Company marketing plan: short and detailed options. Promotion plan

We offer a ready-made checklist with which you can draw up a ready-made marketing plan from scratch. The article details the structure and lists the main sections and marketing plan. We will tell you in what sequence it is more convenient to draw up a marketing plan, which elements of a marketing plan are mandatory, and which components can sometimes be missed. We are sure that our checklist is suitable for protecting the promotion strategy of any product, because it is an exhaustive list important information on the basis of which key strategic decisions are made.

The marketing plan has a fairly clear and logical structure, and its development is not a one-day process. You will need a lot of time to collect detailed information about consumers, to study the characteristics and market conditions, to determine the competitive advantages of a product, and much more. Get ready to process and summarize many different facts, consider more than one alternative for business development. Don't be afraid to take the time to analyze different options strategies.

On average, drawing up a high-quality marketing plan can take (depending on the size of the business and the number of product groups in the company's portfolio) from 1-3 months. And if you engage in marketing planning at the same time as solving current issues, then lay on this process at least 2-4 months. You will spend 50% of this time gathering information, 40% analyzing and considering alternatives, and only 10% writing the marketing plan itself.

The structure of a standard marketing plan includes 8 elements and is as follows:

What is an Executive Summary

"Executive Summary" - a summary or summary of the key areas of the marketing plan. In this section of the marketing plan, they try to set out the main conclusions, recommendations and goals of the company for the next few years. This section is the last one you complete, but when you present your marketing plan, you start with this section.

The practice of laying out the key takeaways at the start of any presentation helps set the guide to the right format for the presentation, allows you to evaluate the main strategy without detailed study of the facts, and prepare questions. In this section of the marketing plan, it is very common to also include content, presentation duration, presentation format, and preferred form of feedback.

Situational analysis and conclusions

The situational analysis section is designed to quickly get a complete picture of the market, its size, trends and features. Such an analysis helps to explain the choice of certain actions in the marketing strategy of the product. The main components of a situational analysis are:

• Analysis of the company's internal environment and resources, including an assessment of the level of achievement of current goals and objectives
• Analysis of consumer behavior in the market, assessment of the reasons for the purchase and refusal of the company's product
• Analysis external factors company, competitor behavior and key market trends

You can read more about an example of a situational or business analysis of a company in our article:

SWOT analysis and competitive advantages

Any situational analysis ends with a compilation, with a description of the strengths and weaknesses company, key opportunities and threats to sales and profit growth. Based on the results of the SWOT analysis, the following is formed:

• main product of the company
• indicating the development vector of product positioning for 3-5 years
• tactical action plan for the use and development of opportunities
• tactical action plan to minimize identified threats
• main

Definition of marketing goals and objectives

The first step in any marketing strategy is to set performance targets for the coming year. There are two types of goals that should be recorded in a marketing plan: business goals and marketing goals. Business goals relate to issues such as the position of the product in the market (share or place among competitors), the level of sales, profits and profitability. Marketing objectives consider such issues as attracting new customers, retaining current customers, increasing the frequency and duration of use of the product.

Protection of the marketing strategy

The presentation of the marketing strategy is the main section of the organization's marketing plan. At this stage of the presentation of the marketing plan, it is important to say about the following elements of the marketing strategy:

Without this section, the marketing plan will not be complete and not a single manager will approve the developed programs for the development of the product and its promotion to the market. The section begins with a presentation of the business model or P&L, which shows projected sales growth from the programs, required program budget, net income, and return on sales. The subsequent steps in this section are comments and clarifications on the P&L model:

• Budget structure with division into main cost items
• Overview of the main sources of sales growth and their correlation with budget items
• Assumptions used in the construction of the model in the field of cost growth, inflation and price level

Alexander Kaptsov

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The formation of a stable array of buyers, finding their niche in the market, suppressing competitors, building a plausible reputation - this is not a complete list of issues that entrepreneurs have to solve. Without a clear marketing plan, it is almost impossible to achieve stable demand for products, brand recognition, and a large number of loyal customers. How to properly compose this important document for any business?

Marketing plan of the company - what is it?

Under the company's marketing plan should be understood the details of all its actions that are focused on achieving its optimal position in the market. It does not affect the production and technological aspects of the functioning of the company and only affects the sale of products and profit.

