Marketing Plan Template
Marketing Plan Template
Marketing Plan Template
When writing a marketing plan you need to be clear about your marketing objectives
and how you’re going to achieve them. A good marketing plan sets realistic and
measurable objectives; includes budgets and action plans, and allocates
responsibilities.
Supporting documentation
Keep it up to date
Planning your marketing should be an ongoing business activity. As the market
conditions and your business change, you will need to revisit many of the ideas and
strategies outlined in your marketing plan. By referring to your plan regularly, you will
ensure that your business keeps heading in the right direction.
2. Take your time and consider your specific needs. Work through the template
at your own pace. Start by deciding which sections are relevant for your
business and set aside the sections that don’t apply. You can always go back to
the other sections at a later date.
2. Using Word's Replace function, search for {Business Name} and replace with
your company name.
a. In Word's Home ribbon, open the Find and Replace tool, choose
Replace to open the Find and Replace tool. The Find and Replace
dialog opens with the Replace tab selected.
b) In the small menu that appears, choose ‘Update Field’ then ‘Update
page numbers only’.
Marketing Plan
Contents
Marketing Plan ....................................................................................................... 4
ABN: .................................................................................................................. 8
ACN:.................................................................................................................. 8
Business location:.............................................................................................. 8
Products or Services:......................................................................................... 9
Goals/objectives: ............................................................................................. 11
ABN: ................................................................................................................ 15
ACN:................................................................................................................ 15
Business location:............................................................................................ 15
Products: ......................................................................................................... 17
Target customers:............................................................................................ 23
Organisational Implications.................................................................................. 47
Contingencies .................................................................................................. 47
Glossary .............................................................................................................. 50
Your Business
Business name:
Business structure:
Guidance:What’s the formal structure of your business? Are you a sole trader, in a
partnership, a trust or company?
ABN:
ACN:
Business location:
Date established:
Business owner(s):
Owner/s experience:
Products or Services:
Market Overview
Target market:
Guidance:In one or two sentences, summarise the key statistics for your target
market. This may include the size and growth potential of your market, as well as
key demographics such as age, gender, income level etc.
Customer profile:
Guidance:What’s the profile of an ideal customer for your business? In one or two
sentences, clearly define your ideal customer - their needs, buying patterns and
motivations for buying.
Competitor profile:
MarketingObjectives
Goals/objectives:
Guidance:In one or two sentences, summarise the key marketing objectives for your
business. Your objectives may be financial, with a goal to increase sales, marketing
focused to build awareness of your product or service, or online to build
engagement with online customers and business networks.
MarketingStrategy
Guidance:Use this section to summarise the overall strategy and marketing mix
(The 7 P’s) you will use to position yourself within the market to meet your
customers’ needs. Your strategy and marketing mix should take into account the
activities that are relevant for your business. Remember to consider your digital
strategy, which focuses on achieving your online objectives. Whatever your
strategy, aim to differentiate yourself from your competitors to encourage customers
to choose your business first.
Action Steps
Guidance:Create a list of the Top 10 action steps that will bring your theoretical
objectives (your marketing strategy and objectives) to life. E.g. Finish SWOT Activity
Sheet, complete marketing budget}
Background Analysis
The background analysis should give a snapshot of where you are right now, where
you have been and where you want to go. Undertaking this process will help you to
define your business's capabilities and find opportunities within your particular
market. Finally, defining your core business elements will ensure that your
marketing plan and overall business strategy work together seamlessly.
Business overview
Guideline (remove when done): The overview should cover the nuts and bolts of
your business including:
Details about the owners (their names, roles and levels of experience etc.)
What your business is about (your business mission, vision and values)
Business name:
Business structure:
Guidance:What’s the formal structure of your business? Are you a sole trader, in a
partnership, a trust or company?
ABN:
ACN:
Business location:
Date established:
Business owner(s):
Owner/s experience:
Vision statement:
Guidance:A Vision statement should describe WHERE you want your business to
be in the future. It should communicate both the PURPOSE and VALUES of your
business and answer the question, 'Why are we here?'
Mission statement:
Guidance:A Mission statement should outline HOW you will get to where you want
your business to be in the future (Your Vision). It should define the PURPOSE and
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES of your business and answer the question, 'What do we
do?'
Business objectives:
Guidance:What are your short and long term goals for your business?
Guidance:What are three primary short-term goals for your business (6 Months)?
Guidance:What are three primary long-term goals for your business (1-3 Years)?
Products:
Financial Analysis:
Guidance:In this section provide a high level analysis of your current financial
situation, specifically addressing sales and profitability.
Guidance:Use this section to summarise the current sales data for your industry (if
available) and your business. The areas that you can analyse include:
If you wish to dig deeper, you can expand the analysis to Sales by Product
Categories, Sales by Distribution Channels and Sales by Geography.
Guidance:Use the sales numbers above to identify realised revenues rather than
just projections and then breakdown marketing expenses in terms of direct
(expenses directly tied to products) and indirect or proportional (general
administrative or broad marketing expenses).
