MKT 501 - Strategic Marketing SLP4

Outline for Completing the Marketing Plan Assignment

MKT501– Strategic Marketing

Use this format to plan your research and complete the SLP assignments. Your final paper in

module 4 SLP should follow this outline. Note that the letters “a, b, c…” and the numbers “i, ii,

iii, iv…” in the outline below are used to show the major issues you need to include in your

paper and you should not use these letters and numbers to organize your paper.

Cover Page (1 page)

a. Marketing plan title

b. Course title and number

c. Your name and date

d. Name of Instructor

e. Executive Summary (2 pages maximum)

f. Summary of what plan is designed to achieve

g. Summary of key elements of internal environment and external environment

analysis (only points that are relevant to understanding the action plan, only the

point, not the analysis)

h. Summary of prescribed goals and strategic approach to achieving them.

i. Summary of key actions that are outlined.

Table of Contents (as many pages as needed)

I. Product Statement (2 pages maximum)

j. Describe the company/organization

k. Provide brief background of the organization

l. Describe charge you have for this marketing plan

m. Provide a brief overview of what issue you are studying, and how a marketing

perspective can help address the issue.

II. Situation Analysis (3?6 pages)

NOTE: only include sections which are relevant to your charge. The relevance of

each section of analysis should be clear to the reader.

a. External Environment Analysis

i. Context Analysis

?Industry forces that might impact success of any actions taken

ii. Competitor Analysis

?Any organization or message which may prevent any actions

taken from being successful

iii. Technological and Economical situation Analysis

iv. Political, legal and cultural Analysis

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b. Customer Environment Analysis

i. Customer Analysis

ii. Collaborator Analysis

c. Internal Environment Analysis

i. Company Analysis

III. SWOT Analysis (3?6 pages)

a. Strengths and Weaknesses(Internal)

i. Strengths

ii. Weaknesses

b. Opportunities and Threats (External)

i. Opportunities

ii. Threats

c. SWOT Table

IV. Issues Analysis (2 pages maximum)

a. Given your complete marketing analysis, what are the key issues which the

company/organization must understand in order to address the charge that is

being considered?

i. NOTE: This section concisely identifies the most important issues and

decisions that the organization is likely to face when trying to promote

the product in your charge

?Bullet points (or numbered statements) are acceptable.

V. Goals and Objectives (2 pages maximum)

a. The goals and objectives should be stated clearly and concisely

i. (Think S.M.A.R.T.).

b. Do not “Discuss” the goals/objectives. Just present them.

i. Each goal/objective should be easily understood given your previous

analysis and summary of key issues.

VI. Marketing Strategy Statements (2?6 pages)

a. NOTE: These are LITERALLY STATEMENTS.

i. Do not provide detailed descriptions.

ii. These statements will guide your implementation.

iii. These statements should be logical given your analysis and goals.

b. Target Market Definition

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i. NOTE: This is a short, final description of who your action plan will be

intended to reach. You may simply be a restating target population

previously identified.

?Describe the target market in demographic and/or psychographic

terms.

?Describe the key benefits/behaviors this target market

seeks/prefers

?Estimate the number of customers in this segment.

c. Strategy Statements

i. Value Statement

1. Why should “customers” adopt your strategic initiative?

2. What does your initiative provide (or what do you suggest it

provide) in order to encourage/support behavioral change.

a. Identify “the set of benefits that the strategy offers”

b. NOTE: The value proposition is intangible, it is made

tangible through specific offerings/activities.

ii. Proposition Statement

1. What is the key proposition on which the strategy and its

activities should be based?

a. Refer to the “4ps” of marketing.

iii. Accessibility Statement

1. What information or support materials must be made easily

accessible?

a. Refer to the “4ps” of marketing.

iv. Communication Statement

a. What method of communications should be sought?

i. Print/radio and other traditional media?

ii. Social networking?

VII.Marketing Implementation (2?6 pages)

a. Follow the format provided in the module 4 SLP.

b. Remember, you should suggest at least 2 actions to be taken which can help

achieve your stated goals and which are consistent with your strategic

statements.

c. What is the cost/budget of implementing the suggested actions?

VIII. Marketing Budget (1 page)

IX. References