EXAMPLE STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN The following pages cont.docx

EXAMPLE STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN
The following pages contain an annotated sample marketing
plan for Blue Sky Clothing. At some
point in your career, you will likely be involved in writing—or
at least contributing to –a marketing
plan. And you’ll certainly read many marketing plans
throughout your business career. Keep in
mind that the plan for Blue Sky is a single example; no one
format is used by all companies.
Also, the Blue Sky plan has been somewhat condensed to make
it easier to annotate and
illustrate the most vital features. The important point to
remember is that the marketing plan is a
document designed to present concise, cohesive information
about a company’s marketing
objectives to managers, lending institutions, and others who are
involved in creating and carrying
out the firm’s overall business strategy.
Need a Standard Cover Page with Page Break to Begin –
Include the Title Below.
Five-Year Marketing Plan Blue Sky Clothing, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS [Optional]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY [1 page or less]
This five-year marketing plan for Blue Sky Clothing has been
created by its two founders to secure

additional funding for growth and to inform employees of the
company’s current status and direction.
Although Blue Sky was launched only three years ago, the firm
has experienced greater-than-anticipated
demand for its products, and research as shown that the target
market of sport-minded consumers and
sports retailers would like to buy more casual clothing than
Blue Sky currently offers. They are also
interested in extending their product line as well as adding new
product lines. In addition, Blue Sky plans
to explore opportunities for online sales. The marketing
environment has been very receptive to the firm’s
high-quality goods—casual clothing in trendy colors with logos
and slogans that reflect the interests of
outdoor enthusiasts around the country. Over the next five
year, Blue Sky can increase its distribution,
offer new products, and win new customers.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Blue Sky Clothing was founded three years ago by
entrepreneurs Lucy Neuman and Nick Russell, Neuman
has an undergraduate degree in marketing and worked for
several years in the retail clothing industry.
Russell operated an adventure business called Go West!, which
arranges group trips to locations in

Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, before selling the enterprise to a
partner. Neuman and Russell, who have
been friends since college, decided to develop and market a line
of clothing with a unique—yet universal—
appeal to outdoor enthusiasts.
Blue Sky Clothing reflects Neuman’s and Russell’s passion for
the outdoors. The company’s original
cotton T-shirts, baseball caps, and fleece jackets and vests bear
logos of different sports—such as kayaking,
mountain climbing, bicycling, skating, surfing, and horseback
riding. But every item shows off the
company’s slogan: “Go Play Outside.” Blue Sky sells clothing
for both men and women, in the hottest
colors with the coolest names—such as sunrise pink, sunset red,
twilight purple, desert rose, cactus green,
ocean blue, mountaintop white, and river rock gray.
Blue Sky attire is currently carried by small retail stores that
specialize in outdoor clothing and gear. Most
of these stores are concentrated in northern New England,
California, the Northwest, and a few states in the
South. The high quality, trendy colors, and unique message of
the clothing have gained Blue Sky a

The executive summary
outlines the who, what,
where, when, how, and
why of the marketing
plan. Blue Sky is only
three years old and is
successful enough that it
now needs a formal
marketing plan to obtain
additional financing from
a bank or private
investors for expansion
and the launch of new
products.
The company description
summarizes the history of
Blue Sky—how it was
founded and by whom,
what its products are, and
why they are unique. It
begins to “sell” the reader
on the growth

possibilities for Blue Sky.
following among consumers between the ages of 25 and 45.
Sales have tripled in the last year alone, and
Blue Sky is currently working to expand its manufacturing
capabilities.
Blue Sky is also committed to giving back to the community by
contributing to local conservation
programs. Ultimately, the company would like to develop and
fund its own environmental programs. This
plan will outline how Blue Sky intends to introduce new
products, expand its distribution, enter new
markets, and give back to the community.
BLUE SKY’S MISSION, VISION, VALUES, AND GOALS
Blue Sky’s mission is to be the leading producer and marketer
of personalized, casual clothing for
consumers who love the outdoors. Blue Sky wants to inspire
people to get outdoors more often and enjoy
family and friends while doing so. In addition, Blue Sky strives
to design programs for preserving the
natural environment.

