Tactics

Table of Contents

Means by which a strategy is carried out;
planned and ad hoc activities meant to deal with the demands of the moment, and to move from one milestone to other in pursuit of the overall goal(s).
In an organization, strategy is decided by the board of directors, and tactics by the department heads for implementation by the junior officers and employees.
Most businesses deal with six types of strategy and the tactics used to achieve strategic goals: product, pricing, marketing, operational and financial and personnel strategies

Marketing strategy seeks to target specific consumers with messages that are most likely to draw their attention. It involves seasonal advertising and special promotions as tactics to achieve market dominance.
Other tactics that affect market position for a company are acquiring competing companies, becoming the exclusive distributor for popular brands and using pricing tactics to attract customers.
Microsoft and Apple are, again, examples of marketing strategy and tactics. Microsoft dominated the market for word processing, spreadsheet, database and email software, making it the most useful to business needs. Apple dominated the graphic design market, which also gave Apple products an excellent reputation among the people who designed and produced graphic media, providing Apple products with an excellent word-of-mouth reputation. They also donated Apple computers and software to schools so children learned on Apple products and hopefully would buy them as adults.

Strategy

Tactics

Strategy determines the major plans to be undertaken.
Goal of Strategy is to gain competitive advantage, break the opponent.
Strategic decisions cannot be delegated downwards.
Strategy formulation is dynamic, responding to environment. It can be continuous or irregular.
Strategy has a long term perspective & have a high element of uncertainty.
Strategy formulation is affected by the personal values of person involved in the process.

Tactics is means by which previously determined plans are executed.
Goal of Tactics is to achieve success in a given action.
Tactics decisions can be delegated to all levels of organisation.
Tactics are determined on a periodic basis with some fixed timetable.
Tactical decisions are more certain as they work upon framework set by Strategy.
Tactical decision implementation is impersonal.
Tactical decisions are less important than Strategic decisions.