I’ve watched too many marketing teams build elaborate plans that never leave the conference room.

Giant spreadsheets. Ambitious timelines. Initiatives stacked on initiatives. Then nothing happens.

The problem isn’t ambition. It’s execution. Executing a few strategies well beats having dozens that never get implemented.

That’s where the Stop, Start, Continue framework earns its keep. Three simple categories. Three questions. What should we stop doing? What should we start? What’s working that we should continue?

Simple doesn’t mean easy. But it does mean executable.

Stop: Chasing What You Can’t Measure

Here’s the hard truth about marketing in 2025: attribution challenges have made measurement more difficult than ever.

So the first rule for 2026 planning is brutal clarity. If you can’t measure it, stop doing it.

I’m not talking about perfect measurement. Marketing isn’t math. Some outcomes live in gut feel and brand perception. But you need something. Some way to know if it’s working.

Maybe it’s as simple as asking customers: “How did you hear about us?” That’s attribution. That’s measurable. That’s enough to make decisions.

Stop the initiatives that consume resources without giving you any signal back. Stop the campaigns you can’t track. Stop the activities that just feel like marketing without proving they are.

Start: Organic Employee Advocacy

Here’s what should be in every 2026 Start category: organic, employee-driven marketing.

Not another expensive tool. Not another agency retainer. Just your people, sharing their knowledge on platforms where your customers already are.

The data backs this up. Posts shared by employees get 8x more engagement than posts from company accounts.

Start simple. Start easy. Get your team on LinkedIn or wherever your clients spend time. Let them share insights, comment on industry trends, build their own credibility while building yours.

This approach is both measurable and sustainable. You can track engagement. You can see which team members drive conversations. You can identify what content resonates before you spend a dollar on paid amplification.

Test the message organically. Build the foundation. Then layer in paid strategies once you know what works.

Continue: Measurement Plus Collaboration

If something’s working, don’t mess with it. But do optimize it.

The Continue category isn’t about coasting. It’s about recognizing what delivers results and giving it the resources to deliver more.

Two things belong here for most organizations: your measurement systems and your cross-functional collaboration.

Measurement first. Whatever method you’re using to track marketing impact, keep refining it. Blend hard metrics with structured qualitative assessment. Honor both data and experienced judgment.

Collaboration second. Marketing doesn’t happen in isolation. I rarely see a company execute a marketing initiative successfully without involving IT, operations, finance, sales, and often external partners.

When cross-functional teams align around shared goals, execution improves. The Stop, Start, Continue framework gives everyone a common language.

The Implementation Rhythm

Here’s how to actually use this framework for 2026 planning.

Start with frequent check-ins. When you launch a new initiative, review it every couple of weeks. Is it working? Can you measure it? Should you continue or stop?

Once something proves itself, shift to quarterly reviews. You don’t need weekly meetings for strategies that are humming along.

This adaptive cadence acknowledges reality. New initiatives need attention. Established ones need space to run.

And involve everyone. Not just marketing. Get input from across the organization. Better decisions come from diverse perspectives.

Start Now

The best time to plan for 2026 is right now.

Not because you need a perfect strategy. Because you need time to test, measure, and adjust. The sooner you start evaluating what to stop, start, and continue, the more data you’ll have when it matters.

Stop planning. Start executing.