The marketing plan is a management tool that determines the steps to be followed, the methodologies and times to achieve certain objectives. Thus we have that the Pdmkt is part of the strategic planning of a company.
We cannot forget that it should not be an isolated activity, but, on the contrary, it should be perfectly linked to the rest of the company's departments (Finance, production, quality, personnel, etc…)
FORECAST and OBJECTIVES
1.1 FORECAST
We can say that this section is already part of the Pdmkt. It consists of answering the following question:
If this continues and the same trend continues in our market and the environment… What will be our situation in the short, medium and long term?
We must ask ourselves:
- Where is the company right now Where are we going Where we want to go
The marketing plan is a tool that allows us to mark the way to reach a specific place. We can hardly make it if we do not know where we are and where we want to go.
This, therefore, is the starting point.
1.2 Objectives
As a result of the previous analysis, it is convenient to set the goals we intend to achieve, with the available means.
The objectives should be:
- Measurable qualitatively or quantitatively Achievable Having the appropriate means Being perfectly described Accepted by the people involved
2. STAGES OF THE MARKETING PLAN
The Marketing Plan requires a methodology to be followed with some precision if we do not want to fall into disarray. It is important to follow each and every one of the following steps in the order described.
- Analysis of the situation.
In this section we must identify:
- Existing competitors DAFO (Weaknesses, Threats, Strengths and Opportunities) Products, prices, discounts, location, billing, design, manufacturing, finance, etc. of each one. Sales policies, distribution channels used, advertising and promotion. Environment and market situation, Economic, political, legal, technological situation etc. Consumer behavior, product usage patterns, sector, industry or market customs Trends and possible evolution of the market Situation of our company regarding product policies finance, productive capacity, technological R&D, costs, personnel, resources… Who are our customers? Why do they buy? When do they buy? Where do they buy? How do they buy? How much do they buy? How often?
FORECAST
OBJECTIVES
- General objectives of the marketing plan Sales objectives by product Objectives by market share Objectives by brand participation Quality objectives Time and time objectives Price objectives Margin and cost objectives Advertising and promotion objectives Target of sales quotas by seller, delegation, team…
STRATEGY
We understand by strategy how to achieve the objectives. Or what is the same What are we going to do to reach the proposed goal?
The term strategy comes from the military language. Charles O. Rossoti says that strategy is "The engine that increases the organization's flexibility to adapt to change and the ability to reach new and creative opinions"
Strategy is creative work.
Here we would go into detail in these 4 sections:
- Product Policies
- What product do we want to commercialize? Product characteristics Packaging design Brands Labels Target or target market Qualities Presentations
- Rates Sales conditions Discounts Margins Balance point
- Physical distribution of merchandise Distribution channels to be used Sales network organization
- Promotions Merchandising Media plan Advertising campaign development Ad effectiveness analysis
TACTICS TO USE
Tactic is a lower order strategy. Actions to achieve smaller objectives in shorter periods of time. More specific tasks and not as global as the strategies would be.
- What should each individual do? When should they do it? How should they do it? Who should do it? What resources do they have? Work and task planning Technical, economic and human resources Organization
CONTROLS TO USE
Control procedures must be established that allow us to measure the effectiveness of each of the actions, as well as determine that the scheduled tasks are carried out in the manner, method and time provided.
There are three types of control:
- Preventive
They are those that we determine in advance as possible causes of error or delay. They allow to have a corrective action established in the event of occurrence.
- Corrective
They are done when the problem has happened.
- Late
When it is too late to correct.
For this reason, it is convenient that we establish preventive controls for each of the proposed actions.
FEEDBACK
Feedback. As we are implementing the marketing plan, it may happen that some initial conditions change. For example, some reaction from the competition, market entry of new products, etc.
This implies that we must correct the Pdmkt as appropriate.
The Pdmkt must not be rigid and immovable. On the contrary, it must show some flexibility in its application.
It is important to establish a contingency plan for each possible new situation.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
The objective of this section focuses on the need to plan the costs and budgets related to the Marketing Plan.
It is necessary to anticipate in advance each and every one of the costs as well as the different budgets that we will assign to each department.
- Advertising and Promotion Costs Sales Costs and Revenue Research Costs Product Development Costs Logistics and Distribution Costs Margins and break-even point Budget determination for each department / area
3. DIFFICULTIES
There are certain difficulties that we cannot avoid regarding the implementation of the marketing plan. It is also convenient to identify them in order to prevent them. The best known are the following:
- Poorly defined or excessive objectives Lack of technical, human or financial means Not anticipating the possible reaction of the competition Not having alternative plans Little planning regarding the execution of the actions Lack of involvement on the part of the management Not establishing adequate controls Poorly motivated or trained staff Lack of foresight in Regarding contingency plans Scarce market information Inaccurate information analysis Excess information and unnecessary bureaucratic procedures Lack of coordination between the different company departments
4. SUMMARY
General contents of the Strategic Marketing Plan:
General contents of the Strategic Marketing Plan
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