4 The Marketing Planning Process
The Marketing Planning Process Delete–repeats title above
A marketing plan outlines how you will market, sell, and advertise your offering, whether it is a product, service, organization, or even a person such as a politician.
Any plan needs to
- Analyze data and information
- Discuss conclusions
- Make recommendations
- Outline specific marketing actions, budgets, and timing
There are several elements that must be addressed in any marketing plan:
- What is the problem that needs to be solved?
- Who is the target market and what are their needs, wants, and desires?
- What is the problem you are solving for the target market?
- What is marketplace you are competing in?
- Who are your competitors within the marketplace you are competing in?
- What are the compelling selling messages that will persuade the target market to buy our offering?
- What are the specific marketing tactics that will be employed to reach the target market?*
*This can include a myriad of things like inbound and outbound selling; online, offline, and out-of-home advertising; social media; search; sales and special promotion efforts; key shopper promotions for online and offline stores; public relations; and customer relationship management).
- To achieve the above, we will be using several “frameworks” to help us identify the market and then write a marketing plan to achieve our goals. Keep in mind that this book is light on theory but heavy on action.
