The document provides guidance on writing an effective marketing plan, including defining key sections and their purpose. It recommends that the executive summary briefly summarize the plan's highlights, objectives, target market, and marketing tactics. It also outlines the importance of conducting environmental, SWOT, and competitive analyses to understand the current situation and opportunities.

1. How to Write a Killer Marketing Plan e-Society Seminar March 11, 2010 Dr. Michael Merz Department of Marketing & Decision Sciences College of Business San Jose State University

3. What is a Marketing Plan? Why is it important?

5. How to Write a Marketing Plan?

8. I. The Executive Summary

10. Executive Summary Guerrilla Marketing Plan – Example The purpose of Prosper Press is to sell the maximum number of books at the lowest possible selling cost per book. This will be accomplished by positioning the books as being so valuable to free-lancers that they are guaranteed to be worth more to the reader than their selling price. The target market will be people who can or do engage in free-lance earning activities. Marketing tools to be utilized will be a combination of classified advertising in magazines and newspapers, direct mail, sales at seminars, publicity in newspapers and on radio and television, direct sales calls to bookstores, and mail-order display ads in magazines. The niche to be occupied is one that stands valuable information that helps free-lancers succeed, the ultimate authority for free-lancers. Our identity will be one of expertise, readability, and quick response to customer requests. Thirty percent of sales will be allocated to marketing.

11. II. Current Marketing Situation

13. Window of Opportunity “ Window of opportunity ” is a metaphor describing the time period in which a firm can realistically enter a new market. Time Market Size t(0) t(1) Window of Opportunity t(1) – t(0)

15. III. Environmental Analysis

17. Environmental Analysis The 5 C’s Context Company Core Competencies Customer Unmet Needs Competition Competitive Advantage Collaborators Shared Interests Target Market Assess the Situation

19. IV. Objectives and Issues

23. V. Marketing Strategy

25. Mission Example In 2002 Microsoft’s mission was "To empower people through great software -- any time, any place, and on any device.” The mission statement now reads, "At Microsoft, we work to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.”

29. Target Marketing Market Coverage Strategies Entrepreneurs may only consider two segments: the niche they are targeting and “everyone else”.

33. How might a surgeon explain a new surgical procedure to a patient lying in a hospital bed, if only technical features (rather than benefits) were explained? “ Have I got an operation for you. Only three incisions and an Anderson Slash, a Ridgeway stubble-side fillip, and a standard dormer slip! Only five minutes with a scalpel; only thirty stitches! We can take out up to five pounds of your insides, have you back in your hospital bed in 75 minutes flat, and we can do ten of them in a day”. (McMath and Forbes (April 1998) in Entrepreneur, pp. 135-139)

34. VI. Marketing Programs

35. The Marketing Mix Assess the Situation (5 C’s) Target Market Select Target Market Define Marketing Mix (4P’s) Product Price Promotion Place

36. Three Levels of Product Additional benefits and services built around the core benefit and actual product

38. Price Product’s Cost Product’s Perceived Value Penetration Pricing Skim Pricing Competitors Prices Feasible Price Range

41. Promotion Promotion Tool Use Advertising Efficiently get messages to large audience. Sales Promotion Stimulate immediate purchase, reward repeat purchases, motivate sales personnel. Public Relations Build positive image, strengthen ties with stakeholders. Direct Marketing Reach targeted audiences, encourage direct response. Personal Selling Reach customers one-to-one to make sales, strengthen relationships.

43. Place Distribution Channels

44. VII. Financial Plans

46. VIII. Implementation Controls

49. Sample Marketing Metrics Objective Metric To acquire new customers. Measure number or percentage of new customers acquired by month, quarter, year. To retain current customers. Measure number or percentage of customers who continue purchasing during a set period. To increase market share. Measure dollar or unit sales divided by total industry sales during a set period. To accelerate product development Measure the time needed to bring a new product to market.

50. Sample Financial Metrics Objective Metric To increase sales revenue by product. Measure product sales in dollars per week, month, quarter, or year. To improve profitability. Measure gross or net margin for a set period by product, line, channel, marketing program, or customer. To reach break-even. Measure the number of weeks or months until a product’s revenue equals and begins to exceed costs.

51. Sample Societal Metrics Objective Metric To make products more environmentally friendly. Measure the proportion of each product’s parts that are recyclable or have been recycled during a set period. To build awareness of a social issue. Measure awareness among the target audience after the program or a set period. To conserve electricity or fuel. Measure amount used by month, quarter, year.

52. Sample Behavioral Metrics Behavior Metric Customer Awareness Customer awareness per telephone survey. Customer Learning Number of information packets requested, number of hits to a website. Customer Attitudes Customer attitudes per telephone study, feedback on blogs, customer letters.

54. Thank you! Now, follow your dreams! Q & A