How to Write a Successful Marketing Plan ^{2^nd Ed.}

A Disciplined and Comprehensive Approach

Publisher: NTC, 1997, 510 pages

ISBN: 0-8442-3202-5

Last modified: Aug. 7, 2021, 1:37 p.m.

Synopsis

Here is everything you need to know for a disciplined, comprehensive "real world" marketing plan to help your company thrive and grow. This essential must-have information for anyone planning marketing programs in any size organization and any industry — consumer goods, service, retailing, business to business and public sector.

Thousands of practitioner, teaching, and consulting hours have gone into preparing this new edition of NTC's popular marketing plan guide. The marketing background section of this new edition has been expanded and revised, providing more and easier ways to access information with which to write the marketing plan that follows. New chapters on locking target market and marketing objectives to sales, setting communication goals, executing the plan, and market research and testing add even more valuable and detailed insight into the planning process. The second edition also offers 50% more information — data, ideas, worksheets, and strategic thinking.

How to Write a Successful Marketing Plan gives you a proven, easy-to-follow, step-by-step, interlocking process for developing your marketing plan. It details what information you need to prepare you plan and provides a 10 step method that lets you write a plan that quantitatively locks all elements of the plan to deliver the sales objectives. It includes actual worksheets, flowcharts, outlines, and formats to help you gather and apply the information you need to make the right strategic decisions all along the way. When you finish this book, not only will your plan be ready but you'll be ready to implement your plan!

How to Write a Successful Marketing Plan is the marketer's complete guide to

Finding the data you need to develop your plan
Conducting an accurate situation analysis
Formulating problems and opportunities
Setting realistic sales objectives
Defining target markets and quantifying marketing plan objectives in a manner that ties directly back to fulfilling the sales objectives
Positioning your products
Preparing your marketing strategies from 18 strategic alternatives
Determining the awareness and attitude communication goals that will fulfill your marketing objectives and help guide your development of the tactical marketing mix tools
Establishing specific objectives and strategies for tactical tool components: products, pricing, promotion, advertising, merchandising, publicity, and more
Condensing your plan into a workable calendar of activities
Arriving at a realistic budget and payback schedule
Using the keys to successful execution of the plan
Evaluating and testing the plan's effectiveness

With a special appendix including hundreds of idea starters for everyday marketing challenges!

Introduction

What the Reader Can Expect
Disciplined Marketing Planning
The Ten Steps to Disciplined Marketing Planning

Step 1: Business review
Step 2: Problems and Opportunities
Step 3: Quantifiable Sales Objectives
Step 4: Target Markets and Marketing Objectives
Step 5: Overall Plan Strategies
Step 6: Communication Goals
Step 7: Tactical Marketing Mix Toolkit
Step 8: Budget, Calendar, Payback Analysis
Step 9: Execution
Step 10: Evaluation

How to Use This Book in Your Marketing Planning

Adapt the Process to Fit Your Business
Keep Track of Your Ideas
Use Idea Starters
Allow Sufficient Time to Prepare and Modify Your Plan

Part One: Marketing Background

The Business Review

Overview
Why Marketing Information is Important

The Four C's

Primary Elements of the Business Review

Section I: Scope
Section II: Product and Market Review
Section III: Target Market Effectors

Target Markets
Awareness
Attitude
Trial and Retrial Behavior

Preparing the Business Review

Task 1 — Prepare an Outline
Task 2 — Develop Questions
Task 3 — Develop Data Charts
Task 4 — Develop Reference Points for Comparisons

Compare 5-year Trends
Trends Within the Company
Company to Industry Comparisons
Competitive Comparisons
Benchmark Marketing

Task 5 — Conduct Data Research
Task 6 — Write Summary Statements
Organizing the Business Review

Conducting Research

Primary Research

Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research

Secondary Research

Indexing
Sources of Secondary Information

How to Prepare a Business Review

Overview
Step 1: Scope

A Scope Case Study
Task 1 — Provide An Overview of Company Strengths and Weaknesses

Questions to be Addressed
Example Strengths
Example Weaknesses

Task 2 — Identify the Organizations Core Competences

Questions to be Addressed

Task 3 — Identifying Marketing Capabilities

Questions to be Addressed

Task 4 — Development and Analysis of Potential Business Scope Options

Scope Option 1 — Membership Organization
Scope Option 2 — Independent Core Product Concept
Scope Option 3 — Synergistic Product Concept