SWOT analysis
Guidance:Use the table below to list each of your businesses Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities or Threats (S.W.O.T.).
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
Guidance:Outline how and when you plan to address each of the weaknesses/threats from your SWOT analysis above.
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Your Market
Target market:
Guidance:Summarise the key statistics for your target market. This may include the size and
growth potential of your market, as well as key demographics such as age, gender, income level
etc.
Guidance:What research have you completed to help analyse your market? Did you utilise a
survey/questionnaire? If so, you may like to attach a copy of your survey/questionnaire and
findings to the back of this plan. In this section, detail the results of the market research you have
performed. Consider questions such as:
Is there potential for growth in the market? How will you be able to capitalise on any
opportunities?
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Your Customers
Target customers:
Guidance:Who are your target customers and how do they behave? Include specific demographics such as age, social status, education and
gender. What are your customers’ lifestyles, activities, values, needs, interests or opinions? Where are they located? Please adjust the column
headings as required.
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Customer profile:
Guidance:What’s the profile of an ideal customer for your business? In a paragraph or two, clearly define your ideal customer - their needs, buying
patterns and motivations for buying. This process will help you to develop a mental image of your ideal customer (often referred to as a customer
avatar).
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Your Competitors
Competitor analysis:
{insert {insert When {insert {insert {insert Unique value {insert What are your {insert What are your
Competitor’s was their Number of Estimated to customers,e.g. competitor's main competitor's main
name} business staff and/or percentag quality, price or strengths?} weaknesses?}
established? turnover} e of customer service?}
} market
share}
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Competitor profile:
Guidance:What’s the profile of a typical competitor for your business? In a paragraph or two, clearly define a typical competitor - their size, market
share, unique value proposition, strengths and weaknesses. This process will help you to develop a mental image of your typical competitor.
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Your Marketing
Marketing Objectives:
Guidance:Summarise the key marketing objectives for your business. Your objectives may be financial, with a goal to increase sales, or marketing
focused, to build awareness of your product or service. An effective (and accountable) way to define your marketing objectives is to follow the
‘SMART’ acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely)1.
To gain 15% of the market for sports socks by November 2018 (Market Share Objective)
To make X brand of juice the preferred brand of 21-29 year old females in Australia by August 2019 (Branding Objective)
{insert Your specific { Is your objective { Can your { Is your objective { Is your objective { Have you set a
marketing objective} specific?} objective be achievable?} realistic?} specific date for
measured?} your objective to
be achieved?}
1
Doran, G. T. (1981). There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives. Management Review, Volume 70, Issue 11(AMA FORUM), pp. 35-36.
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Marketing Strategy:
Guidance:Use this section to detail the overall strategy you will use to position yourself within the market to meet your customers’ needs. Whatever
your strategy, you goal should be to differentiate yourself from your competitors to encourage customers to choose your business first. The specific
elements that make up your marketing strategy are typically referred to as the marketing mix. Each element can be varied to broaden the appeal of
products and services, and will therefore have a direct impact on sales.
Click any of the links above to find out more about a specific element and how it can be applied.
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The unique selling position - what makes your product/service different from your competitors’?
{What is your product or {What are the {What are the {What makes your {What additional {Are there any
service?} features of your customer benefits product or service support do you potential spin-off
product or service? of your product or unique?} offer? E.g. products or
service?} warranty, money services you can
back etc.} offer?}
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Setting prices for your products and services might seem like a daunting task, however, it doesn’t need to be … just remember:
Your overall pricing strategy will depend on your marketing, business and lifestyle objectives. So, before you start the research process spend some
time defining your income (and net profit) aspirations. Also take a look at the small business expected income benchmarks on the ATO website.
{What is your {What is the price of {What is the total {What Net Profit is {What is your {What unique value
product or service?} your product or cost of selling your made from selling competitor’s pricing does your product or
service?} product or service?} your product or for this product or service
service?} service? offer/deliver?}
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This includes:
Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is often referred to as the distribution channel. This may include any physical
store (supermarket, departmental stores) as well as virtual stores (e-markets and e-malls) on the Internet. This is crucial as this provides the place
utility to the consumer, which often becomes a deciding factor for the purchase of many products across multiple product categories.
{e.g. Shopfront, internet, {List all the {What percentage {Why have you decided to use this channel type? How and when will
direct mail, export or products/services sold of overall sales do you use it? What is the strategy behind using this channel type for
wholesale.} via this channel} you expect to sell this particular product/service?}
via this channel?}
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Promotion is more than selling and advertising your business. It’s about attracting the right people to use and reuse your business. There are a
number of techniques to use and they can be combined in various ways to create the most cost effective strategy for your needs.
online
public relations
advertising
promotion
branding
Direct marketing is often added to the marketing mix despite being part of advertising rather than marketing.
{What is your product or {What online {What PR {What {What {What {What branding
service?} strategies are strategies are advertising promotion packaging strategies are
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you using?} you using? strategies are strategies are strategies are you using?}
you using?} you using?} you using?}
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Are they prepared to talk with clients in detail about your products and services?