Benefits of developing a marketing plan for a company:

• Firstly , determines which part of its funds will have to be spent on marketing activities.
• Secondly , to form a policy of promotion on the market of specific types of goods and services.
• Third , draw up a strategy and tactics for working with the target market, including the procedure for setting prices.
• Fourth , certain goods, sales proceeds and profits.

Important point: Since the marketing plan draws in detail all marketing activities and expected results, it is possible to trace the effectiveness of certain approaches in the company's activities in the market.

Types of the company's marketing plan and the purpose of their preparation

There are many criteria for classifying marketing plans, including:

1. Duration of validity - strategic (more than 3 years), tactical (up to 3 years), operational (up to 1 month).
2. Coverage - a plan for turnover, sales, promotional activities, market research or integrated (comprehensive plan).
3. Depth of study - detailed or general.
4. Field of activity - a plan of goals, pricing policy, product policy, marketing communications, control and revision, finance, warehousing, ordering, supply (logistics), etc.

A marketing plan is a very serious internal document, which is focused on achieving certain goals:

• Maintaining the company's position in the market.
• Development and implementation of a new product.
• Coverage of new niches and segments (diversification), etc.

Important point: In connection with such a wide range directions for using marketing plans, it seems necessary to draw up a separate document for each goal, since the methods and tools for each of the goals are different.

It should be remembered that a marketing plan is not an analogue of a business plan. It covers only the activities of the company in the market.

Structure and content of the company's marketing plan

The marketing plan is an internal document that is used to make decisions by the company's management. However, it has a fairly clear structure.

It can take several months to complete, as it requires:

1. Collecting information about buyers.
2. Studying supply and demand in the market.
3. Definitions of competitive advantages.
4. Competitive ratings, etc.

Important point: The marketing plan should not be just a "collection of facts", but a document containing analysis, recommendations, alternatives for the company's further work in the market.

All 3-4 months during which the marketing plan will be formed will be spent as follows: 50% of the time will be spent on collecting all the necessary information, 40% on analysis and evaluation, and only 10% on creating the document itself.

In order not to be mistaken in the formation of a marketing plan, it is advisable to focus on the following structure:

1. Resume . This section includes a description of the main points outlined in the marketing plan. Here the goal is necessarily prescribed and the ways to achieve it are listed. The expected results of the implementation of the plan are also prescribed.

Important point: Paradoxically, the first section of a marketing plan is always the last section because it is summary the entire marketing plan.

2. Market overview and forecast . This section describes the market (size, growth opportunities, trends, features) and shows the specific behavior of consumers and competing firms in it. Here it is important to indicate how many competitors are in the selected segment, what share they cover, and also what are the opportunities for market growth.

3. SWOT analysis and competitive advantages . This part analyzes the weak and strengths firm, threats and opportunities for its functioning.

Based on the results of the SWOT analysis, the marketer should determine:

• The main competitive advantage of the company.
• Positioning of the product in relation to consumers (preferably with a forecast for 3-5 years ahead).
• Tactical measures to seize opportunities and reduce the impact of threats.
• A strategy to fight competitors and increase customer loyalty.

4. Purpose and objectives of the marketing plan . The marketing plan should contribute to the development of the business, which is why it contains business goals within the chosen planning horizon (month, year, three years) and marketing goals for the same period of time. Only after that tasks are created. marketing activities.

5. Marketing mix (marketing mix). The core of any marketing plan is the so-called marketing mix, which is based on the 5P model for goods and the 7P model for services.

Model 5R. Any marketing event is built on the basis of five components:

• Product (Product) or product policy – ​​logo and corporate identity, appearance And physical properties product range, product quality.
• Price (Price) or pricing policy - wholesale and retail price, the procedure for determining the cost of goods, discounts and promotions, price discrimination.
• Place of sale (Place) or marketing policy - the sale of goods in the markets, in stores, the basics of distribution, the display of goods, inventory management and logistics.
• Promotion (Promotional) or promotion policy - promotion strategy, promotional activities, PR activities, event marketing, communication channels, media strategy.
• People (People) – motivation and stimulation of staff, corporate culture, work with loyal customers and VIP clients, feedback.

