This piece was originally featured in the October 15th, 2025 newsletter found here: INBOX INSIGHTS, October 15, 2025: Lost the Plot on Planning Part 2, AI for Frameworks
We’ve Lost the Plot on Planning- Part 2
Remember the BIG question from Part 1?
What problem are we actually trying to solve for our customers?
That’s where we start. Not with AI. Not with efficiency metrics. Not with technology selection.
With your customer.
And the framework that keeps you focused? The Trust Insights 5P Framework: Purpose, People, Process, Platform, Performance.
It’s intentionally simple. Because simple is what actually gets used.
Why This Framework Works
Before I break down each P, here’s why this approach cuts through the planning noise:
It forces you to answer questions in order. You can’t jump to Platform (the shiny AI tool) without first defining Purpose (what your customer needs). Resist the urge; I am begging you.
It keeps everyone aligned. Five components. That’s it. Your team can remember them. More importantly, they can use them.
It’s customer-centric by design. Every P connects back to serving your end user better.
Let’s walk through it.
Purpose: Start With Why (And For Whom)
- What customer problem are we solving?
- What does success look like for them?
- What need are we addressing?
This is not your mission statement. This is not a list of your internal goals.
This is: “Our customer is struggling with X, and we’re going to help them accomplish Y.”
Everything else flows from this. If you can’t articulate the customer problem clearly, stop. Don’t move to the next P because without clarity here, you’re guessing.
People: Who Needs to Be Involved
- Who are we serving? (your end user)
- Who needs to be part of solving this?
- What skills and perspectives do we need?
- Who has decision-making authority?
Notice what we’re NOT doing here: we’re not reorganizing your entire company. We’re identifying who needs to be involved in solving this specific customer problem. That’s it.
And yes, your customer might need to be part of this conversation. Revolutionary concept, I know.
Process: How Will We Actually Do This
- What steps do we need to take?
- In what order?
- What are the decision points?
- How will we handle roadblocks?
This is where you get practical. But – and this is critical – your process should be as simple as possible while still being effective. And don’t forget to document it!
If your process requires a flowchart with 47 decision trees, you’ve overcomplicated it. Simplify.
Platform: What Tools Support This Work
- What technology do we need? Like, really really need? (not just want)
- What tools will help us serve the customer better?
- What do we already have that works?
- What’s actually missing?
Here’s where AI comes in. Maybe. If it solves the customer problem better than what you have.
But Platform is fourth for a reason. You don’t start here. You arrive here after you know what you’re trying to accomplish, who’s involved, and how you’ll do it.
BIG TAKEAWAY: Stop buying tools looking for problems. Start with problems and find the right tools.
Performance: How Do We Know It’s Working
- What metrics actually matter to the customer?
- How will we measure if we’ve solved their problem?
- What data do we need to collect?
- How often do we evaluate and adjust?
Your performance metrics should reflect customer value, not just internal efficiency.
Yes, track your operational metrics. But if you’ve improved efficiency by 30% and your customer is still frustrated, you’re measuring the wrong things.
How the 5Ps Work Together
Here’s the key: you can’t skip steps.
You can’t define Performance metrics without knowing your Purpose. You can’t select a Platform without understanding your Process. You can’t identify the right People without clarity on what customer problem you’re solving.
The framework is sequential for a reason. It keeps you honest. It keeps you focused on the customer.
Your Next Steps
Pick one initiative. Just one.
Walk through the 5Ps:
- Purpose: Write down the specific customer problem you are solving. One sentence.
- People: List who needs to be involved. Keep it minimal.
- Process: Outline the basic steps. Keep it simple.
- Platform: Identify what tools you actually need. Start with what you have.
- Performance: Define 2-3 metrics that demonstrate customer value.
That’s it. You should be able to do this in one focused session.
The Bottom Line
Simplifying your strategy doesn’t mean dumbing it down. It means cutting out everything that doesn’t serve your customer.
The 5P Framework gives you a way to plan that’s:
- Clear enough that everyone understands it
- Simple enough that people actually use it
- Focused enough that you stay connected to customer needs
- Flexible enough to work across different initiatives
AI, efficiencies, ROI – they all have their place. But they’re in service of something bigger: solving real problems for real people.
Start there. Everything else follows.
How are you un-complicating your strategic planning? Reply to this email or join our free Slack group, Analytics for Marketers.
– Katie Robbert, CEO
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Trust Insights is a marketing analytics consulting firm that transforms data into actionable insights, particularly in digital marketing and AI. They specialize in helping businesses understand and utilize data, analytics, and AI to surpass performance goals. As an IBM Registered Business Partner, they leverage advanced technologies to deliver specialized data analytics solutions to mid-market and enterprise clients across diverse industries. Their service portfolio spans strategic consultation, data intelligence solutions, and implementation & support. Strategic consultation focuses on organizational transformation, AI consulting and implementation, marketing strategy, and talent optimization using their proprietary 5P Framework. Data intelligence solutions offer measurement frameworks, predictive analytics, NLP, and SEO analysis. Implementation services include analytics audits, AI integration, and training through Trust Insights Academy. Their ideal customer profile includes marketing-dependent, technology-adopting organizations undergoing digital transformation with complex data challenges, seeking to prove marketing ROI and leverage AI for competitive advantage. Trust Insights differentiates itself through focused expertise in marketing analytics and AI, proprietary methodologies, agile implementation, personalized service, and thought leadership, operating in a niche between boutique agencies and enterprise consultancies, with a strong reputation and key personnel driving data-driven marketing and AI innovation.
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