Are staff members empowered to make decisions (and act) on the business’s behalf?
{ e.g.Mr Chris {e.g. Marketing/ Sales Manager} {e.g. Sales} {insert the main responsibilities of this
Brantley} position}
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A poor process, on the other hand, can undermine the other elements of the marketing mix. Budget airlines, for example, may offer very competitive
headline prices, but if the final price is inflated by additional charges such as baggage charges and administrative fees, customers may begin to feel
that they have been taken advantage of even if the final price is lower than other carriers.
{What is your product {Outline the Process in point form} {What are the key benefits for the {What changes can you make to
or service?} customer?} improve the process?}
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Use the table below to outline the physical environments that your customers experience when they buy your products or services and any
improvements you might be able to make.
{What is your product {Where is the product or service {Where is the product or service {What changes can you make to
or service?} sold?} delivered?} improve the Physical Environment?}
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Here are some examples of strategies that could improve your marketing productivity:
Improved Marketing Accounting – take time to understand where resources are being spent, customer value being created and where money is
being made or lost.
Marketing Alliances – share resources, ideas and opportunities with other organisations that service the same customers.
Encourage Customer Involvement – increase customer satisfaction and lower costs by adding customers to the value chain e.g. ask them to
write guest posts for your blog.
{ e.g.Mr Chris {e.g. Marketing/ Sales Manager} {e.g. Sales} {What are the main responsibilities of
Brantley} this position?}
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Marketing Activity
Guidance:Once you have defined your marketing mix, the next step is to detail the specific activities that you will undertake to achieve your
marketing objectives. As you create these activities, keep referring back to your marketing mix – it will help you to assess which activities are worth
the time and effort to implement.
What steps or activities will you undertake to achieve your marketing objectives?
{Print advertising, online advertising, mail-out, {Who is {When do you {Estimated {What indicator/ measurement
giveaway, media release, event, website, responsible expect to cost of result will need to be met before
blog/social media, public relations, branding and for completing complete the activity.} this activity is considered a
artwork, or publications and catalogues.} this task?} marketing success?}
activity?}
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Your Finances
Guidance:To complete this marketing budget, you should rely heavily on your financial statements and projections. Double-click the table below to
enter your details or attach your own budget at the back of this marketing plan.
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Item Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Marketing/promotion
Marketing agency
Radio advertising
Television advertising
Print advertising
Online advertising
Social media
Web search optimisation
Mailouts
Giveaways
Events
Branding & artwork
Merchandising
Publications
Catalogues
More…
Marketing/ promotion total $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Other
Research
Travel
Postage
Administration
Incidentals
More…
Other total $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Total $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
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Organisational Implications
Guidance:Organisational implications are often overlooked when business owners tackle a
marketing plan. For example, if your goal is to increase your customer base by 15% and therefore
your staff by 10% - will you be able to house them in your current offices? Could you outsource
some tasks? It’s important to consider and document these decisions in your plan.
Use the space below to outline any organisational implications, which you feel may affect the
implementation of your marketing plan.
Contingencies
Guidance:All plans in business should remain flexible (and adjustable) as you are often working
with assumptions. The more planning you do, the better you will become at predicting. However,
as you are learning the needs of your market - it is fair to say that some of your assumptions are
going to fall short of expectation.
Use the space below to outline any contingencies (alternative options) which may assist if things
don’t go as planned.
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Monitoring/measurement activities
Guidance:Reviewing the impact of yourmarketing should be a periodic activity. List the details of each review in the table below.
{Print advertising, online {e.g. {What tools did you use to {e.g. What were the results for the promotional period? What
advertising, mail-outs, Month/Year} measure/monitor the impact of were your sales/profit figures? How many new/repeat
giveaways, media your marketing activities?} customers did you receive? How many customers visited your
releases, events, website? Etc.}
website, blog/social
media, public relations,
branding and artwork, or
publications and
catalogues.}
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Supporting documentation
Guidance:Attach any supporting documentation in relation to this marketing plan.
List all of your attachments here. These may include resumes, customer survey/questionnaire and/or financial documents.
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Glossary
Term Definition
Australian a unique identifying number used when dealing with other businesses
Business Number and the Australian Tax Office.
(ABN)
Goods and a broad-based tax of 10 per cent on the sale of most goods and services
Services Tax in Australia.
(GST)
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Term Definition
Market position refers to the position an organisation, product or service has in the
market, usually in relation to its competition.
Mission statement a statement (usually internally facing) which outlines how a business
(organisation) intends to achieve its Vision. It should define the
PURPOSE and PRIMARY OBJECTIVES of the business and answer the
question, 'What do we do?'
Social media a group of technology including Blogs, online networks (e.g. Twitter,
Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn) and online collaboration tools often used
to expand your network/market reach or collaborate on a large scale.
Vision statement a statement (usually public facing) which outlines where a business
(organisation) wants to be in the future. It should communicate both the
PURPOSE and VALUES of the business and answer the question, 'Why
are we here?'
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