Essential guide to marketing planning

Book Preface

Careful, creative planning is essential in today’s global marketplace, where customers’ needs and behaviours are constantly changing, economic circumstances are unpredictable, competitive pressure is intense and every day brings new technological advances. This book is your essential guide for learning how to prepare a practical, effective marketing plan to achieve financial, marketing and societal objectives. Through clear explanations, real-world examples and hands-on exercises, it will help you to:

• understand what marketing planning is, how it works and why it’s important;
• learn the vocabulary and concepts of planning;
• complete the seven stages of the marketing planning process;
• formulate a marketing plan customised for your situation.

Use this book to gain insights from the experiences of marketers worldwide and apply your knowledge to develop a marketing plan of your own. You will begin to research your market, analyse your competitive situation, set objectives, decide on marketing strategies and document your ideas in a marketing plan similar to the sample plan in the Appendix. Whether you go on to work for a major corporation, specialise in consumer or business marketing, start your own business or join a non-governmental organisation, your understanding of the planning process and planning techniques will be a valuable asset.

Brief Contents

Preface XV
About the author XX
Acknowledgements XXI
Chapter 1 Introduction to marketing planning 2
Chapter 2 Analysing the current situation 24
Chapter 3 Analysing customers and markets 46
Chapter 4 Segmenting, targeting and positioning 68
Chapter 5 Planning direction and objectives 88
Chapter 6 Planning for products and brands 106
Chapter 7 Planning for pricing 128
Chapter 8 Planning for channels and logistics 150
Chapter 9 Planning for communications and influence 170
Chapter 10 Planning for digital, social media and mobile marketing 194
Chapter 11 Supporting the marketing strategy 216
Chapter 12 Planning for implementation, metrics and control 236
Appendix: Sample marketing plan for Lost Legends Luxury Chocolatier 262
Glossary 283
Index 294