Task 5 — Analysis of Your Options

Example Analysis of Scope Option #1: Membership Organization
Questions to be Addressed

Step 2: Product and Market Review

Task 1 — Corporate Philosophy/Description of the Company

Corporate Goals and Objectives
General Company History
Organizational Structure

Task 2 — Product Analysis

Identify Products Within Determined Scope of Your Business
Description of Company Products, History, Strengths and Weaknesses
Description of Competitive Product Strengths and Weaknesses
Product Trends

Task 3 — Category and Company Sales Trends

Sales/Transactions/Profit Analysis

Task 4 — Behavior Trends

Demographic Trends
Geographic Trends
Social/Consumer Trends
Technology Trends
Media Trends

Task 5 — Distribution

Retail
Package Goods
Business to Business
Service Firms

Task 6 — Pricing

Price of Your Product
Distribution of Sales by Price Point
Price Elasticity
Cost Structure
Questions to be Addressed

Task 7 — Competitive Review

How to Organize and Analyze Competitive Information

Step 3: Target Market Effectors

Target Markets
Awareness
Attributes
Trial
Retrial
Task 1 — Review of Consumer and Business-to-Business Target Market Segments

Volume and Concentration
Industry Category versus Company/Target Market
Review of Consumer Segmentation Methods
Customer Tenure Segmentation
Demographic Segmentation (Description and Size)
Product Usage Segmentation
Psychographic/Lifestyle Segmentation
Attributes Segmentation
Heavy User Segmentation
Review of the Business-to-Business Segmentation Methods

Task 2 — Product Awareness and Attributes

Product Awareness
Product Attributes
Product Life Cycle

Task 3 — Trial and Retrial Behavior

Trial Behavior
Retrial Behavior
Trial to Retrial Ratio

Business Review Writing Style

Target Market Effectors — Target Market Example
Target Market Effectors — Trial Example
Product or Marker Review — Sales Example

Dos and Don'ts

Problems and Opportunities

Overview

Identifying Problems and Opportunities

Problems
Opportunities
Problem or Opportunity?

How to Write Actionable Problems and Opportunities

Writing Style Examples

Product and Market Review — Sales Section
Product and Market Review — Competitive Review Section
Target Market Effectors — Target Market Section
Target Market Effectors — Awareness and Attribute Sections
Target Market Effectors — Trial and Retrial Behavior Sections

Keep Your Statements Factual

Dos and Don'ts

Part Two: Marketing Plan

Sales Objectives

Overview

Definitions and Importance of Sales Objectives
What to Keep in Mind When Setting Sales Objectives

Sales Objectives Must Be Challenging and Attainable
Sales Objectives Must Be Time Specific
Sales Objectives Must Be Measurable
Sales Objectives Re More Than Dollars and Units/Persons Served

Quantitative and Qualitative Factors Affecting the Setting of Sales Objectives

Quantitative Factors
Qualitative Factors

How to Set Sales Objectives

The Process of Setting Sales Objectives
Task 1 — Set Quantitative Sales Objectives

Outside Macro Perspective
Inside Micro Approach
Expense Plus Approach
Alternative New Product/Category Approach

Task 2 — Reconciling Sales Objectives
Task 3 — Qualitative Adjustment of Quantitative Sales
Final Reminders

Include Rationale with Sales Objectives
Involve Upper Management in Setting Sales Objectives
Plan to Revise the Sales Objectives

Dos and Don'ts

Target Markets and Marketing Objectives

Overview

Target Market Definition
Segmentation
Short-term and Long-term Target Market Segments
Primary and Secondary Target Markets

Primary Target Market
Secondary Target Markets

Purchaser and/or User Determination

Target Segmentation Methodology

Task 1 — Sales/Profits
Task 2 — Segmentation
Segmentation Categories

Consumer Tenure
Demographics
Buying Habits/Product Use
Lifestyle Characteristics
Geography
Attribute Preference
Heavy User or Purchaser Segment

Task 3 — Awareness
Task 4 — Attitude
Task 5 — Decision Criteria
Task 6 — Product Mix of Segments

Target Market versus Product Plans

Task 7 — Demand Analysis

Business-to-Business Target Market Segmentation

Task 1 — Define Your Existing Core Customer
Task 2 — Target High Potential New Customers

