How To Formulate a Comprehensive Marketing Plan (creative process series: part 5 of 6)
What Is The Purpose of a Marketing Plan?
The purpose of a marketing plan is to implement cohesion among all marketing communications to create a positive, authoritative and authentic public image while providing a pleasant consumer experience on a consistent basis.
Perception is what defines our realities. Every business decision affects your brand value and no detail is irrelevant. Communications must be controlled, purposeful and expressed in a manor that reflects your core values. Everything must work together in harmony. Everything you think, say and do should align. That is where a strategic marketing plan comes in to play.
Below, I have outlined my 6-step creative process for formulating a comprehensive marketing plan.
Discover
It all begins with a quick discovery meeting. Through my signature questionnaire, I learn about your business state of affairs, long-term goals and expectations in working together.
Note Business State of Affairs
From the moment we meet, I am observing your business and it’s contributing to the marketing plan I formulate for you. My understanding of the problem at hand will determine my solution.
Learn Long-Term Goals
By becoming familiar with your vision for the future and goals you have for your business, I can keep that in mind when devising a custom marketing plan designed to achieve those specific aims.
Uncover Expectations in Working Together
Every partnership is custom built, just like the work we create during our collaboration. We get to know each other and come to an agreement on what works well for everyone involved.
Audit
To launch our collaboration, I perform a full business assessment and brand audit to help determine specific areas on which to focus the brand strategy.
Perform Business Assessment
What is business like on a day-to-day basis? What are the communication processes?
Conduct Brand Personality Audit
Diving into the heart of your brand, I seek understanding of your distinct characteristics and qualities as a business. What makes your business different? What are your key values and features?
Review Brand Messaging
What is the mission of your company? How clearly is that coming through in your communications?
Critique Design + Content
Is there general cohesiveness throughout the design elements and content? Is everything clearly and constantly expressing your mission?
Investigate Digital Media
How effective is your online presence on social media and is your website performing optimally?
Plan
Through diligent market research, I interpret data, determine available resources and conceptualize important messaging to be communicated in marketing materials.
Interpret Data
By performing extensive market research and collecting data from a variety of reliable sources, patterns and trends are discovered.
Determine Available Resources
The marketing plan will be heavily based around your budget. If you simply don’t have the budget for a top-of-the-line marketing plan, then we will have to do our best with what is reasonably affordable.
Conceptualize Key Messaging
Coming up with the main communications that will be conveyed in your branding to your target audience is an important part of shaping your reputation in the marketplace.
Strategize
The fun part is next, where I establish clear objectives and formulate marketing solutions designed to drive certain behaviors at key times to achieve long-term business goals.
Establish Clear Objectives
Having clear sales goals and overall business aims outlined is a major determining factor in the formulation of a comprehensive marketing plan. The entire plan of action will be based on achieving clearly set objectives.
Get Psychological
By understanding the mindset of your target audience, I am able to shape messaging that will be effective in reaching certain groups of people.
Formulate Solutions
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to formulating a marketing plan for a business. Every business is different and has its own unique set of objectives. Based on everything I learn along the way and my best judgment as a professional brand strategist, I decide appropriate solutions to achieve the specified goals.
Develop
A comprehensive marketing plan will be presented, outlining the project scope including deliverables, timeline and budget options. Together, we decide on an appropriate plan of action.
Outline Deliverables
I clearly outline exactly what is included in my proposed plan of action in terms of actual deliverables. Whether it be a certain amount of hours worth of consulting to better articulate message, a new logo design, comprehensive brand guidelines, a new website or ongoing content management, every thing is broken down into its own deliverable with associated pricing.
Set Timeline
Each part of the project scope is outlined in regards to the amount of time it will take to complete from start to finish.
Give Budget Options
There are tiered options available for all marketing plans, which are outlined into a few different budget plans, depending on what works best for you.
Decide Plan of Action
Upon reviewing the proposed marketing plan, it comes time to make a decision on which route to take.
Implement
Finally, I take charge in managing the branding campaign from start to finish, ensuring deliverables are properly executed, objectives are reached and expectations are met, if not exceeded.
Manage Branding Campaign
I am hired by startups and small businesses in need of marketing support. I serve as a reliable extension of teams and take complete charge in managing branding campaigns as a creative director of marketing.
Execute Deliverables
I personally make sure every part of the marketing plan is properly brought to life as imagined.
Reach Objectives
I ensure timelines are met, the grand purpose leading the branding campaign shines brightly and that overall efforts pay off.
Meet (or Exceed) Expectations
When all is said and done and the new branding campaign is out there performing in the world, the true test of success is if your expectations were well-met or even exceeded.
What’s Next?
Coming up on this 6-part series will be how to become an industry leader.
