Marketing Strategy and Planning

Marketing Strategy and Planning
The development of an appropriate marketing strategy and the creation of a robust planning process lie at the heart of a successful business. Too often marketing is viewed as being the implementation of a range of tactical initiatives, but those companies that truly understand the discipline use it to drive their business growth. This practical course will provide delegates with a structured approach to developing their knowledge and skills in this vital area, in contrast to the ineffective and ad hoc approach favoured by too many organisations.


Course Objectives

• Understanding the role of marketing strategy in an organisation
• Establishing a comprehensive marketing audit process
• Learning how to use a range of strategic planning tools
• Developing a strategy to secure competitive advantage
• Creating a plan to implement your objectives

Who Will the Course Benefit?
Marketers who are moving into positions requiring a better understanding of strategic marketing and who are undertaking marketing planning for the first time. It will also benefit those wishing to refresh their knowledge and skills or to place their existing experience into a more formal structure. Managers in other disciplines or supervisory roles, wishing to secure a better understanding or introduce a more structured process into their organisations, will also benefit.

Course Duration
2 Days

Course Content

Day One

Preparing the Groundwork
-Introduction to strategy
- How marketing strategy fits
- The auditing process
- Market research needs: primary and secondary
- Analysis tools: Porter and PEST
- Understanding customers and competitors
- Segmenting the marketplace
- Isolating critical success factors
- Preparing a quantified SWOT
- Using the SWOT
- Establishing target markets and opportunities

Developing the Strategy
-Strategic options
- Portfolio analysis: Boston and GEC matrices
- The role of brands
- Brand auditing
- Brand positioning
- Creating competitive advantage
- Adding value to the marketing mix

Day Two

Creating the Plan
-The critical role of planning
- The planning cycle
- Marketing plan structures
- Forecasting and market modelling
- Objectives, strategies and tactics
- Setting objectives
- Decision-making modelling
- The Consumer Purchase Funnel
- Communication objectives
- Setting the budget
- Monitoring the plan
- Implementation and control issues
- Planning errors
- Integration

PL2169 - Marketing Strategy & Planning.pdf