"What the heck is strategy?!" – a question you can't ask now.

In times of change, mastering the fundamentals is more important than chasing the cutting edge.

Nice to meet you. I'm Kudo, a Creative Strategist. My job is to solve the problems companies and teams face using the weapon of "strategy."

My career as a strategist began with "advertising production strategy" – figuring out how to make ads more compelling. From there, my strategic scope gradually expanded to include "communication strategy" (integrating PR and promotions) and "marketing strategy" (encompassing product development and business planning).

Lately, I spend my days devising strategies for corporate management reform, branding for startups supporting Japan's next generation, and urban development in regional cities.

Working alongside CEOs, marketers, creators, journalists, economists, and others—crossing industries and sectors to tackle diverse types of strategy daily—I've realized something.

"From major issues that shake a company to tonight's dinner menu. The fundamental 'basic principles' for solving any and all problems are actually the same form (structure)."

Simultaneously, I began to wonder:

"In the business world, where cutting-edge information constantly emerges, isn't the 'fundamental core'—which should be paramount—often overlooked?"

Especially for planners—those who read the trends of the times and shape the future of companies and brands—it's all too easy to get caught up in the 'cutting edge'.

"The future is an era of change!"
"In this age of information explosion, yesterday's common sense is tomorrow's nonsense!"...etc.

Such forceful statements fuel an obsession. The result? The more serious the businessperson, the more they struggle against the relentless tide of "cutting edge"... Oh, what a waste!

Therefore, we've set aside the ever-overwritten "cutting edge" and compiled only the fundamental basics of strategy creation—problem-solving skills applicable to any challenge—into one book: Learning from Heroes: Strategic Thinking for Tackling Difficult Problems (Published by Nikkei Publishing).

The "○○ Strategy" Boom and the "Never-Ending Whack-a-Mole"

There isn't a day that goes by without seeing the term "○○ Strategy" in books or news.

■AI (Artificial Intelligence) Strategy is Indispensable for Future Business
■The Case for ○○○ University-Style "Strategic Communication"
■"Data 2.0 Strategy" Transforming Marketing from Its Core...etc.

As one publishing insider remarked, "It would have been unthinkable just a decade ago for such a rigid term as 'strategy' to be used so indiscriminately across genres. It's truly a 'strategy boom'."

But let's pause and think for a moment. Are these "○○ strategies" truly making us happier?

Exam-prep strategies, career-change strategies, speaking strategies... These "○○ strategy" phrases teach various knowledge as "Q&A"-style how-tos. For example, "presentation strategy" reveals "the secret to presentations is...", while "job-hunting strategy" teaches "the deciding factor in job hunting is...".

While such "○○ strategies" offer the convenience of easily accessible useful information, they are akin to "symptomatic treatment" in medical terms. They merely address the immediate situation. Relying solely on symptomatic treatment traps us in an endless game of whack-a-mole, chasing problems day after day.

"What are we lacking? Marketing? Strategy?"

During a planning retreat with a business owner, this question sparked a lively discussion.
"What's lacking for us now – is it the 'marketing' part of marketing strategy, or the 'strategy' part?"

That company, from the management team down to the field managers, shared a common awareness of the problem: "Marketing strategy isn't permeating the company." As a response, they hired an external instructor with a strong reputation for MBA education to hold study sessions on marketing strategy.

Employees participated enthusiastically, learning about "cutting-edge" domestic and international case studies and accumulating knowledge. Yet, somehow, they just couldn't seem to create a solid marketing plan for their own company...

Amid this frustration, a planning retreat was held. On the first evening, during a workshop using the "Strategy Creation Framework," the company's executive exclaimed, "This is it!"

What was missing wasn't "marketing" (knowledge), but rather "strategy development" (methodology).

The necessary mindset is "Take the long way around." Precisely because we're inundated with an overwhelming amount of "cutting-edge" information today, we should properly master "Strategy 0.0" – the fundamental building block for all strategy creation.

The problem is, compared to the glamorous creation of advertising and promotional ideas, "strategy development" is a very plain, colorless, and formless task.

But precisely because of this, thoroughly understanding the structure and methodology of "Strategy 0.0" should become a powerful ally for business professionals who want to achieve results with ideas that stand out from the crowd.

In the next installment, we'll introduce part of a "strategy-building template" that requires no special prior knowledge or tools—just a sheet of paper and a pen—and can be put into practice immediately.

Based on the definition that "strategy is a method to fulfill someone's wish within a time limit," we will broaden the scope of "strategy" beyond existing competitive frameworks and introduce a strategy-building method applicable to solving any problem.
(To be continued)