A bit harsh perhaps, and for those marketers doing a sterling job in trying circumstances, no offence intended. McDonald’s comments provide interesting talking points nonetheless. Could those in charge of marketing planning up their game? Do too many conduct marketing on the hoof rather than making sure marketing tactics are in tune with business objectives? And what makes a good marketing plan anyway? Is it one that ties in with the classical marketing theory as espoused by the leading marketing bodies, or is there room for creative license along the way?
While the answers to these questions vary, one thing observers agree on is that a business without a marketing plan is a business going nowhere in a hurry. Stating the case for a robust marketing plan in its starkest terms, Alan Campbell, strategic and creative director at marketing agency Flipside Group, says, As every business is essentially a marketing business, the success of the business and the marketing plan will be intertwined. The plan will give an ongoing measure of how well the business is performing. Over time the plan will become the business just as the business will become the plan.
Kirsty McKinney, brand manager at Market Location, agrees that a good plan provides the platform from which tactics can be implemented, a yardstick against which progress can be measured. She says, It is essential the marketer has a plan, from the overall strategy down to the individual campaign, and where each sits in the strategy. If there is no plan, how can marketing be measured? The important thing to remember is planning is meant to be just that and should be done before any wheels are put into motion.
And so the million dollar question: what, precisely, goes into the plan? And how easily does marketing theory apply to the real business world?
Derek Owen, marketing director of technology company NEC, is in no doubt about the value of sound theoretical marketing principles in guiding marketing activity. He says, Classical marketing theory provides a structure to build on. Each time I put together a marketing plan I set out a detailed strategy based on theory. While this isn’t gospel, it provides a good bedrock.
Browse the Internet and you’ll find no end of websites and blogs explaining what should be included in a marketing plan. While they may all say different things, the fundamentals remain the same.
Next question: it’s the start of the new financial year and it’s time to draw up a marketing plan. Armed with a head full of marketing theory and a blank canvas, where do you start? What factors do you need to consider and who do you speak to?
For Heather Westgate, chief executive at TDA, the top is as good a place to start as any. Any successful marketing plan is rooted in an understanding of corporate objectives and business direction, she says. As the saying goes, a fish rots from the head, and if core business objectives are not defined by business leaders, marketing activity is destined to fail. Rather than planning in isolation, marketers should be informed of what’s going on at board level.
Of course, convincing everybody especially those holding the purse strings to buy into the marketing plan is a challenge in itself. However, this is what marketers must do. The plan should express the consensus of opinion of all those involved in the ‘go-to-market’ activity of the business, and identify specific tasks, ownership of those tasks, deadlines and expectations of how success should be measured, argues Campbell.
An array of factors influence the length of the plan; industry sector being one of the most obvious. However, it’s vital not to get bogged down in detail at an early stage and remember the process of actually formulating a plan deciding your objectives, auditing the business environment, performing a SWOT analysis and so on is an end in itself. The nuts and bolts can come later.
Westgate says, A common symptom of plans that aren’t based on corporate objectives is heavy focus on detail rather than the bigger picture. An effective strategy starts with headline objectives aligned to those of the business, then drills down to detail. Decisions about which disciplines to use, how to integrate them and budget allocation come later.
Companies that get bogged down in detail while missing the larger picture are falling into a common trap: failing to differentiate between tactics and strategy.
While accepting the planning process can be complicated, especially as accounts and markets become larger and more complex, she suggests the end goal is always the same. In terms of what constitutes an excellent marketing plan, only one thing matters that it delivers the required results in terms of return on investment, she says.
The best marketers recognise that a good marketing plan is a living, breathing document that evolves over time. Planning should be ongoing, not something that’s completed at the start of the year and revisited 12 months later, says Westgate. By including scalable, measurable targets, each spoke of activity can be evaluated on an ongoing basis. The best plans are flexible enough to accommodate shifting market conditions or internal business changes and still achieve the desired objectives.
Marketers juggle all manner of tasks during the working day, so it stands to reason that without solid planning chaos can ensue. Which is why, although they may appear to rush around like headless chickens, the most successful marketers always have a method in their madness.
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