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Marketing Plan Format


There are many formats for marketing plans and every company does it a little differently, but the outline that follows is a very complete format.

Using this format will produce a 30 to 40 page plan. Many companies prefer an abridged format that would yield a 10 to 20 page plan.

  1. Title page (for presentation purposes)

  2. Executive Summary

  3. Current Situation – Macro environment
    • economy
    • legal
    • government
    • technology
    • ecological
    • sociocultural
    • supply chain

  4. Current Situation – Market Analysis
    • market definition
    • market size
    • market segmentation
    • industry structure and strategic groupings
    • Porter 5 forces analysis
    • competition and market share
    • competitors’ strengths and weaknesses
    • market trends

  5. Current Situation – Consumer Analysis
    • nature of the buying decision
    • participants
    • demographics
    • psychographics
    • buyer motivation and expectations
    • loyalty segments

  6. Current Situation – Internal
    • core competencies
    • company resources
      • financial
      • people
      • time
      • skills
    • objectives
      • mission statement and vision statement
      • corporate objectives
      • financial objective
      • marketing objectives
      • long term objectives
    • corporate culture

  7. Summary of Situation Analysis
    • external threats
    • external opportunities
    • internal strengths
    • internal weaknesses
    • key success factors in the industry
    • our sustainable competitive advantage

  8. Marketing research
    • information requirements
    • research methodology
    • research results

  9. Marketing Strategy – Product
    • product mix
    • product strengths and weaknesses
      • perceptual mapping
    • product life cycle management and new product development
    • Brand name, brand image, and brand equity
    • the augmented product
    • product analysis

  10. Marketing Strategy – Market share objectives
    • by products,
    • by customer segments,
    • by geographical markets

  11. Marketing Strategy – Price
    • pricing objectives
    • pricing method (eg.: cost plus, demand based, or competitor indexing)
    • pricing strategy (eg.: skimming, or penetration)
    • discounts and allowances
    • price elasticity and customer sensitivity
    • price zoning (geographic)
    • break even analysis at various prices

  12. Marketing Strategy – promotion
    • promotional goals
    • promotional mix
    • advertising reach, frequency, flights, theme, and media
    • sales force requirements, techniques, and management
    • sales promotion
    • publicity and public relations
    • electronic promotion (eg.: Web, or telephone)

  13. Marketing Strategy – Distribution
    • geographical coverage
    • distribution channels
    • physical distribution and logistics
    • electronic distribution

  14. Implementation
    • personnel requirements
      • assign responsibilities
      • give incentives
      • training on selling methods
    • financial requirements
    • management information systems requirements (CRM)
    • month-by-month agenda
    • monitoring results and benchmarks
    • adjustment mechanism
    • contingencies (What if’s)

  15. Financial Summary
    • assumptions
    • monthly financial results (income and expenditure)
    • contribution margin analysis
    • break even analysis

  16. Scenarios
    • Prediction of Future Scenarios
    • Plan of Action for each Scenario

  17. Appendix
    • pictures and specifications of the new product
    • results from research already completed

Author Credits ::

NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MARKETING PLANS?

Baron Consultancy has been business consulting to small and medium size business owners and helping them achieve various key objectives since 1994. They can provide advice on such key issues as business plans, business budgets, business marketing plans, exit plans, personnel recruitment, asset management, sales and marketing and operational analysis.