During the next five years, Blue Sky seeks to achieve the
following financial and nonfinancial goals:
• Financial Goals
1. Obtain financing to expand manufacturing capabilities,
increase distribution, and introduce two
new product lines.
2. Increase revenues by at least 50 percent each year.
3. Donate at least $25,000 a year to conservation organizations.
• Nonfinancial goals
4. Introduce two new product lines—customized logo clothing
and lightweight luggage.
5. Enter new geographic markets, including southwestern and
Mid-Atlantic States.
6. Develop a successful Internet site, while maintaining strong
relationships with retailers.
7. Develop its own conservation program aimed at helping
communities raise money to purchase
open space.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Blue Sky seeks to use its core competencies to achieve a
sustainable competitive advantage, in which
competitors cannot provide the same value to consumers that
Blue Sky does. Already, Blue Sky has

developed core competencies in (1) offering a high-quality,
branded product whose image is recognizable
among consumers; (2) creating a sense of community among
consumers who purchase the products; and
(3) developing a reputation among retailers as a reliable
manufacturer, delivering the requested number of
products on schedule. The firm intends to build on these
competencies through marketing efforts that
increase the number of products offered as well as distribution
outlets. By forming strong relationships with
consumers, retailers, and suppliers of fabric and other goods
and services, Blue Sky believes it can create a
sustainable competitive advantage over its rivals. No other
clothing company can say to its customers with
as much conviction “Go Play Outside”!
SITUATION ANALYSIS
The marketing environment for Blue Sky represents
overwhelming opportunities. It also contains some
challenges that the firm believes it can meet successfully.
Table A illustrates a SWOT analysis of the
company conducted by marketers to highlight Blue Sky’s
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
The SWOT analysis presents a thumbnail sketch of the
company’s position in the marketplace. In just

three years, Blue Sky has built some impressive strengths while
looking forward to new opportunities. Its
dedicated founders, the growing number of brand-loyal
customers, and sound financial management place
the company in a good position to grow. However, as Blue Sky
considers expansion of its product line and
entrance into new markets, the firm will have to guard against
marketing myopia (the failure to recognize
the scope of its business) and quality slippages. As the
company finalizes plans for new products and
It is important to state a
firm’s mission, vision,
calues, and goals,
including financial and
nonfinancial goals. Blue
Sky’s goals include
growth and profits for the
company as well as the
ability to contribute to
society through
conservation programs.

This section reminds
employees as well as
those outside the
company (such as
potential lenders) exactly
what Blue Sky does so
well and how it plans to
achieve a sustainable
competitive advantage
over rivals. Note that
here and throughout the
plan, Blue Sky focuses on
relationships.
The situation analysis
provides an outline of the
marketing environment.
A SWOT analysis helps
marketers and others
identify clearly a firm’s
strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats.
Again relationships are a

focus. Blue Sky has also
conducted research on the
outdoor clothing market,
competitors, and
consumers to determine
how best to attract and
keep customers.
expanded Internet sales, its management will also have to guard
against competitors who attempt to
duplicate the products. However, building strong relationships
with consumers, retailers, and suppliers
should help thwart competitors.
COMPETITORS IN THE OUTDOOR CLOTHING MARKET
The outdoor retail sales industry sells about $5 billion worth of
goods annually, ranging from clothing to
equipment. The outdoor apparel market has many entries. L.L.
Bean, REI, Timberland, Bass Pro Shops,
Cabello’s, and Patagonia are among the most recognizable
companies that offer these products. Smaller
competitors such as Title IX, which offers athletic clothing for

