would they run that play?" just then ask yourself if you actually know the game plan. Before you question the tactics, I hope you first know the strategy.

It's time for kickoff.