The Content Of A Marketing Plan

A Marketing Plan for a small business typically includes Small Business Administration Description of competitors, including the level of demand for the product or service and the strengths and weaknesses of competitors......

1. Description of the product or service, including special features
2. Marketing budget, including the advertising and promotional plan
3. Description of the business location, including advantages and disadvantages for marketing
4. Pricing strategy
5. Market Segmentation

Medium-sized and large organizations

The main contents of a marketing plan are:

1. Executive Summary
2. Situational Analysis
3. Opportunities / Issue Analysis - SWOT Analysis
4. Objectives
5. Marketing Strategy
6. Action Program (the operational marketing plan itself for the period under review)
7. Financial Forecast
8. Controls

In detail, a complete marketing plan typically includes:

1. Title Page
2. Executive Summary
3. Current Situation - Macroenvironment
   • Economic State
   • Legal State
   • Governmental State
   • Technological State
   • Ecological State
   • Sociocultural State
   • Supply chain State
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
   • Company Resources
     • Finances
     • People (workforce)
     • Time
     • Skills
   • Objectives
     • Mission statement and Vision statement
     • Corporate objectives
     • Financial objective
     • Marketing objectives
     • Long term objectives
     • Description of the basic business philosophy
   • Corporate Culture (Organizational Culture)
7. Summary of Situation Analysis
   • External threats
   • External opportunities
   • Internal strengths
   • Internal weaknesses
   • Critical success factors in the industry
   • Sustainable competitive advantage
8. Marketing Research
   • Information requirements
   • Research methodology
   • Research results
9. Marketing Strategy - Product
   • Unique selling proposition (USP)
   • Product mix
   • Product strengths and weaknesses
     • Perceptual mapping
   • Product life cycle management and new product development
   • Brand name, brand image, and brand equity
   • Augmented product
   • Product portfolio analysis
     • B.C.G. Analysis
     • Contribution margin analysis
     • G.E. Multi Factoral analysis
     • Quality Function Deployment
10. Marketing Strategy  - segmented marketing actions and market share objectives
    • By product
    • By customer segment
    • By geographical market
    • By distribution channel
11. Marketing Strategy - Price
    • Pricing objectives
    • Pricing method (e.g.: cost plus, demand based, or competitor indexing)
    • Pricing strategy (e.g.: skimming, or penetration)
    • Discounts and allowances
    • Price elasticity and customer sensitivity
    • Price zoning
    • 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 (e.g.: web, or telephone)
    • Word of Mouth marketing
    • Viral Marketing
13. Marketing Strategy - Distribution
    • Geographical coverage
    • Distribution channels
    • Physical distribution and logistics
    • Electronic distribution
14. Implementation
    • Personnel requirements
      • Assigning responsibilities
      • Giving incentives
      • Training on selling methods
    • Financial requirements
    • Management information systems requirements
    • Month-by-month agenda
      • Gantt chart using PERT or critical path analysis systems
    • Monitoring results and benchmarks
    • Adjustment mechanism
    • Contingencies (what ifs)
15. Financial Summary
    • Assumptions
    • Pro-forma monthly income statement
    • Contribution margin analysis
    • Breakeven analysis
    • Monte Carlo method
    • ISI: Internet Strategic Intelligence
16. Scenarios
    • Prediction of future scenarios
    • Plan of action for each scenario
17. Controls
    • Performance indicator
    • Feedback Mechanisms
18. Appendix
    • Pictures and specifications of products
    • Results from completed research