Model 7P is supplemented by two more "P", namely:

• Process (Process) - the conditions of interaction with the client, the order of service, the creation of a favorable atmosphere, the speed of the service, etc.
• Physical environment (physical evidence) - furnishings, interior, background music, image, etc.

Thus, when developing a marketing plan, each of the above positions is worked out in detail, which makes it possible to form a comprehensive idea of ​​the company's functioning in the market.

6. Choice of company behavior in the market . This part of the marketing plan describes the specific actions of the company in the market to achieve the goal and solve the identified problems.

7. Activity budget . Includes a detailed list of costs for marketing activities, which can be presented in the form of a table.

8. Risk assessment . This part describes the risks that a company may face in the course of implementing a marketing plan.

The main stages of developing a marketing plan: an example of drafting

Obviously, a marketing plan is a complex and complex document, which is not easy to form. However, even a specialist with basic knowledge in the field of marketing can do it. Where should you start?

First of all, you should collect information about the market, the selected segment, competitors, consumers, and then implement the following sequence of actions:

• Stage 1 . Analysis of market trends. Identification of customer requirements for quality, price of goods, packaging design, communication channels.
• Stage 2 . Product analysis. Evaluation of quality, price, packaging design, communication channels for an existing product.
• Stage 3 . Target market selection. Determination of the category of consumers who are more suitable for the proposed product.
• Stage 4 . Positioning and competitive advantages. Establishing the position of the company's product in relation to competitors (average in quality, lower in price, etc.) and its beneficial aspects.
• Stage 5 . Creating a strategy. Formation of promotions and special offers for the target audience, the procedure for promoting the brand to the market, etc.
• Stage 6 . Tactical action plan. Actions to achieve the ideal position of the product in the market.

It is advisable to give a simplified example of creating a marketing plan for a company selling fresh juices through five specialized outlets located in different parts cities.

Stage 1. Analysis of market trends

1. Customers want to buy juices that are squeezed out of fruits and vegetables in their presence, sold in containers that are convenient for drinking (paper cups and plastic bottles).
2. Sale is carried out in places of rest and near large offices.
3. The price may be higher than the cost of draft carbonated drinks and coffee, but cheaper than fresh juices offered by cafes and restaurants in the city.

Stage 2. Product analysis

1. The company produces fruit juices in plastic bottles and on spill.
2. All five points of sale are located in places large cluster people, including near places of rest.
3. The price of juices is similar to the cost of fresh juices in cafes and restaurants of the city.

Stage 3. Selecting a target market

1. Taking into account the properties of the product and its price, the main target audience will be working representatives of the middle class who monitor their health.

Stage 4. Positioning and competitive advantages

1. The company will offer customers a product of excellent quality and high cost.
2. Natural ingredients, ease of drinking, proximity to the consumer are the main competitive advantages of the company.

Stage 5. Creating a strategy

1. Targeting an array of regular customers.
2. Retention of the audience in the cold season.

Stage 6. Tactical action plan

1. Formation of a cumulative system of points for customers and a system of seasonal discounts.
2. Proposal of the delivery of juices in plastic containers around the city.
3. Expansion of the assortment by selling diet cookies and bars.

The above blank should be considered as a kind of basis for drawing up a marketing plan. In fact, having such information in hand, the marketer can only distribute it into the appropriate sections.

Problems of effective application of the marketing plan of the organization

Many marketers are asking quite a logical question: why do marketing plans drawn up according to all the rules do not work and do not bring the desired effect?

The fact is that often quite accurate and meaningful documents include such shortcomings as:

• Use of information from one source . When leaving a marketing plan, you should use information from industry surveys, expert opinions, statistical bulletins, customer surveys, competitor reports, etc.
• Overgeneralization . The document should operate with data, and not endlessly “pour water” and write speculative, unsupported assumptions.
• Lack of flexibility . Despite its detail, the marketing plan must be flexible so that any of its parameters can be adjusted when the market situation changes.
• Lack of connection with the company's strategy . If the overall strategy of the company defines the sale of goods to middle-aged people, and marketing activities are focused on teenagers and young people, the marketing plan will not bring the expected effect.
• Inconsistency . If the marketing plan first considers the means of advertising and only then analyzes the product and customers, then the goals will not be achieved.

