Working within the plans set by the levels above them, marketing managers come up with a marketing plan for individual products, lines, brands, channels, or customer groups. A marketing plan is a written document that summarizes what the marketer has learned about the marketplace and indicates how the firm plans to reach its marketing objectives.45 It contains tactical guidelines for the marketing programs and financial allocations over the planning period.46

A marketing plan is one of the most important outputs of the marketing process. It provides direction and focus for a brand, product, or company. It informs and motivates key constituents inside and outside an organization about its marketing goals and how these can be achieved. Nonprofit organizations use marketing plans to guide their fund-raising and outreach efforts, and government agencies use them to build public awareness of nutrition and stimulate tourism.

More limited in scope than a business plan, the marketing plan documents how the organization will achieve its strategic objectives through specific marketing strategies and tactics, with the customer as the starting point. It is also linked to the plans of other departments. Suppose a marketing plan calls for selling 200,000 units annually. The production department must gear up to make that many units, finance must arrange funding to cover the expenses, human resources must be ready to hire and train staff, and so on. Without the appropriate level of organizational support and resources, no marketing plan can succeed.

marketing memo Marketing Plan Criteria

Here are some questions to ask in evaluating a marketing plan.

a. Is the plan simple and succinct?  Is it easy to understand and act on? Does it communicate its content clearly and practically? Is it not unnecessarily long?

b. Is the plan complete?  Does it include all the necessary elements? Does it have the right breadth and depth? Achieving the right balance between completeness and lots of detail and simplicity and clear focus is often the key to a well-constructed marketing plan.

c. Is the plan specific?  Are its objectives concrete and measurable? Does it provide a clear course of action? Does it include specific activities, each with specific dates of completion, specific persons responsible, and specific budgets?

d. Is the plan realistic?  Are the sales goals, expense budgets, and milestone dates realistic? Has a frank and honest self-critique been conducted to raise possible concerns and objections?