I’ve been writing a lot lately about marketing planning because many companies match their fiscal year with the calendar year. That makes October, November and December prime time for reviewing, budgeting and planning.
Lately, I’ve noticed an interesting pattern with my clients. They are less inclined to create detailed marketing plans for the entire year. They may have set goals and rough budgets, but are a little more leery of committing to programs and tactics for the long haul. There are many reasons for this, including uncertainty with the economy, lower than expected sales, anticipation that vendors may be willing to charge less, and turmoil within the company (acquisitions, new leadership, etc).
I don’t think three or six-month plans are necessarily a bad idea as long as you are working towards defined goals and you update the plan regularly. Be careful, though, not to implement tactics without understanding how they fit within your overall strategy and budget. And be ready to scale back or increase activity quickly as productivity and company focus changes.
Another option is to schedule and budget the basics for an entire year. Then, make notes as to programs and tactics that could be added as results are achieved. This approach is a little less spur of the moment and may be easier for some to implement and track.
Regardless of the method, it is more important than ever to have a plan with well-defined objectives. If you don’t know where you’re trying to go, how will you know when you get there?
Maureen M. McCarthy
Marketing & Advertising Consultant in Norcross, GA (NE Atlanta) www.McCarthyMktAdv.com
strategic marketing planning | copywriting | project management