Important point: The finished marketing plan should be re-examined for any of the above problems.

A well-designed marketing plan is half the company's success in the market. With its help, you can create a clear, structured, consistent picture of the company's position in the industry and in a separate segment. It allows you to create a list of effective tactical marketing activities that will help achieve the company's goals.

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What are the main marketing plans

Possible different approaches to planning. Traditional planning usually involves dividing plans according to the time period for which they are designed. Including short-term, medium-term or long-term plans. However, there is no universal definition of planning periods.

Medium- and long-term plans are known as "strategic" because they look at business strategies for a long period. Short-term plans are often referred to as "business plans" or "corporate" because they provide guidance for daily activities. The application of a specific plan depends on the scope and objectives of the company, the markets served, the need to plan for future product releases.

Long-range planning is designed to assess general business and economic trends over many years. The company's strategy is aimed at increasing the corresponding long-term objectives of the organization, which is important for the defense industry, pharmaceuticals and aerospace, where the development of new products reaches 5-10 years. Long-term planning in these industries covers 10-20 years. But the timing of the development of most companies is not so significant, with a long-term planning orientation of more than 5-7 years.

Medium-term planning is more practical, designed for a period of not more than 2-5 years (usually three years). Such planning is more tied to life, since it refers to the near future, the probability of reflection in terms of reality is higher. At the heart of a medium-term "strategic" marketing plan, strategies are similar to long-term ones. However, major decisions need to be implemented in a shorter time frame. Such decisions include the need for capital investment, the introduction of new products, the availability and use of resources and personnel.

Short-term planning (and budgeting), as a rule, is focused on a period of up to 1 year, involving the development of business or corporate plans and associated budgets. It is expected that these plans will consider the near future and the details of what the company plans to undertake over a period of 12 months. Short-term plans are considered the most detailed. They can be adjusted if necessary.

How to Make a 1 Page Marketing Plan: The Allan Dib Technique

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Why You Need a Marketing Plan

Lack of a marketing plan leads to the following problems:

• there is a spontaneous development of the company without a specific plan of action;
• there is a constant conflict of possible schemes, existing options development; there is a dispersion of means, efforts, time;
• the target audience is not defined, which periodically leads to the above problems;
• chaotic purchases of products, attempts to diversify the product offer at a time when you need to concentrate on the main product offer.

The marketing plan accomplishes the following goals:

• systematize, formally describe the ideas of the leaders of the organization, conveying them to employees;
• concentration of company resources with their reasonable distribution;
• set marketing goals, providing control in achieving them.

What sections are included in the marketing plan

• grocery plan;
• sales plan - increasing sales efficiency;
• advertising and sales promotion plan;
• research and development of new products;
• distribution channel operation plan;
• price plan, including price changes in the future;
• marketing research plan;
• plan for the operation of the physical distribution system;
• marketing organization plan.

Structure and content of the marketing plan

Annotation for management (resume) - this initial section of the marketing plan presents brief annotation main recommendations and goals in the plan. This section allows management to quickly understand the focus of this plan. This section is usually followed by a table of contents for the plan.

Current marketing situation - this section describes the target market, the position of the organization in it. These sections include:

• market description;
• product overview;
• competition;
• distribution.

Hazards and Opportunities - This section lists the main opportunities and dangers for the product on the market. An assessment of the potential harm of each hazard is expected.

Marketing goals - this section characterizes the direction of the drawn up plan, initially formulating the desired results of activities in specific markets.

Marketing strategies are the main directions of marketing activity. By following them, organizations strive to achieve marketing goals. The marketing strategy includes specific strategies for operating in target markets, the marketing mix used, relevant marketing costs. In the strategies that are developed for each market segment, it is necessary to consider new and manufactured products, prices, promotion of products, bringing products to consumers, it is necessary to indicate how the strategy reacts to the opportunities and dangers of the market.

Action Program - a detailed program showing what needs to be done, when and by whom the accepted tasks should be carried out, how much it will cost, what decisions need to be coordinated in order to fulfill the marketing plan.

The program, as a rule, briefly characterizes the goals for the achievement of which the activities of the program are oriented. Therefore, the program is a set of specific activities that must be carried out by the marketing and other services of the organization in order to achieve the goals of the marketing plan. The course will help you reach them faster."

