Idea GenerationThe purpose of this document is to provide you with guidelines for preparing a proposal plan. You should be aware that there is no ‘ONE WAY’ to do the plan, however, all Proposal plans have certain elements in common. While the outline provided here does not have to be followed precisely, most of the elements listed would normally be addressed in a thorough this plan. As you work on your you should be aware that planning is something of a competitive exercise. When all the plans are submitted, one or two will clearly be better than the others because the planners were more thoughtful and creative and also because more attention was paid to detail, appearance, and presentation.
What is a marketing plan?
One definition of a marketing plan states that, “A marketing plan is a written document
containing the guidelines for the business unit’s marketing programs and allocations over
the planning period.” (Lehman and Winer 2002) The marketing plan can and should be
an essential document for organizational success. A well thought out marketing plan
should:
• act as a road map.
• assist in management control and implementation of strategy.
• inform new participants of their roles in implementing the plan and reaching
objectives.
• assist in helping to obtain resources for implementation.
• stimulate thinking and better use of limited resources.
• help in the organization and assignment of responsibilities, tasks, and timing.
• help you become aware of problems, opportunities, and threats in the future
(Cohen 2001)
The marketing plan is an operational document that is created at the business level of the
organization. The plan may address a multiple year time horizon but it should be
reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Plans tend to fall into one of two categories: a
new product/service introduction plan or an annual marketing plan that addresses
products and/or services that are already in your company portfolio.
Jury 1 : Defense of your idea : Report
The format outline provided here is drawn from a variety of sources that are identified
throughout this document. The report must be spiral bound. Referencing and citations must be absolutely perfect. At additional elements,
which add to the quality of your plan, may be added at your discretion.
I. Cover Pagea. The cover page should identify the entity for which the plan is prepared,
the author(s), and the date of presentation.
b. It creates the first impression of your plan for the reader. Remember: You
never get a second chance to make a first impression.
II. Executive Summary (This should briefly summarize the plan for the reader.)
a. It is typically one to three pages but shorter is better.
b. It is usually written last.
III. Table of Contents
a. The TOC should make it easy for the reader to go directly to the sections
they are interested in.
b. Entries in the TOC should be clear with page numbers.
IV. Situation Analysis (Use an introductory paragraph to describe what you will
accomplish in this section.)
a. Market Summary (An introductory paragraph should summarize this
section. It may be all that is read.)
i. Market Description and Attributes
1. Geographic
2. Demographic
3. Psychographics
4. Behavioral
ii. Market Needs
1. What is the need you seek to fill?
2. What value are you providing?
iii. Market Trends
1. What factors are changing for the business or market?
2. What new trends have we observed that can be taken
advantage of?
iv. Market Growth
1. Is the market expanding, shrinking, or flat?
2. You should be able to cite external data here.
b. SWOT Analysis (You could describe briefly what this section is used for.)
i. Strengths
1. Internal factors that add value and describe positive
tangible and intangible attributes
ii. Weaknesses
1. Internal factors that detract from our competitive position.
iii. Opportunities
1. External factors in the market or environment from which
we can benefit.
iv. Threats
1. External factors, usually beyond our control that represent
potential (or actual) threats to the successful
implementation of your plan.
c. 5 Forces / Competition
i. Describe your major competitors in terms that most influence
revenues.
d. Product or Service Offering
i. List and describe the product(s) and/or service(s) that you offer.
ii. As you identify them, think in terms of customer needs and
benefits.
e. Critical Issues and Keys to Success
i. Identifying more than three or four priorities is usually less
effective.
ii. Draw from the SWOT analysis
f. Historical Reviewi. Briefly summarize past marketing activities and resulting trends
g. Macroenvironmenti. Consider broad macro trends that may affect your success.
ii. Should consider (but not necessarily address) the following
environmental factors:
1. Demographic
2. Economic
3. Technological
4. Political/Legal
5. Social/Cultural
h. Target Markets
i. This section should address segmentation strategies.
ii. It should then discuss selection of target markets.
V. Appendices and Supporting Information
a. References
b. Attach any and all appropriate supporting documents.
Grading in Jury 1
Your idea / plan will be scored according to the following criteria. The major sections of the plan as discussed above. Primary evaluation (80%) of these sections will be based on completeness, thoroughness, and quality of analysis and conclusions. The minor sections (Cover Page, Executive Summary, Table of Contents, Appendices and Supporting Information) will be allocated secondary evaluation (20%) grades. These sections will be evaluated primarily on completeness and thoroughness.This evaluation will be based on
the professional quality of your work. It will include appearance, spelling, grammar,
layout and all of the many minor elements that can make a good piece of work seem bad.
References
Best, R. J. (2000). Market-Based Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.
Cohen, W. A. (2001). The Marketing Plan. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Kotler, P. (2000). Marketing Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.
Lehman, D. R. and R. S. Winer (2002). Analysis for Marketing Planning. New York,
McGraw-Hill.
Palo Alto Software (2002). Marketing Plan Pro. Palo Alto, CA, Palo Alto Software.
Further Reading
http://www.businessplans.org/Market.html