New Potential Customers in SIC Categories With Which Your Company Does Business
Potential Customers in SIC Categories With Which Your Company Does Not Do Business

Task 3 — Define the Decision Maker(s) and the Decision Making Process

How to Write Target Market Descriptors
Locking the Sales, Target Market and Marketing Objectives Together

Marketing Objective Definition
Current Users and New Users

Current Users/Customers
New Users/Customers

How to Develop Your Marketing Objectives

Task 1 — Review of Sales Objectives
Task 2 — Review of Target Market
Task 3 — Review of Problems and Opportunities
Task 4 — Quantify the Marketing Objective in Terms of Sales and Target Market Behavior
Long- and Short-Term Marketing Objectives
Differences Between Retail, Package Goods, and Business-to-Business Marketing Objectives

Dos and Don'ts

Positioning

Overview

Definition of Positioning
Importance of Positioning
Positioning Considerations

How to Develop Your Own Positioning

Positioning by Matching

Task 1 — Analyze Your Product versus the Competition
Task 2 — Identify Product Differences versus Competition
Task 3 — List Your Key Target Markets
Task 4 — List Key Target Markets Characteristics
Task 5 — Match Your Product's Characteristics to the Target Market's Needs/Wants

Positioning by Mapping

Task 1 — List Product Attributes by Importance
Task 2 — Rate Your Product and Competitor's Products for Each Attribute
Task 3 — Visualize Desired Position on Map for Your Products

Mapping Customer versus Noncustomer Perceptions
Looking for Positioning Gaps
Look for Strengths and/or Groupings

Positioning by Emotional Relationship
How to Build an Emotional Relationship with the Customer

Task 1 — Develop an Individual Profile of Your Highest Opportunity Consumer
Task 2 — Brainstorm for Motivators
Task 3 — Rank the Motivator Choices With Target Consumers
Task 4 — Identify the Consumer's Primary Emotional Motivator(s)
Task 5 — Validate Qualitative Analysis with Quantitative Survey Results
Task 6 — Use the Strongest Underlying Motivator as Basis for Positioning Strategy

Prepare a Positioning Strategy
Select a Positioning Execution

Position by Product Difference
Position by Key Attribute/Benefit
Position by the Users of Your Product
Position by Usage
Positioning Against a Category
Positioning Against a Specific Competitor(s)
Positioning by Association
Positioning by Problem

Dos and Don'ts

Marketing Strategies

Overview
Alternative Strategies for Consideration

Build the Market or Steal Market Share?
National, Regional, and Local Market Strategies
Seasonality Strategies
Spending Strategies
Competitive Strategies
Target Market Strategies
Product Strategies
Branding Strategies
Packaging Strategies
Pricing Strategies
Distribution of Product/Penetration or Coverage Strategies
Personal Selling/Service/Operation Strategies
Promotion Strategies
Advertising Message Strategies
Merchandising Strategies
Publicity Strategies
Marketing R & T (Research and Testing) Strategies

How to Develop Your Marketing Strategies

Writing Your Marketing Strategies

Dos and Don'ts

Communication Goals

Overview

The Four A's of Communication and Behavior
The Process of Locking Sales to Communication

Effects of the Marketing Communication Process on Sales
Locking Sales From Target Market to Marketing Objectives and Communication
Four Tasks to Development of Purchase Intent and Communication Goals

Communication Goals Application

Task 1 — Review Awareness, Attributes, and Action/Behavior Experiences for Your Product, the Competition, the Category, and Related Categories

Understand Your Own Product History
Implement Primary Research
Review Secondary Sources

Task 2 — Review Marketing Objectives, Positioning, and Strategies

Marketing Objectives
Market Positioning
Marketing Strategies

Task 3 — Determine the Overall Marketing Plan Communication Goals

Purchase Intent
Attitude and Awareness
Relationship of Actual Purchase Intent, Attitude, and Awareness

Task 4 — Set Awareness and Attitude Value Goals for Each Tactical Tool

Rank Tactical Tools by Importance
Assign Values by Importance

Communication Control Challenges and Inherent Problems Regarding the Communication Value Method

Controlled to Somewhat Controlled to Uncontrolled Communication
Application Shortcomings

Dos and Don'ts

Product/Branding/Packaging

Overview

Definition of Product
Definition of New Product
Why New Products Are Important
Issues Affecting the Product

