Your template for a real marketing plan

There are many common elements that go into a marketing plan, despite the many different structures you can use. Here's an outline that should end your procrastination and get you started on a real plan. At the very least, it reveals what you need to accomplish and should streamline a flow of information and ideas. If you're preparing a plan for an existing product, begin with a re-cap of the prior year’s activities. If it’s for a new product, start out by stating the premise for its development. The next step in both cases is preparation of the "situational" analysis. I (a). Rep-cap (for existing products only): Overview of prior year’s marketing plan – what worked, what didn’t, and why. Major lessons learned and implications for the future. OR… I (b). Premise and basis for premise (new products or services only): statement of the overall new product initiative and how it came to be. Description here should be brief and to the point. II. Situational analysis. Business objectives and strategies – the context for the creation of the plan. - Market analysis. Market sizing, segmentation, dynamics, trends at all levels. - SWOT analysis. - Competitive analysis. Study of the competition to understand the dynamics of the market, anticipate competitive responses and prepare offensives. III. Strategic direction. Overall product direction, target audience, positioning, marketing objectives and strategies. IV – IX. Functional plans. X. Budget. Sorry, this one can't be "template-ized" here! More on this subject later, however. Stay tuned.