Marketing budget - this section reflects projected revenues, profits and costs. The amount of income from the forecast position on sales and prices is substantiated. Costs are determined as the sum of production, marketing and distribution costs. At the same time, marketing costs will have to be detailed in this budget.

Section "Control" - it reflects the methods and procedures for control, which are required in assessing the level of success of the plan. For this purpose, criteria (standards) are established, on the basis of which the progress of the implementation of marketing plans is measured.

Stages of developing a marketing plan

Stage 1. Determination of the initial goals of the development and activities of the company.

Stage 2. Analysis of marketing activities. It is divided into three parts:

1) Analysis external environment marketing:

• analysis of the economic and business environment - the state of the economy, socio-cultural conditions, financial policy, technological conditions, socio-economic conditions in the company;
• market environment: general state market; its development; distribution channels, communications, the state of the industry;
• competitor environment.

2) Detailed analysis marketing activity involves the analysis sales volume, market share, profit, marketing organization, marketing procedures, analysis of all elements of the marketing mix, control of marketing activities.

3) Analysis of the marketing system involves an analysis of marketing goals, marketing strategies, duties and rights of managers in the field of marketing, information system, planning and control systems, interaction with other management functions, as well as profitability analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis.

Stage 3. Formulation of assumptions, hypotheses regarding certain factors external to the company that may have an impact on its activities. It is worth classifying and presenting assumptions explicitly. Classification of assumptions can be made in the following areas - the organization itself, a specific industry and the country of operation.

Stage 4. Setting marketing goals. Defining and organizing goals is an important aspect of marketing activities. Almost any planning and management document on marketing now contains in one of its initial sections at least a simple verbal list of goals, upon receipt of which no special approaches and methods are used. But in order to strengthen the focus on final results in planning and management activities, with the intensification of the use of special management methods, the need to increase the quality of individual management to build a system of goals, it is necessary to apply special approaches and methods.

Marketing has the following goals:

1. Satisfy the needs of consumers.
2. Provide yourself with a competitive advantage.
3. Raise the level of sales.
4. Get some profit.
5. Increase market share.

The core of marketing goals should be the specifics of the product or the need for it. If possible, goals should be focused not on consumer groups, but on their needs. After all, buyers are a fickle group.

Stage 5. Alternative strategies are developed that are aimed at achieving marketing goals. These strategies are detailed in relation to the elements of the marketing mix.

You can create strategies in the field of pricing in the following way:

• setting the price of products according to the market position;
• conducting a different pricing policy, depending on the markets;
• development of a pricing policy, taking into account the pricing policy of its competitors.

In the field of product promotion, strategies can be noted that characterize communications with consumers, means and methods of organizing the actions of sales department employees in new markets.

The strategy in the field of bringing the product to consumers includes:

• channels used to bring the product to the consumer;
• level of after-sales customer service;
• activities aimed at achieving delivery costs;
• sales in small lots or wholesale.

After these stages of marketing planning are completed, you need to re-confirm the ability to achieve your goals and strategies using various evaluation criteria, including sales, market share, resource costs, profit margins and other estimates of the planned results and the ability to achieve them.

Stage 6. The set of marketing strategies, goals and activities to achieve is a strategic marketing plan, which at the next planning stage should be brought to working planning documents. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out operational-calendar planning.

Stage 7. At the stage of operational calendar planning or the development of detailed action plans, it is required to specify marketing strategies in detailed plans, programs in the context of each of the 4 elements of the marketing mix.

We are talking about the development of action plans for each unit of the organization, aimed at achieving the specified goals based on the selected strategies. It is necessary that they contain answers to questions - what, who, where and when, how and with what resources should be done to implement marketing programs and plans.

As a rule, written instructions for drawing up action plans are also being developed, which are accompanied by forms and sample filling.

Stage 8. A marketing budget is being developed. Its compilation helps correct definition priorities between strategies and goals of marketing activities, in making decisions on the allocation of resources, in exercising effective control.

The budget is usually developed using a profit-based planning approach.

In this case, the marketing budget is developed in the following sequence: predictive estimates of market capacity, market share, price, sales revenue, variable and fixed costs are determined; the gross profit is calculated, covering all costs, including marketing costs, and providing a given value of the target profit.

