1. Marketing and Planning
The basics of business planning

2. Why is planning important in Marketing?
To give your business focus using goals
To give your business the ability to adapt to changes in the market
To increase co-ordination throughout the business
To improve time management by having timelines
To motivate employees

3. Types of Plans Long Range Plans: a plan that is greater than a year
Short Range Plans: a that is less than a year
Strategic Plans: are extensive, long range plans created by upper management to direct the progress of the whole company
Operational Plans: the implementing of strategic plans
Single-Use Plans: are unique and used only once
Standing-Use Plans: are designed to be used again and again. For example: polices, rules, procedures, and budgets

4. Types of Strategic Growth Plans
Market Development: adding new customers to current market and discovering new markets to sell current products
Product Development: inventing new products or modifying existing ones
Horizontal Integration: Expanding company by buying or merging with other corporations in the same industry
Vertical Integration: Company buys its suppliers and/or distributors
Conglomerate Integration: buys companies in entirely different industries

5. Types of Strategic Growth Plans Continued
Strategic Alliances: expand internationally by partnering with other companies in other countries
E-business: expand operations by using the internet

6. Planning Process Executive Summary Situation Analysis/Objectives
Marketing Strategies
Implementation
Evaluation and Control
Appendix

7. Executive Summary When writing a formal plan this is your introduction
It should be brief and clear
It should sell your plan to the readers

8. Situation Analysis/Objectives
Complete a SWOT analysis for your company
Set both financial and marketing objectives (goals)
Don’t forget goals should be specific, realistic, measurable, and have a set time frame
Ensure your objectives line up with your business’s mission statement
Ensure your objectives line up with your analysis of the company

9. Marketing Strategies Define how you will meet your objectives
Reconsider your opportunities and threats and the effect they may have on your objectives
Consider the four Ps (product, promotion, price, placement)

10. Implementation Establish jobs that need to be completed
Assign teams or people to complete jobs
Set timelines for when jobs should be completed
Put the plan into action

11. Evaluation and Control
After implementing your plan carefully track your progress
Compare progress to initial objectives
Your goals should have outlined how you know if your plan is being successful
If your plan is not meeting your goals take corrective actions

12. appendix
Marketing plans are usually shared with several departments with a company
The appendix portion of the plan is any documents which need to be shared to all departments to ensure the plan can be implemented
These documents could be (but not limited too)
Collected data
Tracking sheets
Financial statements

13. Tips to Make your Plan Work!
Participative Planning: include all people who will be impacting by the decision in the planning process. This will increase understanding, commitment, and creativity
Benchmarking: using external comparisons to understand what is occurring in your company. For example if your competitor lost 15% in sales, you gain understanding of why your company is losing 7% in sales.
Contingency Planning: planning for alternative course of action should your plan fail or situations change. Worse case scenario planning.
Set Timelines: establish when each phase is to be completed and evaluated
Forecasting: predicting what future conditions will be like