The Trojan Horse was a tactic within a deception strategy. PR work follows the same logic: understand the audience first, then choose specific actions that support a clear approach rather than starting with tools
Strategy and tactics work in a similar way. Although the terms are often used together and sometimes interchangeably, they serve very different purposes. Strategy establishes the direction, while tactics turn that direction into action.
The plan and the Trojan horse
In an article published by the Public Relations and Communications Association, or PRCA, comms pro Anil Manji uses a Trojan Horse analogy to explain the difference between a strategy and a tactic.
In this Greek story, he explains the fake wooden horse, concealing warriors, was a “deception to get inside the city walls, and open the gates from the inside. The tactic is the Trojan Horse.”
The Greeks’ strategy was not simply to build a wooden horse. Their larger approach was to use deception to enter the city of Troy. Building the horse, hiding soldiers inside and presenting it as a gift were the tactics used to carry out that strategy.
Manji explains, “A really strong strategy is based on the audience insight.” The Greeks understood what would convince the Trojans to bring the horse inside the city. The plan worked because it accounted for how the audience was likely to respond.
Public relations (PR) professionals must think about audiences in the same way. Before selecting a tactic, they need to understand whom they are trying to reach, what that audience cares about and what motivates their target audience to respond.
For example, a press release, media pitch, event or social media post are not strategies. Each is a tactic that should support a larger approach.
Imagine a company that wants to increase the credibility of its CEO. Its strategy could be to position the CEO as a trusted source of industry knowledge. The tactics might include pitching the CEO for podcast interviews, publishing contributed articles and sharing educational content on LinkedIn.
The goal is credibility; the strategy is the positioning and the tactics are the steps taken to achieve it. In other words, the strategy explains the approach. The tactics explain what the communications team will do to achieve the goal.
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Research helps provide direction
Rand Fishkin is the co-founder and CEO of SparkToro and previously co-founded Moz. He has worked in marketing for approximately 25 years.
Fishkin describes tactics as “specific marketing actions you take to (hopefully) improve your marketing outcomes.”
The word specific is important. Tactics are individual actions, but they should always be chosen for a reason.
For example, a company should not create a TikTok account simply because the platform is popular. It should first determine whether its audience uses TikTok, what content interests them and whether the platform supports the company’s communication goal.
Research helps PR professionals understand where their audiences spend time and what information they trust. That knowledge shapes the strategy, while tactics such as media pitches, interviews and contributed articles put the strategy into action.
Strategy comes before execution
Mark Ritson is a longtime marketing professor, brand consultant and columnist. He has taught marketing at London Business School, MIT Sloan and Melbourne Business School.
Ritson believes marketers can become too focused on platforms and activities before developing a clear strategy:
“Marketing strategy is where we play and how we win in the market. Tactics are how we then deliver on the strategy and execute for success.”
This order also matters in PR. A communication team should not begin a campaign by immediately deciding it needs press releases, influencer partnerships or social media videos. It should first establish its goal, identify its audience and decide on an overall approach.
A press release can be well-written and still fail if the announcement does not resonate with the intended audience. A social media campaign can also look creative but accomplish little if it appears on the wrong platforms.
Strong execution is important, but even the best tactics cannot completely fix a strategy based on the wrong ideas.
Different perspectives, one main idea
Strategy and tactics can be explained in different ways, which is why learning from multiple professionals is helpful. Manji uses the Trojan Horse to show that strategy is the larger plan and tactics carry it out. Fishkin explains how research helps teams choose the right actions, while Ritson emphasizes that strategy should come before execution.
Although their explanations are different, the main idea is the same: Strategy creates the direction, and tactics are the actions that move an organization toward its goal. Tactics can change along the way, but they should always support the strategy.
Understanding this difference is important for anyone entering PR, marketing or communications. It helps professionals make better decisions, explain the purpose behind their work and build stronger campaigns in the future.
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