Sassoisms.....

I have these little off-beat sayings, call them Sassoisms, I use to communicate my perspective on marketing -- and sometimes life in general. As a new occasional feature, I'll share a Sassoism with you and take a moment to defend it. Here's one that's also my most common email signature…

Strategic thinking is more productive than wishful thinking.

Hope springs eternal. But it's not the stuff that successful marketing plans are made of.

When you're investing your marketing budget, closing your eyes and crossing your fingers isn't the winning strategy. We all know having a plan and sticking to the plan is what produces results.

As a loyal fan, I'm excited that the Chicago Rush arena football team just won their conference and is advancing to the Arena Bowl in Las Vegas.

They got into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. But despite outrageous odds against them, they got to the big Bowl game by having solid strategies and excellent execution. I heard the coach on the radio last week talk about giving his team vision and planning like they've already won. "When the game is over," he told his team "We need to quickly get to the trophy stage. This is a live broadcast," he said.

However a goal without a plan is foolish. And a plan without on-task execution is futile. The same thing that works on the grid iron works in marketing.

This weekend I think I'll sit on my couch, cross my fingers and hope for a Rush victory. (O.K., when you have no control, sometimes all you can do is wish!)

- Phil Sasso