Plan(t) Before You Grow: A Case Against Chaos Marketing
June 27, 2025Why Strategy Before Tactics Matters in the Garden and
Marketing Alike
Modern gardeners are familiar with chaos gardening, a process by which a variety of seeds are selected, mixed, and sown (a loose term—more like haphazardly scattered) on ground that is sometimes tilled and prepared and sometimes not.
This method can yield beautiful, eclectic gardens, but it’s a process left entirely to chance. While many seeds will grow and thrive with little to no care or nurturing, others require more forethought to thrive.
While leaving things up to chance may work for the gardener who isn’t concerned with specific outcomes, the seasoned pro with an end in mind – or one who has objectives to meet based on the crops their garden produces – would argue there are more intentional ways one could grow and maximize the harvest.
The same principle applies beyond the garden, especially in marketing – successful outcomes rarely happen by chance.
Phase 1: Picture the Harvest – Defining Success
We have a saying in our office – “We don’t want to be lucky; we want to be good.” And for us, being good always ties back to having a defined desired outcome. In the same way, a serious farmer knows how many pounds of vegetables they want to produce at the end of a harvest season (likely tied to how many zeroes they want to see on their final revenue figures), so we must do the same with a marketing strategy. There are a few questions we must answer to define success, including:
- What perceived challenges need to be solved through a marketing effort?
- Are there revenue metrics you need to achieve to reach success?
- What outcomes would make the marketing effort feel successful?
The cliché of beginning with an end in mind is a cliché for a reason – it’s true. Knowing what you hope to achieve before you begin is half the battle. If the results don’t matter and you’re just looking to “do marketing,” you’re better off scattering seed (in this case, random marketing tactics) on a whim.
Phase 2: Till the Ground – Preparation
Now that you know what you’re working towards, how do you get there? Patience, grasshopper. Once success is defined, it’s time to move on to the preparation phase. In gardening, oftentimes, this is the part where the size, spacing, and math portions of the planning process are factored in. Sometimes, it may mean a sketch of the desired garden layout, tilling and nurturing soil, purchasing the seeds, preparing the plants for transport, and more. In short, this phase is the one that takes the most time, brain waves, and effort. Without it, though, it’s a blind aim. The same can be said for a marketing strategy. At Crossroads, our preparation process is normally where the “meat” of the strategy is created. Here are some of the steps we take:
To better understand your organization, history, culture, processes, and product, learn as much as possible. This portion is a huge piece in the strategy puzzle.
- Analyze budget, resources, timelines, and logistics.
- Explore tactical options
- Create a written plan for approval, discussion, and implementation
Phase 3: Get Your Hands Dirty – Implementation
Implementation is the step that most want to rush into. The go-getters among us often fall prey to the illusion that simply “doing stuff” will help move the needle. However, it’s not until the hard work of defining success and preparation (defining success + preparation = strategy creation) has
occurred that impactful implementation can begin.
Alas, the fun part can begin. The seeds the farmer so carefully chose have been prepared to plant. The carefully tended seedlings can be hardened off and transplanted into the soil. The watering, protecting from pests, etc., is ready to begin. It’s time to get our hands dirty and see if the careful thought and consideration done in phases 1-2 will bear the intended fruit.
As marketers, this is the part where press releases are sent to the media, copywriting, web programming, photography, and graphic design begin. It’s the part that allows our creativity to be used. But we know none of this can happen without the right strategy in place first.
Final Thoughts
Chaos gardening is a fitting strategy for gardeners who want to try their luck and see what may or may not grow. It can even produce beautiful results from time-to-time, but it is no plan for the gardener who wishes to produce specific, defined results.
And so goes chaos marketing as a strategy. It may produce the results you want, but it’s a matter left up to chance. Executing a tactical plan with no strategy in place is the same as throwing seeds around on a whim and seeing what grows.
At Crossroads, we believe in – and actively practice – strategy before tactics. If you’re ready to see real growth, meet real objectives, and generate real results – let’s dig in.
