MKTG3506 · Digital Marketing & Social Media
Digital Marketing Strategy: RACE and SOSTAC
This is the engine room of the course and of the 30% marketing-plan assignment. A digital strategy beats a pile of disconnected tactics, and the chapter gives you the frameworks to build one. It starts with the 5Ss (the goals digital objectives serve) and SMART targets, then lands the two flagship planning models: RACE (Plan → Reach → Act → Convert → Engage — the customer-lifecycle skeleton most strategy prompts expect) and SOSTAC (the macro plan structure: Situation, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, Control). It then covers STP (segmentation, targeting, positioning), the four segmentation bases, and what a persona is — and isn't. Master this chapter and you hold the spine of nearly every strategy answer.
What this chapter covers
- 014.1 Why a strategy beats disconnected tactics
- 024.2 The 5Ss — what digital objectives are for
- 034.3 SMART — turning a direction into a target
- 044.4 RACE — goal → KPI → tactic at each stage
- 054.5 SOSTAC — the macro plan structure
- 064.6 STP and the four segmentation bases
- 074.7 Personas — what they are and aren't
Structuring a plan with SOSTAC — the macro skeleton
- +1Situation: where are we now? Run the situation analysis — PESTLE, Porter, SWOT, current channel performance.
- +1Objectives: where do we want to be? Set SMART goals against the 5Ss (e.g. +20% online sales in 12 months).
- +1Strategy: how do we get there? Use STP — segment, target the best-fit readers, and position the store.
- +1Tactics: the detail — the channel mix (SEO, email, social) structured around RACE.
- +1Action: who does what, when — the implementation schedule and ownership.
- +1Control: how we measure — the KPIs and review cadence that prove it worked. Note RACE nests inside SOSTAC's Tactics.
Key terms
- RACE
- Smart Insights' customer-lifecycle planning framework — Reach → Act → Convert → Engage (after an initial Plan). It is the default skeleton for structuring a digital strategy around the customer journey.
- SOSTAC
- A six-stage planning structure: Situation, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, Control. It is the macro skeleton for a full marketing plan; RACE typically structures its Tactics stage.
- STP
- Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning — the strategy core: divide the market into segments, choose which to serve, and stake out a distinct position in the target's mind.
- SMART objectives
- Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. SMART turns a vague direction ('grow online') into a target you can plan and measure against.
- Persona
- A semi-fictional, research-based profile of a target segment — goals, behaviours and pain points — used to make targeting and content decisions concrete. It is grounded in data, not invented out of thin air.
Digital Marketing Strategy: RACE and SOSTAC FAQ
What is the difference between RACE and SOSTAC?
SOSTAC is the macro plan structure (Situation → Objectives → Strategy → Tactics → Action → Control). RACE is a customer-lifecycle framework that usually structures SOSTAC's Tactics stage. They are complementary — SOSTAC frames the whole plan, RACE organises the channel tactics within it.
What does STP mean and why does it come before tactics?
Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning. You decide who you serve and how you'll be perceived before choosing channels, because the segment and position dictate the tactics. Jumping to tactics without STP is a classic plan mistake.
How do I write a SMART objective for a digital plan?
Make it Specific and Measurable with a deadline, tied to a 5S goal — e.g. 'increase email-driven revenue by 15% within six months', not 'do more email'. Examiners reward an objective you could actually track in analytics.
Exam move
This is the highest-value chapter for both the exam and the 30% plan, so over-invest here. Be able to draw RACE from memory and walk SOSTAC end to end, and to say clearly how they fit together (RACE nests in SOSTAC's Tactics). Practise running STP and a SMART objective on an unseen brand. A strategy prompt almost always rewards one of these frameworks named, defined and applied — not a freeform plan.
