[Archived] Marketing Plan

[vintageadidas]

Hi All,

Looking at starting a new business adventure in 2010. I was just wondering if anybody could show me a copy of a marketing plan to go with my business plan.

I do not know what should be covered in it?

Any help much appreciated.

[Paul]

I don't want to sound negative but if you're not sure about how to market your product should you be starting a new company? I would think hard about this.

[BlueWhiteDynamite]

Everything you really need to know

http://www.businessballs.com/

Your marketing Plan should cross over with your business

[Hughesy]

Whats the business?

[vintageadidas]

Paul - fair point. I am fully aware how to promote and advertise the business. I just want to put a marketing plan together and am unsre what should be contained within it.

I am guessing statistics, information channels to be used and so on should be contained. I want to do this properly so any help would be much appreciated.

[GiddyGoat]

Business Link have a lot of good information and resources.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk

[Paul]

Paul - fair point. I am fully aware how to promote and advertise the business. I just want to put a marketing plan together and am unsre what should be contained within it.

I am guessing statistics, information channels to be used and so on should be contained. I want to do this properly so any help would be much appreciated.

Good. If it was me - and I have no formal background just 30+ years of sales - I would include, in no particular order:

End Consumer - who is it? Why?

Market share - % target?

Outlets - which ones?

Supply chain - who are the players? Where do I fit? Who can I eliminate?

Sales method - direct supply? Agents? Distributors? Wholesalers?

Supply to market - how / can I distribute?

Threats - who / what is the competition?

Opportunities - what is the USP?

Margins - good enough? Strong enough to discount?

Volume - how big do you want to / can you be?

Product cycle - how long can it last? What is the payback time?

Advertising - web / direct mail / media etc?????

Manufacturing - can you scale up?

[BPF]

Good. If it was me - and I have no formal background just 30+ years of sales - I would include, in no particular order:

End Consumer - who is it? Why?

Market share - % target?

Outlets - which ones?

Supply chain - who are the players? Where do I fit? Who can I eliminate?

Sales method - direct supply? Agents? Distributors? Wholesalers?

Supply to market - how / can I distribute?

Threats - who / what is the competition?

Opportunities - what is the USP?

Margins - good enough? Strong enough to discount?

Volume - how big do you want to / can you be?

Product cycle - how long can it last? What is the payback time?

Advertising - web / direct mail / media etc?????

Manufacturing - can you scale up?

SWOT Analysis:

One page document:

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Exactly what Paul said but just call it a SWOT analysis to make yourself fancy...

[Nate]

Hi All,

Looking at starting a new business adventure in 2010. I was just wondering if anybody could show me a copy of a marketing plan to go with my business plan.

I do not know what should be covered in it?

Any help much appreciated.

I will try and send you some info in the next couple of days in regards to this, if you still need. Done a few of these in my lifetime!

[JC4LAB]

What do you need a complex plan for?.You have either got customers or you havent..If not even one then go get one or two to see if its just a dream You can easily waste all your energy on these things instead of finding customers.. ..

[Paul]

What do you need a complex plan for?.You have either got customers or you havent..If not even one then go get one or two to see if its just a dream You can easily waste all your energy on these things instead of finding customers.. ..

Quite agree but if he needs to raise finance he'll need a marketing plan

[vintageadidas]

The Marketing and Business Plan are for Finance and to help show the ROI as Paul has stated.

Nate - that would be VERY much appreciated!

[Martin]

If you read a text book or studying mktg planning you'll end up with 30 page document. This has value. But important people do not have time to read this.

Although, if this is covering your whole business you are going to need a 30 page doc.

But, generally keep these short.

Have objectives that can be measured and a have tactics to meet your objectives. Where possible use numbers to gauge success.

Marketing can be the vague and very intangible if you let it.

My overriding advice - keep it simple.