In order to create the outline for your marketing plan, these key pieces must be included:
Product Performance
Create a couple of paragraphs to summarize your company’s status versus to last year’s plan, along with explanations of changes from the plan. Any research conducted on product performance or quality can be included in this section as well.
Background
Highlights from the background analysis-for best organization, use numbered lists and bullet points wherever possible. Items to include may be: the market analysis, competitive analysis, and/or performance history worksheets.
Long-Term Goals
A short statement that points to the long-term direction for your company, and how it fits within your corporate strategic plan.
Problems/Opportunities
List issues and problems that could make it difficult to for you to reach your goals. List the steps to be taken to lessen these issues, and methods that may help you in achieving key goals.
Sales Forecasts/Goals
A report of the product’s expected sales for the next fiscal year. If your company has more than one product or product line to be looked at, you may find it useful to employ a tabular format.
Marketing Objectives
List your goals for your company for the next fiscal year.
Marketing Program
You should make sure to include your unique selling feature(s) of the product (such as how the product is to be recognized in the customer’s mind versus the competition). This statement needs to be able to coordinate with other marketing variables.
Target market
A description of and justification for the primary and secondary target markets.
Product strategy
Depending upon your company, this section may include many items. There should be one or more objectives, each followed by a brief strategy statement. Your format can be organized like this:
• Short description of your product or service, that specifies the competitive differences, along with a table of the sizes and variety of products in the line.
• Product goals, including new uses, repositioning, line extensions/modifications, programs to improve quality, or new-product introductions.
• Capacity utilization, including existing capacity along with manufacturing requirements of the marketing plan.
Pricing strategy
A general statement of the pricing strategy used for the service or product(s). Here, you will need to include changes in price, discounts, warranties, and terms and conditions of sale. It may also be useful to attach a table that indicates the expected impact on selling and profit performance.
Advertising strategy
A report of your company’s plan for national advertising, cooperative advertising, and trade advertising.
Promotion strategy
Include any types of promotions you may utilize, including of sales promotions, support materials, trade show plans, and other non-advertising promotions.
Distribution strategy
Include references for the channel of distribution, including adding or deleting intermediaries. You will also want to include information on any programs you’ll need to motivate channel members or to collect information about the end-user from them.
Product support
Suggestions regarding the warranty/ guarantee for the product, customer service changes, or any other product support issues that affect the achievement of the product objectives.
Marketing Research
Attach any planned marketing research for the fiscal year.
Financial Summary
A formal profit and loss statement for the product(s).
Schedules
Indicate which team members are assigned which tasks, and their deadlines.
By organizing your marketing plan as such, your company may ensure clear goals and objectives!