women, and Ragged Mountain, which sells
fleece clothing for skiers and hikers, also grab some of the
market. The outlook for the industry in
general—and Blue Sky in particular—is positive for several
reasons. First, consumers are participating in
and i8nvesting in recreational activities that are near their
homes. Second, consumers are looking for ways
to enjoy their leisure time with friends and family without
overspending. Third, consumers are gaining
more confidence in the economy and are willing and able to
spend more.
While all of the companies listed earlier can be considered
competitors, none offers the kind of trendy, yet
practical products provided by Blue Sky—and none carries the
customized logos and slogans that Blue Sky
pans to offer in the near future. In addition, most of these
competitors sell performance apparel in high-
tech manufactured fabrics. With the exception of the fleece
vests and jackets, Blue Sky’s clothing is made
Table A
SWOT Analysis for Blue
Sky Clothing, Inc.

of strictly the highest quality cotton, so it may be worn both on
the hiking trail and around town. Finally,
Blue Sky products are offered at moderate prices, making them
affordable in multiple quantities. For
instance, a Blue Sky T-shirt sells for $15.99, compared with a
competing high-performance T-shirt that
sells for $29.99. Consumers can easily replace a set of shirts
from one season to the next, picking up the
newest colors, without having to think about the purchase.
A survey conducted by Blue Sky revealed that 67 percent of
responding consumers prefer to replace their
casual and active war more often that other clothing, so they are
attracted by the moderate pricing of Blue
Sky products. In addition, as the trend toward health-conscious
activities and concerns about the natural
environment continue, consumers increasingly relate to the Blue
Sky philosophy as well as the firm’s
contributions to socially responsible programs.
THE TARGET MARKET
The target market for Blue Sky products is active consumers
between the ages of 25 and 45—people who
like to hike, rock climb, bicycle, surf, figure skate, in-line
skate, ride horses, snowboard or ski, kayak, and

other such activities. In short, they like to “Go Play Outside.”
They might not be experts at the sports they
engage in, but they enjoy themselves outdoors.
These active consumers represent a demographic group of well-
educated and successful individuals; they
are single or married and raising families. Household incomes
generally range between $60.000 and
$120,000 annually. Despite their comfortable incomes, these
consumers are price conscious and
consistently seek value in their purchases. Regardless of their
age (whether they fall at the upper or lower
end of the target range), they lead active lifestyles. They are
somewhat status oriented but not overly so.
They like to be associated with high-quality products but are
not willing to pay a premium price for a
certain brand. Current Blue Sky customers tend to live in
northern New England, the South, California,
and the Northwest. However, one future goal is to target
consumers in the Mid-Atlantic States and
Southwest as well.
THE MARKETING MIX
The following discussion outlines some of the details of the
proposed marketing mix for Blue Sky products.

PRODUCT STRATEGY. Blue Sky currently offers a line of
high-quality outdoor apparel items
including cotton T-shirts, baseball caps, and fleece vests and
jackets. All bear the company log and slogan,
“Go Play Outside.” The firm has researched the most popular
colors for its items and given them names
that consumers enjoy—sunset red, sunrise pink, cactus green,
desert rise, and river rock gray, among
others. Over the next five years, Blue Sky plans to expand the
product line to include customized clothing
items. Customers may select a logo that represents their sport—
say rock climbing. Then they can add a
slogan to match the logo, such as “Get over It.” A baseball cap
with a bicyclist might bear the slogan,
“Take a Spin.” At the beginning, there would be ten new logos
and five new slogans; more would be
added later. Eventually, some slogans and logos would be
retired, and new ones introduced. This strategy
will keep the concept fresh and prevent it from becoming
diluted with too many variations.
The second way in which Blue Sky plans to expand its product
line is to offer items of lightweight

