1. For all you marketers staring blankly at
a patchy Powerpoint deck that is meant
to be a completed marketing plan, here
is everything that I can tell you about
how to build a decent marketing plan.
MARK RITSON
2. STRUCTURE
Marketing and brand planning work
through three sequential phases. First,
we diagnose the situation using data.
Second, we put together a strategy.
Third, we plan the tactics that will
deliver the strategy and success in the
market.
MARK RITSON
3. LENGTH
Twenty slides plus the judicious use of
hyperlinks is the only way to roll. And if
you can do it in 15 slides and 40
minutes, even better.
MARK RITSON
4. INTRODUCTION
There is nothing more comforting for
senior management than a marketer
explaining why they screwed up with
the kind of insight and humility that
suggests they won’t make that same
mistake again. It’s almost (almost) as
good as achieving the objective.
MARK RITSON
5. RESEARCH
Your insights and findings should,
ideally, be baked into every slide in your
plan. The research is the foundation for
you plan, not the plan. Move quickly
here.
MARK RITSON
6. SEGMENTATION
Make sure your segments have a name
based on behaviour (not targeting), a
population size, a value and your
estimated market share.
MARK RITSON
7. TARGETING
Targeting is the start of strategy...
Remember to be choiceful here. You do
not have unlimited resources and the
segments are differentially valuable.
Beware any marketing plan that goes
after all the segments.
MARK RITSON
8. PERSONAS
Authentic, superior portraits are
depressing and confronting slices of
reality... There is a reason we are
targeting these customers. Your portrait
should capture the challenge.
Tell the truth.
MARK RITSON
9. POSITIONING
You just need to outline three things.
First, ‘what’ you will be positioning to
[your] target. Second, ‘versus’ which
competitors or alternatives. Third, the
‘is’ – what you want the target
consumers to think.
MARK RITSON
10. OBJECTIVES
You can spot shit marketers a mile
away because they have SWOT, Maslow
and PEST in their plans and an array of
fluffy, anodyne slogans... You can
identify good marketers because they
have SMART objectives rather than
vague, unmeasurable aspirations.
MARK RITSON
11. TACTICS
Nothing conveys the tactical plan better
than everything splayed out across a
big fat Gannt... read horizontally to look
for synergy... then read vertically to
check that the marketing department is
not overly stretched at certain points of
the year.
MARK RITSON
12. BUDGET
In many cases the numbers simply do
not add up. And even if they do, they all
too often make no sense. The message
should be clear. Get these numbers
right. And be ready to explain and
defend them to the hilt.
MARK RITSON
