Marketing Without Strategy Is A Waste Of Time, Here’s Why

The World Bank once described a segment of the Indonesian population as functionally illiterate. They can read, but don’t really understand what they’re reading. A documentary by CNA Insider shed light on this. The problem isn’t about access to education or students being lazy. It’s structural. Every new Education Minister comes in and tweaks the curriculum, introducing new topics, reshuffling lesson plans, and creating fresh activities, yet the underlying system stays broken. And so, the problem is not solved.

It’s easy to point fingers at education, but businesses, especially the SMEs, are making the same mistake in how they handle marketing. Growth becomes the goal: more sales, more profit, better cash flow, greater market share, a stronger brand reputation. But when it’s time to act, most jump straight into marketing execution with both their feet. They hire designers, social media managers, and content writers. They churn out short videos, long videos, engaging posts, powerful articles, and email outreach, all hoping one of these things will spark something magical.

After six months, maybe even a year, the same frustration sets in. Numbers barely move. Campaigns went cold. There’s engagement, yes, but no conversion. Not even a sustainable momentum. When the budget stops, the momentum stops. The business is still stuck at the same growth ceiling. So they go back and try to “do” more. New visuals. Better talent. More content. Different platforms. Slightly louder tactics. Still, nothing shifts in a meaningful way.

Here’s the problem: it’s not that the marketing team isn’t working hard. It’s that they’re working without direction. Without a real strategy.

Yes, execution is important, but only when it is serving a clear, well-defined strategy. Without it, execution becomes clueless. It becomes a noise. A well-crafted, good-looking noise. A business can have the most engaging videos, the most beautiful posters, the wittiest captions and still go nowhere. Because none of it is tied to a cohesive direction. A proper marketing strategy answers bigger, more important questions. Among those questions are these: What to achieve, how do we achieve it, how long does it take to achieve it, who exactly are we speaking to, what pain points are we solving, what kind of brand positioning makes sense for this market, this timing, this audience, and how does all of that translate into clear action plans across channels.

Once these answers are in place, then and only then does execution make sense. Because now, design isn’t just about making something pretty. It’s about translating positioning into visuals. Content isn’t just about showing up, it’s about reinforcing a narrative that was carefully thought through. Campaigns aren’t just about impressions. They're about creating a movement toward a specific conversion goal. Suddenly, every small move works harder because it’s aligned to something bigger.

A strong strategy also prevents burnout. When teams know what they’re building toward, they stop chasing every new trend, every new platform, every new “growth hack” that pops up. There’s clarity. There’s focus. And that’s when things start compounding. One campaign feeds into the next. One content pillar sharpens the next. There’s momentum, not chaos. Then the journey will be meaningful when it comes to conversion and that is sustainable. Even when the budget stops, the leads will still continue to be generated.

Of course, it’s tempting to start with execution because it feels productive. It looks good on social media. It gives the illusion of progress. But growth doesn’t come from motion. It comes from direction. And that direction is what strategy provides. Before asking what to post tomorrow, ask what the brand is really trying to achieve. Before approving the next campaign, ask whether it fits into a larger system. Otherwise, marketing becomes a series of short-term sprints with no clear finish line.

If growth is the goal, start from the core. Fix the structure. Build the foundation. And then execute with confidence.