luggage—two sizes of duffel bags, two sizes of tote bags, and a
daypack. These items would also come in
trendy and basic colors, with a choice of logos and slogans. In
addition, every product would bear the Blue
Sky logo.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY. Currently, Blue Sky is marketed
through regional and local specialty
shops scattered along the California coast, into the Northwest,
across the South, and in northern New
England. So far, Blue Sky has not been distributed through
national sporting goods and apparel chains.
Climate and season tend to dictate the sales at specialty shops,
which sell more T-shirts and baseball caps
during warm weather and more fleece vests and jackets during
colder months. Blue Sky obtains much of
its information about overall industry trends in different
geographic areas and at different types of retail
outlets from its trade organization, Outdoor Industry
Association.
Blue Sky has identified
its customers as active
people between the ages

of 25 and 45. However,
that doesn’t mean
someone who is 62 and
prefers to read about the
outdoors isn’t a potential
customer as well. By
pinpointing where
existing customers live,
Blue Sky can make plans
for growth into new
outlets.
The strongest part of the
marketing mix for Blue
Sky involves sales
promotions, public
relations, and
nontraditional marketing
strategies such as
attending outdoor events
and organizing activities
like day hikes and bike

rides.
Over the next three years, Blue Sky seeks to expand distribution
to retail specialty shops throughout the
nation, focusing next on the Southwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. The firm has not yet determined whether
it would be beneficial to sell through a major national chain
such as REI or Bass Pro Shops, as these outlets
could be considered competitors.
In addition, Blue Sky plans to expand online sales by offering
the customized product line via Internet only,
thus distinguishing between Internet offerings and specialty
ship offerings. Eventually we may be able to
place internet kiosks at some of the more profitable store outlets
so consumers could order customized
products form the stores. Regardless of its expansion plans,
Blue Sky fully intends to monitor and maintain
strong relationships with distribution channel members.
PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY. Blue Sky communicates with
consumers and retailers about its products
in a variety of ways. Information about Blue Sky—the company
as well as its products—is available via

the Internet, direct mailings, and in person. The firms’
promotional efforts also seek to differentiate its
products from those of its competitors.
The company relies on personal contact with retailers to
establish the products in their stores. This contact,
whether in-person or by phone, helps convey the Blue Sky
message, demonstrate the products’ unique
qualities, and build relationships. Blue Sky sales
representatives visit each store two or three times a year
and offer in-store training on the features of the products for
new retailers or for those who want a
refresher. As distribution expands, Blue Sky will adjust o meet
greater demand by increasing sales staff to
make sure it stores are visited more frequently.
Sales promotions and public relations currently make up the
bulk of Blue Sky’s promotional strategy. Blue
Sky staff works with retailers to offer short-term sales
promotions tied to event and contests. In addition,
Nick Russell is currently working with several trip outfitters to
offer Blue Sky items on a promotional
basis. Because Blue Sky also engages in cause marketing
through its contribution to environmental

programs, good public relations have followed.
Nontraditional marketing methods that require little cash and a
lot of creativity also lend themselves
perfectly to Blue Sky. Because Blue Sky is a small, flexible
organization, the firm can easily implement
ideas such as distributing free water, skiers, and discount
coupons at outdoor sporting events. During the
next year, the company plans to engage in the following
marketing efforts:
• Create a Blue Sky Tour, in which several employees take turns
driving around the country to
campgrounds to distribute promotional items such as Blue Sky
stickers and discount coupons
• Attend canoe and kayak races, bicycling events, and rock
climbing competitions with our Blue
Sky truck to distribute free water, stickers, and discount
coupons for Blue Sky shirts or hats.
• Organize Blue Sky hikes departing from participating
retailers.
• Hold a Blue Sky design contest, selecting a winning slogan
and logo to be added to the
customized line.

