| As Branding and marketing professionals, we | | | | efforts. It helps staff understand goals and |
| have an in-depth understanding of the | | | | become customer-focused. It also empowers |
| importance of a marketing plan. However, not | | | | them to make decisions on their own that are |
| everyone recognizes the benefits of investing | | | | consistent with the company's |
| in a strategic marketing plan prior to | | | | objectives.Tracks Costs / Measures Value: A |
| launching strategies and tactics that seem | | | | marketing plan provides a step-by-step guide |
| intuitive at the time. The following few | | | | to what you are spending money on and when. |
| paragraphs attempt to impart our | | | | It enables you to budget marketing |
| understanding of a well-written plan's | | | | expenses--helping you keep control of your |
| importance by first defining some of key | | | | expenditures, manage your cash flow, track |
| elements of the role of marketing in most | | | | sales to marketing expense ratio, and measure |
| organizations.Defines Focus: Your strategic | | | | success of your marketing efforts. It also |
| marketing plan gives the company, and | | | | ensures that product development dollars are |
| everyone in it, a benchmark to measure all | | | | not wasted.Charts Success: A marketing plan |
| marketing activities against. A | | | | helps you chart your destination point. It |
| well-developed strategic marketing plan not | | | | becomes a guide through unfamiliar |
| only gives you a structured strategic and | | | | territory.Captures Thinking on Paper: The |
| tactical outline, but also defines your | | | | finance department isn't allowed to run a |
| target audience, messages, goals, and | | | | company by keeping numbers in their heads. It |
| objectives, in a way that allows flexibility. | | | | should be no different with marketing. Your |
| A structured plan provides a benchmark to | | | | written document lays out your game plan. If |
| measure all marketing activities and ensure | | | | people leave, if new people arrive, if |
| that the investment they require meet the | | | | memories falter, the information in the |
| needs and goals of the marketing plan - | | | | written marketing plan stays intact. |
| preventing you from spending on wasted | | | | |