Marketing plans

Once the Marketing Audit has established the need and the role for marketing we can begin the process of developing a Marketing Plan for your brand that ends up with campaigns for improving your share of market and/or increased turnover and profits. Marketing plans should be constantly evolving processes that are responsive to results and changes in the marketplace. With so many variables affecting the numbers you cannot expect the Plan to remain the same for  even a 12 month period. So plan for change and respond to it with fresh ideas!
 

The contents of the Marketing Plan will vary, but should include some or all of the following:
 

1. Objectives

• Company mission statement
• Detailed company sales, revenue and profit objectives
• Individual product goals
   

2. Market/product background

• Product range and explanation
• Market overview and sales summary
   

3. SWOT analysis

• Performance of current marketing strategies
• Greatest challenges or threats
• Opportunity analysis
   

4. Marketing Analyses

• Marketing environment and trends
• Customers' needs and segments
• Competition and competitors' strategies
   

5. Marketing Strategies

• Core target markets
• Basis for competing/differential advantage
• Desired brand/product positioning
   

6. Sales Forecasts and results
 

7. Marketing programmes

• Marketing mixes
• Tasks and responsibilities
   

8. Controls and evaluation
 

9. Budgets

• Delineation of costs
• Expected Returns On Investment for implementation of Marketing Plan
   

10.  Operational considerations

• Personnel and internal communications
• Research and development/production needs
• Marketing information system