Product Attributes
Product Segmentation
Product Innovation

How to Develop a New Product Plan

Task 1 — Establish Your Product Objectives
Task 2 — Establish Your Product Strategies

Why So Many New Products Fail
Dos and Don'ts
Branding Overview

Definition of Brand
Definition of Branding
The Importance of Branding

Developing Your Branding Plan

Task 1 — Establish Branding Objectives
Task 2 — Establish Branding Strategies
Task 3 — Establish Branding Property Parameters
Task 4 — Name Generation and Selection
Task 5 — Legal Protection of Your Brand

Dos and Don'ts
Packaging Overview

Functions of Packaging

Protection
Facilitating Product Usage
Communication

Functions of the Store or Business Environment

Reasons for Changing Your Packaging
Developing A Packaging Plan

Task 1 — Develop Packaging Objectives
Task 2 — Develop Packaging Strategies

Dos and Don'ts

Pricing

Overview

Definition of Price
Considerations in Pricing

Breakeven
Price Sensitivity
Positioning
Target Market
Promotions
Product Life Cycle
Product Differentiation
Competitive Bidding
Business Goals
Determine Your Pricing Needs

How to Develop a Pricing Plan

Task 1 — Establish Pricing Objectives

Higher, Lower, or Parity Pricing
Determine Your Price Approach
Address Geography and Timing
Writing the Price Objectives

Task 2 — Establish Price Strategies
Dos and Don'ts

Distribution

Overview

Definition of Distribution
Issues Affecting Distribution

Penetration of Market Coverage
Type of Outlet(s) or Channel(s)
Competition
Geography
Timing

How to Develop a Distribution Plan

Task 1 — Establish Distribution Objectives
Task 2 — Establish Distribution Strategies

Retail and Service Firms
Manufacturers

Dos and Don'ts

Personal Selling/Service

Overview

Definition of Personal Selling
Issues Affecting Personal Selling and Service

Retail and Service Firms
Manufacturers

How to Develop A Personal Selling/Service Plan

Task 1 — Establish Selling/Service Objectives

For Retail/Service
For Manufacturers

Task 2 — Establish Selling/Service Strategies
Example of Retail Selling Strategies
Example of Manufacturers' Selling Strategies

Dos and Don'ts

Promotions/Events

Overview

Definition of Promotion
Consumer and Trade (Business-to-Business) Promotion
Promotion Incentives
Types of Promotion Categories

Timing of the Incentive Payback to the Target Market

Five Keys to Developing Successful Promotions

Establishing Short-Term Promotion Sales Objectives
How to Develop Your Promotion Objectives

Promotion Objectives Parameters
Task 1 — Review Your Marketing Strategies
Task 2 — Review the Selected Marketing Strategies and Their Corresponding Market Objectives
Task 3 — Create Quantifiable Promotion Objectives

Promotion Strategy and Execution Considerations

Promotion Strategy Parameters

Type of Promotion Device
The Promotion Incentive
Closed versus Open Promotions
Delivery Method

How to Develop Promotion Strategies and Programs

Task 1 — Review Your Promotion Objective(s)
Task 2 — Review Your Problems and Opportunities
Task 3 — Finalize Your Promotion Strategies
Task 4 — Develop Alternative Promotion Program Executions
Task 5 — Calculate the Cost and Payback Potential of Your Promotions

Cost Calculation for Closed Promotion
Payback Analysis

Task 6 — Select the Most Appropriate Promotion Executions

How to Approach Event Marketing

What is the Goal?
Selecting an Event
Questions to Ask Yourself When Planning an Event
Type of Events

Dos and Don'ts
Appendix of Promotion Vehicles

Advertising Message

Overview

Definition
What is Expected of Your Advertising?

The Disciplined Process for Advertising

Task 1 — Advertising Objectives

Advertising Awareness and Attitude Objectives
Measurable Advertising Objectives

Task 2 — Advertising Strategy

Criteria for the Ideal Advertising Strategy

Task 3 — Consideration of Executional Elements

Helpful Hints

Review "How To" Create Advertising Sources
How to Select an Advertising Agency

Dos and Don'ts

Advertising Media

Overview
Disciplined Approach to Media Planning

Task 1 — Review of Information Needed to Write a Media Plan
Task 2 — Set the Media Objectives

Target Audience
Geography
Seasonality
Media Weight and Impact Goals
Optional Media Objectives for Your Plan