PRICING STRATEGY. As discussed earlier in this plan, Blue
Sky products are priced with the
competition in mind. The firm is not concerned with setting
high prices to signal luxury or prestige, nor is
ti attempting to achieve the goals of offsetting low prices by
selling high quantities of products. Instead
value pricing is practiced so that customers feel comfortable
purchasing new clothing to replace the old,
even if it is just because they like the new colors. The pricing
strategy also makes Blue Sky products good
gifts—for birthdays, graduations, or “just because.” The
customized clothing will sell for $2 to $4 more
than the regular Blue Sky logo clothing. The luggage ill be
priced competitively, offering a good value
against it competition.
BUDGET, SCHEDULE, AND MONITORING
Though its history is short, Blue Sky has enjoyed a steady
increase in sales since its introduction three years
ago. Figure A shows these three years, plus projected sales for
the nest three years, including the
introduction of the two new product lines. Additional financial
data are included in the overall business

plan for the company.
The timeline for expansion of outlets and introduction of the
two new product lines is shown in Figure B.
The implementation of each of these tasks will be monitored
closely and evaluated for its performance.
Blue Sky anticipates continuing operations into the foreseeable
future, with no plans to exit this market.
Instead, as discussed throughout this plan, the firm plans to
increase its presence in the market. At present,
there are no plans to merge with another company or to make a
public stock offering.
An actual plan will
include more specific
financial details, which
will be folded in to the
overall business plan. In
addition, Blue Sky states
that at this stage, it does
no have plans to exit the

market by merging with
another firm or making a
public stock offering.
Figure A
Annual Sales for Blue
Sky Clothing: 2
Figure B
Timeline for First Three
Years of Marketing Plan
Business Writing Guide
In this course you will be writing answers to marketing
questions and a strategic marketing plan. To score well
on these assignments, you will need to communicate well. The
following guidance will help you succeed.
Contents
Business Writing Guide
...............................................................................................
........................................... 1
The basics
...............................................................................................
............................................................. 1

Things to avoid
...............................................................................................
..................................................... 1
Things to do
...............................................................................................
.......................................................... 1
Other Considerations
...............................................................................................
............................................ 2
Use active, not passive sentences
...............................................................................................
......................... 2
Why should we use active voice?
...............................................................................................
........................ 2
Here are a few tips
...............................................................................................
................................................ 3
Avoiding Vague Pronoun References
...............................................................................................
.................. 4
Possible Ways to Fix Vague Pronouns
...............................................................................................
................ 4
Naming Files Properly
...............................................................................................
......................................... 4

Why Deadlines Are Important!
...............................................................................................
............................ 5
The Importance of a Comma
...............................................................................................
................................ 5
The basics
A key element in business is effective writing. Business writing
is very different from other types of writing.
Here are key things to remember and actions to take to score
better in business writing.
Because business involves writing assignments we will follow
best practices in business writing. Future
assignments involving business writing will be graded on use of
best practices as defined below.
Things to avoid
Copying and pasting material from the original source
Not attributing credit where it’s due by not providing quotes
and sources
Do not say something twice – avoid being redundant
Do not write in stream of consciousness
Not following business format and language

Vague and meaningless sentences - Throw away words such as
‘This’ say nothing
Slang or street talking
Write to communicate not to impress
Things to do
Use the Word function Review > Spelling & Grammar before
submission
Submit the assignment before the due date and time
Use page numbers if needed
No pronouns – write objectively – it’s not about you
Include discussion of key elements and choices in a section with
a heading
Take the approach that you are advising business managers in
making advertising decisions
Follow standard business format including appropriate language
and headings, stapling, & page numbers
Remember it is not about you; it is about the advertisment to be
made
KISS [Keep It Simple and Straightforward] the whole thing -
Simple is better than complex – Short is better

than long
Other Considerations
Business decisions always involve a Purpose, a Standard, and a
Time. When you complete an assignment
include a statement of why the assignment is being done in the
first place, explain how you and I will know if
it’s done properly, and has it been completed on time.
Use active, not passive sentences
Readers prefer active voice sentences, and authors should try to
use the active voice in most of business writing
to communicate messages most effectively. Active voice clearly
identifies the action and who is performing that
action. Unfortunately, much of business and government writing
is in the passive voice, giving documents a
wordy, bureaucratic tone. Over time, writing in the passive
voice simply becomes a habit, one we should all
work to change.
What is active/passive voice?
To know whether you are writing in the active or passive voice,
identify the subject of the sentence and decide
whether the subject is doing the action or being acted upon.