Variables are then subtracted from the gross profit and fixed costs, as well as the value of the target profit. In this way, marketing costs are determined. They are detailed by individual elements of the marketing mix.

• Marketing and sales: how to establish effective interaction

Budgeting is always a problem.

Roman Tkachev,

promotion project manager trademark MDV, group of companies "AYAK"

Marketing expenses are not always perceived as an investment in customer acquisition or retention. Some view marketing spending as a fashion statement rather than an investment to increase profit margins. The reason is that the marketing department is often unable to present a system for evaluating its performance in the form of a mathematical model to management.

Determining the size of the marketing budget is a matter of strategic planning in the company's work. Therefore, the budget includes not only an estimate of the costs of promotion and advertising, but also costs for market research, the development of external brand attributes, with customer relationship management, distribution channels, BTL and other related activities.

It is worth considering that marketing planning is intended to determine the position of the organization at the current moment, areas of activity, means of achieving its goals. The marketing plan is central from the standpoint of conducting activities to receive a certain income. It is the basis for all other activities of the organization.

You don't need to reinvent the wheel to create a marketing plan

Anton Uskov,

General Director of PR agency Media_Act, Moscow

Companies do not have to reinvent the wheel to plan their marketing policy. If you do not know how to write a marketing plan, it is better to turn to the advice of professionals.

The most effective and simple option is to put yourself in the place of a potential buyer or client, discarding your habits and addictions, ceasing to use stamps and templates.

How is the implementation of the marketing plan carried out?

To control the work of the enterprise as a whole, it is necessary to develop a multi-level procedure for management calculation, with the formulation of a development strategy, supported by a set of tactical measures. It is on the solution of the last task in the activities of marketing and commercial services that the marketing plan is oriented.

The head provides control over the results in the activities of his subordinate units:

• according to the criteria in the marketing plan;
• in terms of management accounting;
• on the performance of the department.

An analysis of the implementation of the marketing plan also involves a comparison of the actual development of the situation and the planned or expected indicators for the reporting period. If the actual state is recognized as unsatisfactory, it is necessary to make appropriate changes. Sometimes it is necessary to revise the relevant plans due to the influence of uncontrollable factors.

Analysis of the marketing plan can be carried out by 3 methods:

1. Analysis of marketing costs;
2. Implementation analysis;
3. Marketing revision.

As part of the analysis of marketing costs, an assessment of the effectiveness of various marketing factors is given. It is necessary to find out which costs are effective and which are not, and make the necessary adjustments. Sales performance analysis is a detailed study of sales performance to assess the correctness of a particular strategy.

A marketing audit is a systematized, objective and critical assessment, a review of the main goals and policies of the organization's marketing functions in the implementation of this policy, with the achievement of the set goals. Marketing audit involves 6 stages:

1. It is determined by whom the audit will be carried out.
2. The frequency of the revision is determined.
3. Forms for revision are being developed.
4. The revision is carried out immediately.
5. Presentation of the results to the management of the organization, decision-making.

A prerequisite in this direction is the dependence of wages on the performance of duties. The share of real payments, depending on the results, should be quite significant (at least one third of the employee's total earnings).

• How to Determine Your Marketing Budget: Calculation Methods and Expert Advice

Information about authors and companies

PR agency Media_Act specializes in advertising and PR campaigns in the regions. It has branches in almost all major cities countries. Among the main clients are the Finam investment holding, the Japanese tire manufacturer Yokohama, the distributor of roofing materials Diana-Trade, and MTS. The agency has subsidiaries engaged in the provision of advertising production and printing services.

Roman Tkachev, project manager for the promotion of the MDV trademark, the group of companies "AYAK". Graduated from the Altai State University(specialist in the field international relations, orientalist) and Yanshan University (PRC) ( Chinese, international marketing). Engaged in the development and implementation of a supply planning system and an accounting and analysis system commercial offers by MDV brand.

Group of companies "AYAK"- Founded in 1996. Distributor of well-known global manufacturers of air conditioning equipment. It has about 50 regional offices, more than 2,000 dealer companies in the Russian Federation and the CIS countries. Official website - www.jac.ru

What describes simple truths, is not written in one day, and can increase sales hundreds of times? Yes, this is a marketing plan for promoting a company. Your customers will buy from you again and again, and your competitors will envy you. Want to learn how to create an effective marketing plan? Then this article is for you.

