Guideline of Wirting A Marketing Plan

The Marketing Plan is a highly detailed, heavily researched and, well written report that many inside and outside the organization will evaluate. It is an essential document for both large corporate marketing departments and for startup companies. 

Essentially the Marketing Plan

• forces the marketing personnel to look internally in order to fully understand the results of past marketing decisions.
• forces the marketing personnel to look externally in order to fully understand the market in which they operate.
• sets future goals and provides direction for future marketing efforts that everyone within the organization should understand and support.
• is a key component in obtaining funding to pursue new initiatives.

The Marketing Plan is undertaken for the following reasons:

• as part of the yearly planning process within the marketing functional area.
• for a specialized strategy to introduce something new, such as new product planning, entering new markets, or trying a new strategy to fix an existing problem.
• as a component within an overall business plan, such as a new business proposal to the financial community.

There are many ways to develop and format a marketing plan. The approach recommended here is to present a 7-part plan that includes

• Mission Statement
• Business Description

1. Executive Summary
2. Objectives
3. Situation Analysis
4. Marketing Strategy
5. Implementation
6. Assessment
7. Critical Issues and Resolutions

to be continued...

Week 14

Topic: Pricing and Pricing Strategy

Date: Dec 22, 2009
Time: 6:00-9:50pm
Classroom: TR 510

Agenda

6:00-7:00pm Group Project Progress Review
Each team presents your up-to-date project with the following content;
1. Company Mission Statement/Credo(100 words at most)
2. Business Description(200 words, covering capital, manpower, products/services, operation)
3. Business Objectives(5 lines at most)

4. Executive Summary(draft to be refined, covering goals, strategies, approaches, budget, key to success)
5. Market and Environment Analysis (Macroenvironment and Microenvironment)
6. Marketing Mix Strategies(to be completed)
7. Implementation(4P's)(to be completed)
8. Assessment(to be completed)
9. Critical Issues and Resolutions(to be completed)

7:10-9:00pm Lecture

Pricing and Pricing Strategy(Updated)

9:10-9:50pm Case Study

Payless ShoeSource: Paying Less for Fashion

Each team has 5 minutes to present your findings and answers

Questions for Discussion

1. Which of the different product mix pricing strategies discussed in the text applies best to Payless's new Strategy?

2. How do concepts such as psychological pricing and reference pricing apply to the Payless Strategy? On what ways does Payless strategy deviate from these concept?

3. Discuss the benefits and risks of the new Payless strategy for both Payless and the designers. Which of these two stands to lose the most?

4. Consider the scale on which Payless operates. How much of a price increase does Payless need to achieve in order to make this venture worthwhile?

Week 12

Topic: New Product Development and Product Life-Cycle Strategies

Date: Dec 8, 2009
Time: 6:30-9:20pm
Classroom: TR 510

Agenda

6:30-7:00pm Presentation of group project progress
Each team gives 5 minutes to brief project progress and plan.

7:00-8:00pm Case Study for Zara
Presentation by Mr. Vincent Laban, Mr. Wijaya Henky and Mr. William Adarne.
1. Describe how Zara is creating values for its customers as well as well as for itself?
2. Based on the factors of “Consumer Buyer’s Behaviors”, please illustrate the marketing efforts made by Zara. And how did they work for Zara to achieve its objectives?
3. According to your marketing segmentation analysis, which segments is Zara targeting at? Describe these market segments with relevant supporting points.
4. Using marketing mix to explain explicitly how Zara has become a fast-fashion brand and leading position in clothing and fashion industries?
5. If you were the head of marketing to Zara, what marketing efforts will you utilize to ensure its growth rate? 

8:00-9:20pm New Product Development and Product Life-Cycle Strategies (Updated)

Week 11

Midterm Exam
Date: Dec 1, 2009
Time: 6:30-9:00pm

Case Study on
Zara, the Supernovae in the Clothing Retail Market

Questions
1. Describe how Zara is creating values for its customers as well as well as for itself?
2. Based on the factors of “Consumer Buyer’s Behaviors”, please illustrate the marketing efforts made by Zara. And how did they work for Zara to achieve its objectives?
3. According to your marketing segmentation analysis, which segments is Zara targeting at? Describe these market segments with relevant supporting points.
4. Using marketing mix to explain explicitly how Zara has become a fast-fashion brand and leading position in clothing and fashion industries?
5. If you were the head of marketing to Zara, what marketing efforts will you utilize to ensure its growth rate? Hint: products, services or brands.

Week 10

Topic: Products, Services, and Brands: Building Customer Value
Date: Nov 24, 2009
Time: 6:30pm-9:20pm
Classroom: TR 510

Class Notes(Updated)

Agenda

6:00pm-6:30pm Group discussion for the Case Study, Nintendo: Reviving a Company, Transforming a Market, part 1, 2 and 3

Questions:

1. What strategy used by Nintendo that makes Wii a success? Describe it by marketing mix.
2. What product life cycle phase is Wii in? Propose suggestions to maximize its value/profit.

6:30pm-7:00pm Group Presentation of the Case "Sports England"
Questions
1. Describe how Sports England has segmented the sports market by the full spectrum of market segmentation?
2. Choose a segment and describe a campaign that could be used to encourage people in that segment of sports.
3. Choose a sport not listed and select segments that might participate in it. Explain why it might appeal to people in that segment?


7:00pm-8:20pm Products, Services, and Brands


8:30pm-9:20pm Case Study, Wii, A Blast to the Marketing.
Each group have 5 mins to present your findings.

Week 9

Topic: Creating Value for Target Customers
Date: Nov 17, 2009
Time: 6:30-9:20pm
Classroom: TR-510

Class Notes (updated)

Agenda:

6:00-6:30pm Early bird session
Question for discussion:
What's the target market (segment) for your group project? By geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral. Make a table for insight analysis.

6:30-7:30pm Creating Value for Target Customers

7:30-8:20pm Case Study

Questions for discussion

1. Describe how Sports England has segmented the sports market by the full spectrum of market segmentation?

2. Choice a segment and describe a campaign that could be used to encourage people in that segment of sports.

3. Choose a sport not listed and select segments that might participate in it. Explain why it might appeal to people in that segment?

8: 30-9:20pm Group presentation
Briefs on the findings of the company you've chosen as your model for your company.
Including;
1. What is its target market segment and customers?
2. How it's creating value for its customers?
3. What is particular marketing strategy it adopts?

Week 8

Topic: Consumer Markets and Consumer Buyer Behavior
Date: Nov 10, 2009
Time: 6:30-9:20pm
Classroom: TR-510

Class Notes (updated)

Agenda:

6:00-6:30pm Early bird session

Question for discussion:

Comparing with Blackberry, Smartphone, and Android by using 4Ps and 5Cs, which phone your team recommend will take the lead in 2010?

6:30-7:30pm Consumer Markets and Consumer Buyer Behavior

7:30-8:20pm Case Study
Arabic Blackberry: Adapting to the Language of the Market

Questions
1. Conduct market research and make comparison of different mobile phones with push email function based on style, technology, price, and service.
2. Describe the buyer characteristics that affect buyer behavior and which one influences most making a new mobile phone purchase decision?
3. If your are the marketing directer of Blackberry, what marketing strategy would you adopt in the Middle East mobile phone market?

8: 30-9:20pm
Group presentation of findings and reinforcement actions as your are the marketing VP of Blackberry.