Communications strategy and planning
Marketing planning: today
Marketing = all around us
informative and entertaining ALSO inescapable BC OF intense competition for customers' attention
Today’s marketing:
- not only good product that counts
- more choices, higher expectations
- customers involved in marketing (suggesting products,…)
- demand for transparency
o backlash against ‘stealth marketing’ =
form of advertising that promotes a product or service in a subtle or disguised way to
make it feel natural in the customer's environment without it being too promotional
o concern about marketers invading privacy (online behavioral tracking)
- interest in company’s vision/values beyond making a profit the company behind the brand
o company with strong value stands out from competition
- reputation counts
o brands with positive image, transparency and trustworthiness are preffered
- Building reputation = good planning bc very easily spread around the world
Marketing and value
Marketing definition = the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating,
delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large
emphasize emportance of value
difference between:
- Perceived benefit a customer receives
o To satisfy want or need
- Perceived total price customer pays
= everything company is & does to provide competitively superior value to win customers' long term loyalty
The purpose of marketing planning
Marketing planning = structured process of determining
- how to provide value to customers, the organization, and key stakeholders
- by researching and analyzing the current situation, including markets and customers
- developing and documenting marketing’s objectives, strategies, and programs
- implementing, evaluating, and controlling marketing activities to achieve the objective
OUTCOME = the marketing plan
= docu covering particular period that summarizes what marketer has learned about marketplace, what will
be accomplished through marketing, and how.
= the overall process for viable marketing plan
Should explain how company
- will provide value
- build relationships
- make a difference to stakeholders
Purpose of marketing planning = provide disciplined yet flexible framework to guid company towards its
value and relationship objectives
,Must include milestones to track progress + control mechanism to adjust tactics or timing
Plan marketing
- in line with customer interests, concerns, behavior, attitudes, and feelings
- update and adapt it to remain profitable and competitive bc the market and customers’ needs
evolve and organ. evolves
the marketing plan: the different stages
1. research and analyze the current situation
o study environmental trends to detect changes (political, economic, cultural,… DESTEP)
o assess company capability + rival strategy = to build on internal strengths whilst exploiting
their weaknesses and using emerging opportunities
2. understand markets and customers
o research trends, product demand, and customer characteristics (buying habits, needs,…)
o neuromarketing = use tech (eye-tracking) to measure consumers' physiological reactions to
products and marketing
Not yet mainstream
o The goal = answering questions like regional preferences
Who buys what, when, why, and how?
Are buying patterns changing and why?
What products/categories are or will be in demand?
How do purchases and preferences change over time?
What does customer want or need?
o Measuring customer engagement with brand or marketing campaigns
o Metrics:
Numerical measures of specific performance outcomes, related to brand awareness
and customer relationships
3. plan segmentation, targeting, positioning
o Select groups within the market = segments
Past: dividing overall market into separate groups
4. plan direction objectives, marketing support
5. develop marketing strategies and programs
6. plan metrics and implementation control
Contents of a marketing plan
Official planning documents created by a company
- strategic plan:
o outlines broad strategies for all units, divisions, and departments over 3 to 5-year period
- business plan:
o 1-year outline of overall financial objectives (profits, funding requirements) and explains
overall strategy to achieve them
o Describes all products and services, explains marketing strategy,…
- marketing plan:
o detailed outline of 1-year marketing strategy and implementation
o short-term, specific operational direction for how the organ. will use marketing to achieve
targeted results
, o developed for entire company
separate marketing plans for each product/line/geographic area/…
the marketing plan: the different parts
each section builds on the previous one = interrelated
1 thing changes my change everything else
- executive summary
o final section to be written
o brief overview of main points
- current marketing situation
- target market, customer analysis, positioning
- objectives and issues
- marketing strategy
- marketing programs
- financial and operational plans
- metrics and implementation control
In the past: Now:
made by marketing department involves organization-wide input and
reviewed and revised by upper management collaboration
distributed to sales and other departments including partners, suppliers, and customers
Larger companies 1 plan for every unit/product/brand
Success of marketing plan depends on
- internal and external relationships
- uncontrollable environmental factors (tech, competitive moves, economic pressures,…)
need to be reexamined regularly
Developing a marketing plan
Generally cover 1 full year new product = further into future
Marketing planning process starts several months before it needs to go into operation, allowing for:
- sufficient time for thorough research and analysis
- management review and revision
- coordination of resources among all departments
o important when involving multiple marketers
Long-term success = analyze connections with customers, suppliers, partners and other key stakeholders
Stakeholder = people and organizations that are influenced by or that can influence company performance
Past = monologue sending information
Now = dialogue info flowing both ways; provides clues to what both parties need, want, and value,…
input to adjust current programs and launch new ones based on creative, practical, and
adaptable marketing plan
Competitors are stakeholders = each company’s marketing affects rivals' performance and overall industry
- marketing plans sometimes made to overtake competitors or market leadership
o closely monitoring to adjust marketing plan when needed
Consider how they & other stakeholders can influence your marketing performance & other way around
Marketing planning: today
Marketing = all around us
informative and entertaining ALSO inescapable BC OF intense competition for customers' attention
Today’s marketing:
- not only good product that counts
- more choices, higher expectations
- customers involved in marketing (suggesting products,…)
- demand for transparency
o backlash against ‘stealth marketing’ =
form of advertising that promotes a product or service in a subtle or disguised way to
make it feel natural in the customer's environment without it being too promotional
o concern about marketers invading privacy (online behavioral tracking)
- interest in company’s vision/values beyond making a profit the company behind the brand
o company with strong value stands out from competition
- reputation counts
o brands with positive image, transparency and trustworthiness are preffered
- Building reputation = good planning bc very easily spread around the world
Marketing and value
Marketing definition = the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating,
delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large
emphasize emportance of value
difference between:
- Perceived benefit a customer receives
o To satisfy want or need
- Perceived total price customer pays
= everything company is & does to provide competitively superior value to win customers' long term loyalty
The purpose of marketing planning
Marketing planning = structured process of determining
- how to provide value to customers, the organization, and key stakeholders
- by researching and analyzing the current situation, including markets and customers
- developing and documenting marketing’s objectives, strategies, and programs
- implementing, evaluating, and controlling marketing activities to achieve the objective
OUTCOME = the marketing plan
= docu covering particular period that summarizes what marketer has learned about marketplace, what will
be accomplished through marketing, and how.