Passive Voice: the subject is the receiver of the action.
The tax return (subject) was completed (action) before the April
15 deadline by Mr. Doe.
Active Voice: the subject does an action to an object.
Mr. Doe (subject) completed (action) the tax return (object)
before the April 15 deadline.
When we write in the passive voice, we add some form of the
helping verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were,
being, or been) to an otherwise strong verb that really did not
need help.
Passive: Additional information (subject) can be obtained
(action) by employees from our website.
Active: Employees (subject) can obtain (action) additional
information (object) from our website.
Why should we use active voice?
Active voice makes documents stronger by showing
responsibility or giving credit for an action. When we
avoid showing responsibility, we often don't give enough
information to explain the problem and how to fix it.

Often, we use a form of the passive called the "cut passive" and
never identify the doer of the action. This form
sounds vague and abstract.
Cut Passive: New requirements (subject) were introduced
(action) to strengthen the banking system.
Active: The Banks Act of 1985 (subject) introduced (action)
new requirements (object) to strengthen the
banking system.
By eliminating the helping verb, the active voice sentence
generally uses fewer words to communicate the same
information.
Passive: Mr. Doe (subject) was told (action) by the bank official
that he would need to provide additional
information. (16 words)
Active: The bank official (subject) told (action) Mr. Doe
(object) he would need to provide additional
information. (13 words)

Active voice more closely resembles spoken language;
hopefully ideal spoken language. When we speak, we
generally use the active voice without thinking. Our writing
should become that automatic.
You would never say:
Passive: My car (subject) was driven (action) to work by me.
Or:
Passive: Breakfast (subject) was eaten (action) by me this
morning.
Instead, you would say:
Active: I (subject) drove (action) my car (object) to work.
And:
Active: I (subject) ate (action) breakfast (object) this morning.
Is using the passive voice appropriate in some situations?
Using the cut passive form is appropriate in two situations:

When we do not know who performed the action.
When the doer of the action is unimportant?
However, one caution: If adding the name of the person or
organization performing the action would make the
document stronger and help our readers, we should try to
identify the doer of the action.
How can I start writing in the active voice?
Here are a few tips
Turn the clause or sentence around, putting the subject first:
Passive: This proposed rule (subject) was published (action) by
General Counsel in the Federal Register.
Active: General Counsel (subject) published (action) this
proposed rule (object) in the Federal Register.
Change the verb to eliminate the helping verb "to be":
Passive: We must consider how our resources (subject) will be
used (action) to deliver quality services.

Active: We (subject) must consider how to use (action) our
resources (object) to deliver quality services.
Rethink the sentence:
Passive: Although Mr. Doe (subject) was found (action) to be
eligible for this position; all of the positions
(subject) in Boston had already been filled (action) by our
personnel office prior to receiving his application.
Active: Though we (subject) found (action) Mr. Doe (object)
eligible for the position, our personnel office
(subject) had filled (action) all positions (object) in Boston
before we (subject) received (action) his application
(object).
Writing in the active voice isn't difficult if you follow who-
does-what sequence. Your readers can visualize the
action and follow the action to the conclusion.
Avoiding Vague Pronoun References
How might the pronoun reference problems below be fixed?

Thomas was always unprepared for class. It made his teacher
increasingly mad.
Thomas was always unprepared for class. This made his teacher
increasingly mad.
The highlighted words represent vague pronouns because a
reader cannot tell to which noun the pronoun in
each example is referring. By definition, pronouns, which take
the place of a noun, cannot refer to an idea
expressed in an entire sentence or statement; instead, a pronoun
must refer back to a specific noun.
Writers use pronouns to avoid redundancy. The word to which
the pronoun refers is generally called the
“antecedent.” Pronouns need to agree in number, agree in
person, and refer clearly to a specific noun. An
extremely common mistake made by college writers is using
pronouns—particularly the
pronouns it, which, that, and this—without a clear antecedent.
There are several ways in which such vague
pronoun usage could be resolved to produce stronger, clearer,
and more engaging writing.
Possible Ways to Fix Vague Pronouns
Thomas was always unprepared for class, and his constant
unpreparedness drove his teacher crazy.

