Planning Process Most businesspeople agree that good planning is essential for success. Even so, it’s surprising how many companies don’t create a thorough plan to generate and manage their customers. A marketing plan is a detailed roadmap that outlines all your marketing strategies, tactics, activities, costs and projected results over a period of time. The plan keeps your entire team focused on specific goals – it’s a critical resource for your entire company. A thorough marketing plan typically includes: Financial goals Sales plan Positioning strategy Major marketing campaigns Brand strategy Detailed budget Product/service overview Dates to review progress Detailed goals by product, distribution channel &/or customer segment It takes time to develop a solid plan, but it’s important because it ties all of your activities to tangible goals. It’s also a great opportunity to focus on the future, generate new ideas, and inspire your team. Even a simple plan is better than none, but when you invest more effort upfront, you’ll have a better roadmap toward your goals. MBA students typically learn how to produce a detailed marketing plan based on Philip Kotler’s Marketing Management textbook. Originally published in the 1980s, this 800+ page textbook is packed with theory. It can be very useful for advanced marketers in big companies, but most small to mid-‐size companies need something more practical. In your marketing plan you’ll define, outline and organize your marketing activities over a period of time. Even a simple marketing plan is better than none, but when you invest more effort upfront, you’ll know exactly what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and at what cost throughout the year. You’ll also have tangible goals so you can measure your progress. This exercise will help you define the scope of the marketing plan you’ll create.
Summary EXERCISE SUMMARY When to Address
If you’re entering any type of revenue planning or budgeting process for any timeframe
Marketing Plan Planning Process
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