= the overall process for viable marketing plan
Should explain how company
- will provide value
- build relationships
- make a difference to stakeholders
Purpose of marketing planning = provide disciplined yet flexible framework to guid company towards its
value and relationship objectives
,Must include milestones to track progress + control mechanism to adjust tactics or timing
Plan marketing
- in line with customer interests, concerns, behavior, attitudes, and feelings
- update and adapt it to remain profitable and competitive bc the market and customers’ needs
evolve and organ. evolves
the marketing plan: the different stages
1. research and analyze the current situation
o study environmental trends to detect changes (political, economic, cultural,… DESTEP)
o assess company capability + rival strategy = to build on internal strengths whilst exploiting
their weaknesses and using emerging opportunities
2. understand markets and customers
o research trends, product demand, and customer characteristics (buying habits, needs,…)
o neuromarketing = use tech (eye-tracking) to measure consumers' physiological reactions to
products and marketing
Not yet mainstream
o The goal = answering questions like regional preferences
Who buys what, when, why, and how?
Are buying patterns changing and why?
What products/categories are or will be in demand?
How do purchases and preferences change over time?
What does customer want or need?
o Measuring customer engagement with brand or marketing campaigns
o Metrics:
Numerical measures of specific performance outcomes, related to brand awareness
and customer relationships
3. plan segmentation, targeting, positioning
o Select groups within the market = segments
Past: dividing overall market into separate groups
4. plan direction objectives, marketing support
5. develop marketing strategies and programs
6. plan metrics and implementation control
Contents of a marketing plan
Official planning documents created by a company
- strategic plan:
o outlines broad strategies for all units, divisions, and departments over 3 to 5-year period
- business plan:
o 1-year outline of overall financial objectives (profits, funding requirements) and explains
overall strategy to achieve them
o Describes all products and services, explains marketing strategy,…
- marketing plan:
o detailed outline of 1-year marketing strategy and implementation
o short-term, specific operational direction for how the organ. will use marketing to achieve
targeted results
, o developed for entire company
separate marketing plans for each product/line/geographic area/…
the marketing plan: the different parts
each section builds on the previous one = interrelated
1 thing changes my change everything else
- executive summary
o final section to be written
o brief overview of main points
- current marketing situation
- target market, customer analysis, positioning
- objectives and issues
- marketing strategy
- marketing programs
- financial and operational plans
- metrics and implementation control
In the past: Now:
made by marketing department involves organization-wide input and
reviewed and revised by upper management collaboration
distributed to sales and other departments including partners, suppliers, and customers
Larger companies 1 plan for every unit/product/brand
Success of marketing plan depends on
- internal and external relationships
- uncontrollable environmental factors (tech, competitive moves, economic pressures,…)
need to be reexamined regularly
Developing a marketing plan
Generally cover 1 full year new product = further into future
Marketing planning process starts several months before it needs to go into operation, allowing for:
- sufficient time for thorough research and analysis
- management review and revision
- coordination of resources among all departments
o important when involving multiple marketers
Long-term success = analyze connections with customers, suppliers, partners and other key stakeholders
Stakeholder = people and organizations that are influenced by or that can influence company performance
Past = monologue sending information
Now = dialogue info flowing both ways; provides clues to what both parties need, want, and value,…
input to adjust current programs and launch new ones based on creative, practical, and
adaptable marketing plan
Competitors are stakeholders = each company’s marketing affects rivals' performance and overall industry
- marketing plans sometimes made to overtake competitors or market leadership
o closely monitoring to adjust marketing plan when needed
Consider how they & other stakeholders can influence your marketing performance & other way around