Task 3 — Prepare the Media Strategy

Media Mix Strategy
Specific Usage of Each Medium
Scheduling Strategy
Media Testing Strategies

Task 4 — Development of the Final Media Plan with Calendar and Budget

Prepare and Review Alternative Media Plans
Finalize the Media Plan
Prepare a Complete Media Calendar
Prepare a Media Budget Summary
Final Check of the Media Plan

Dos and Don'ts
Appendix of Evolving Personal Media

Merchandising

Overview

Definition of Merchandising
Issues Affecting Merchandising

Merchandising Delivery Methods
Geography
Timing
Merchandising's Purpose

How to Develop a Merchandising Plan

Task 1 — Establish Merchandising Objectives
Task 2 — Establish Merchandising Strategies

Dos and Don'ts

Publicity

Overview

Definition of Publicity
Issues Affecting Publicity

Publicity Planning
Publicity is Contingent on What is Newsworthy
Publicity Should Generate Added Awareness for Your Company, Product Name, and Key Product Attributes
Always Consider and Prepare for the Potential Downside of Publicity
Look for Connections Between Publicity and the Other Tools in Your Marketing Program
Types of Potential Articles or News Stories
Public Service Advertising/Announcements (PSAs)
The Timing of Your Publicity Efforts is Important

How to Develop a Publicity Plan

Task 1 — Establish Your Publicity Objectives
Task 2 — Establish Your Publicity Strategies

Dos and Don'ts

Marketing Budget, Payback Analysis, and Marketing Calendar

Budgeting Overview
How to Develop Your Budget

Task 1 — Task Method
Task 2 — Percent-of-Sales Method
Task 3 — Competitive Method

Using a Combination of the Three Tasks to Finalize Your Budget
How to Develop Your Budget Format
Payback Analysis Overview

Reconciling Your Budget and Payback Analysis
How to Develop Your Payback Analysis

Contribution-to-Fixed-Costs Payback Analysis
Gross-Margin-to-Net-Sales Payback Analysis
Use Your Finance Department for Help

Marketing Calendar Overview
Dos and Don'ts

Part Three: Execution

Plan Execution

Overview

Definition of Execution
The Importance of Thorough Execution

Key Steps to Successful Execution

Review and Understand All Elements of the Plan
Develop Activity Lists for the First Six Months
Communicate the Plan

Key Company Staff
Company Staff Overall
Distribution Channels
Ongoing Follow-up

Stay Committed to the Plan
Top Management Support

Dos and Don'ts

Part Four: Evaluation

Plan Evaluation

Overview

Evaluation of the Marketing Plan and Its Components
Sales Trend Comparison

Sales Trend Analysis with Control Markets
Sales Trending Analysis without Control Markets

Pre- and Post-Execution Research

How to Structure the Sales Evaluation Process

Growth Rate of Improvement Sales Trending Model Example
Execution
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4

Examples of Preperiod to Test Period Comparisons

Dos and Don'ts

Marketing Research and Testing (R&T)

Overview

Why We Need to Test
When to Test and When Not to Test
Types of Research and Testing Environments

Exploratory
Experimental
In-market Testing

Examples of How to Develop Testing Programs

Positioning Concepts
Product Testing
Branding Testing
Promotion Testing
Advertising Message Communications
Media Tests

Dos and Don'ts

Idea Starters by Marketing Situation
Worksheets for the Marketing Background
Worksheets and Formats for the Marketing Plan

Reviews

How to Write a Succesful Marketing Plan

Reviewed by Roland Buresund

Good ******* (7 out of 10)

Last modified: May 21, 2007, 3:06 a.m.

Opinion

A very complete book about how to write a marketing plan.

Comments

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How to Write a Successful Marketing Plan ^{2^nd Ed.}

A Disciplined and Comprehensive Approach

Synopsis

Table of Contents

Reviews

How to Write a Succesful Marketing Plan

Reviewed by Roland Buresund

Good ******* (7 out of 10)

Opinion

Comments

New Comment

How to Write a Successful Marketing Plan 2nd Ed.

A Disciplined and Comprehensive Approach

Synopsis

Table of Contents

Reviews

How to Write a Succesful Marketing Plan

Reviewed by Roland Buresund

Good ******* (7 out of 10)

Opinion

Comments

New Comment

How to Write a Successful Marketing Plan ^{2^nd Ed.}