Marketing plan: why do most companies ignore the development of a marketing strategy?

Because they spend more time on financial and production plans, while it is the marketing plan that determines what your revenue will be this year.

A well-written marketing plan for a company answers the following questions:

• how to reduce production costs;
• how and where to attract new customers;
• how not to miss old customers;
• what new directions the company should master, etc.

A marketing promotion plan is a real tool to reduce costs and increase company profits! Officially, a market promotion plan can be described as follows: a marketing plan is a set of planned decisions, drawn up in the form of a document, compatible with other plans of the company and included in the business plan of the company.

This plan can have both short-term and long-term goals, and the plan itself can be written on either 1 or 50 pages, depending on the size of the company and the goals pursued.

If the company lacks marketing, then this leads to:

• failures caused by spontaneous and thoughtless decisions;
• conflicts between departments;
• uncertainty in development (the company simply does not know who its target audience is);
• randomness in procurement, diversification of forces and concentration of efforts.

The goal of a promotional marketing plan is to deliver and achieve the company's goals. Without customized marketing, the company lacks an elementary systematization of ideas.

It all depends on the size of the company. Large firms develop a marketing plan annually, and its development itself is included in the company's strategic plan. The plan is drawn up for 3-6 years and is adjusted every year taking into account changes in the market. The advertising plan is especially strongly adjusted.

If your company is small, then you can determine the frequency of the marketing plan yourself and it depends on the needs of your company in it. For small firms, a SWOT analysis is usually sufficient.

The elements of the strategy, which are approved in the plan every year, undergo annual changes, supported by new tactics, goals and methods of implementation. With any major changes in the market, the company always changes the position of the product, and the position of the product, in turn, changes the entire marketing plan.

How to draw up a marketing plan for promoting a product

Let's look at what the process of compiling a marketing plan for promoting a company consists of. It is worth noting that it always includes several stages and almost all of them are mandatory, because the market needs to be considered from all sides.

If you do everything right, then your plan will solve the following tasks:

• will give complete description the situation in which the company is now, including SWOT analysis (analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the product);
• action plan regarding product promotion for the next 1-5 years with detailed description actions by month;
• budget for promotion;
• control over the implementation of the plan.

How to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan? It's not nearly as easy as you might think. On the one hand, if you do not know how effective the promotion according to the plan turned out to be, you cannot help but improve, correct the plan. And it is necessary to improve and adjust it, because the plan is rewritten and adjusted every year. On the other hand, those methods that are easiest to measure performance will hit your company's budget very hard. If you are not ready to spend money on evaluating the plan, then you can use cheaper methods.

For example, you can conduct a survey among your customers about how they heard about you. This way you can evaluate how advertising campaign was successful, as well as how well you chose the target audience. Another type of survey is a telephone survey, during which you can find out from customers such points as their attitude towards the product, and whether they want to purchase the product from you again or not.

If you don't want to conduct a survey, then try comparing sales before and after implementing your marketing plan strategies. You can compare costs, scrap rates and other financial aspects of the company - changes in them can also be caused by the implementation of techniques according to the product development plan.

Outsourcing is not always profitable. Of course, if you absolutely lack the competence to make a plan on your own, or if you don’t have a marketing department that should deal with it, then you should think about contacting an outsourcing company. Remember how to choose it correctly:

• check how long the company has been on the market;
• read the reviews, it's important;
• evaluate the number of employees and the scale of the business: the larger the outsourcing company, the better.

Interesting fact: Even if the reviews about the outsourcing company are only laudatory, this does not mean that your project will be completed with a bang. Most likely, the specialist will follow the pattern, and although the marketing plan will look solid, in reality it may not work. Moreover, having trained for you, tomorrow the outsourcer will offer services to your competitor (see).

Drawing up a marketing plan on the side is preferable if your company is not going to be in the market long years. An outsourcer is just right for “one-time” projects.

So, if you decide that you have somewhere to raise profits, then drawing up a marketing plan will be the surest step. You make it yourself, or entrust it to specialists - it's up to you. However, do not forget that the company's market presence plan must be combined with financial and production plans.