Executive Summary
Table of Content Should be a standalone document expanding on the recommendations and NOT an introduction.(should be written in the past tense and be on a separate page .
Computer generated TOC
1.0 Introduction Brief rational for the marketing plan. Why you are writing it and what it will contain. ( Aim /scope)
2.0Current Situation Analysis 2.1 Internal Analysis:
2.1.1 Mission (what your company wants to achieve – its fundamental purpose), Resources (what you have to work with)eg .human /technical /financial ,
Offering (define what you are selling – what value does it have for customers), Business relationships (if any).
2.2 External Analysis (Understanding the influences on your business):
2.2.1 Technological trends (how will changes in technology affect the way you reach customers and the way customers use products)
Economic (are economic conditions likely to affect your business or customers), Political/Legal (do you have to comply with any Government regulations),
Socio-cultural (are there social or cultural influences that may affect your customers’ tastes or willingness to buy from you)
Natural environmental trends (how will they impact on your business)
Legal .
Market Analysis :
Market definition (where do you see your market existing),
Market trends (apart from the general trends covered in you external analysis is there anything that is likely to affect your particular product or customers),
Competitive situation (level of competition, types of competition, key players, your firm’s competitive advantage),
Customer needs (What customers’ needs exist that your product can fulfil)
Remember to cover both positive and negative factors that may affect your business
3.0 SWOT Analysis: Major issues facing the company and product that have come out of your Current situation analysis (do this in a table format).
Summary of the key issue that are likely to affect your business and your ability to market your product (these should be easily identifiable when you develop your marketing strategies in Part B)
4.0Target Market Selection and Positioning Strategy Remember the 5 requirements for effective segmentation.
Have you made a distinction between the market segmentation and the target market?
Although you should identify more than one customer segment, for the purpose of this assignment you only need to concentrate on one target market
Think about potential customers’ (target market) needs, wants, behaviour, attitudes, loyalty, and purchasing patterns.
What positioning strategy have you used? How does this relate to branding?
5.0Objectives Marketing objectives – Short term (what you want to achieve in the next 12 months)
Establish specific and measureable goals for sales, market share, brand awareness, customer segments, loyalty etc.
Identify objectives for marketing strategies (and rationale) to overcome key issues identified in SWOT analysis.
Note: You are not required to include long term objectives
6.0Branding Present your brand ideas for the business (name logo etc)
What is the value proposition (why would customers want your product)?
How does the brand identity tie in with your product offering?
7.0 Marketing Mix Strategies
Product
Price
Place
Promotion Product:
Outline your product concept and justify your choice.
Concentrate on one particular product as an example (event though you may sell a range)
What format(s) does your product come?
Are there any augmented features to your product?
Price:
How much will you charge (again just use one of your products as an example)
Justify (and name the pricing theory) why you have decided to set the price as you have.
As this is an online business does the customer get charged any delivery fees?
Distribution:
Present and justify how your customers will get their products?
You don’t have to discuss the back end distribution (where and how you get your products from)
Promotion
What various media will you use to promote your product/service?
Outline the timing (reach and frequency) of each promotional activity and justify why you have planned it this way.
Discuss the objective for each medium used (why use this and what you expect it will achieve)
8.0 Action Plan This section can be in a table format (or Gantt Chart)
Include every promotional activity you intend to conduct throughout year 1.
Include objective of each activity
Include the timing for each activity.
Include who will be responsible for implementing each activity.
9.0 Marketing Budget Provide a breakdown of all marketing costs involved. (total budget is Australian $100,000 in Australia or $500,000 in India ).
This can be added as an additional column to the action plan chart.
10.0 Controls and Contingencies Set boundaries and benchmarks.
How will you monitor the success of each your marketing activities?
How would you know if your marketing plan is working or not?
When do you pull an idea or activity that is not working?
11.0 Conclusion Brief summing up of project – no more than ½ page.
12.0 References Any data that comes from any outside source (not your own team’s creativity and ideas) should be referenced.
Check that all statements and justifications made throughout the marketing plan are cited in the body of the report and full references provided in a “reference” section.
References should be in accordance with the APA System (Writing Guide or the library website)
Have you used a variety of sources?
13.0Appendices Include items that may justify your decisions but would detract from the flow of the document if included in the main document.
Are these appendices cited in the body of the text?
Provide a list of assumptions your team has had to make due to lack of access to full data?