There Is No Secret Formula. That's The Secret Formula.

The essence of marketing strategy is not to carry out a brilliant plan that proceeds in steps; it is to put yourself in situations where you have more options than anyone else does.

Instead of going blindly towards option A as the only right way, true marketing strategy is positioning yourself to be able to do A, B, C, or D depending on the circumstances at hand. Strategic depth of thinking will almost always outperform formulaic thinking.

Give yourself options rather than being beholden to preordained steps especially if any expert or guru proclaims "that's how it's always been done".