Thomas was always unprepared for class, and this habit of his
drove his teacher crazy.
Thomas’s constant unpreparedness made his teacher
increasingly mad.
Harry was always unprepared for class, a habit which drove his
teacher crazy.
Naming Files Properly
File names are very important in business. They can facilitate
proper storage and retrieval.
The elements of best practices in file naming are as follows
Last name first – the first element in a file name should be the
author’s last name such as:
DeCenzo
The course number involved should follow the author’s last
name such as:
450
The document name identifying what is in the file should come
next such as:

Status Report 1
The next element should be a date of creation such as:
01-21-18
Thus, the full file name for a Word document would be:
DeCenzo 450 Status Report 1 01-21-18.doc
For other types of files, the extensions XLS, and/or PPT, and/or
PDF can be used.
Following this approach helps anyone who needs to retrieve and
use the file, including you.
Why Deadlines Are Important!
Does it ever feel like nobody takes deadlines or promises
seriously anymore? The importance of a deadline
seems to be lost on far too many people. One doesn’t need to
look much further than how students treat
deadlines. In our course 24% of students have missed at least
one deadline for an assignment. Deadlines are not

guidelines. The term ‘deadline’ dates back to the Civil War
according to the following story.
“Captain Walter Bowie, describes the seriousness of a deadline.
He describes a line inside Andersonville
Prison inmates could not cross. On the inside of the stockade
and twenty feet from it there is a dead-line
established, over which no prisoner is allowed to go, day or
night, under penalty of being shot.”
Missing deadlines isn’t good for any business or your career.
Meeting deadlines is really up to you. Do you
regularly meet your deadlines? How do you treat deadlines? It
could make the difference between a career on
the fast track and another one that fails to launch. Missing a
deadline in this course costs you all grade points for
that assignment. Missing one after you graduate may cost you a
lot more than you expect. Develop a habit of
meeting deadlines now! It will serve you well.
To avoid missing deadlines for assignments, start early!
The Importance of a Comma
The importance of a seemingly minor issue in communication
known as the comma, originated in a story from

19th century Russia as follows.
“Alexander III was Tsar of Russia from 1881-1894. His rule
was marked by repression and in particular by
persecution of Jews. His wife, Maria Fedorovna, provided a
stark contrast, being known for her generosity to
those in need. On one occasion her husband had signed an order
consigning a prisoner to life in exile.”
It read simply:
“Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia.”
Maria changed that prisoner’s life by moving the comma in her
husband’s order. She altered it to read
“Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia.”
They lived happily ever after.
Dr. Michael Latta
Individual Strategic Plan Rubric

MBA631 Marketing Strategy
Fall2019
Consultant Name: Industry:
Company: Competitor:
The case analysis is rated on how well you completed each of
the assigned tasks below.
Each of the 10 assigned task is worth 20 points
Task Score
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A summary of the DECISION SITUATION is provided /20
COMPANY
DESCRIPTION/MISSION/VISION/VALUES/GOALS
Summary including financial and non-financial goals /20
CORE COMPETENCIES AND SITUATION ANALYSIS
A summary of FIRM STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES,
OPPORTUNITIES &
THREATS PROVIDED
/20
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

A summary of THE MAJOR COMPETITOR IS PROVIDED /20
TARGET MARKET
IDENTIFIES THE MARKET SEGMENTS where the business
model will succeed /20
MARKETING MIX
Product, Distribution, Promotion, Pricing Strategies /20
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
Provides a CLEAR STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM OR
OPPORTUNITY /20
ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS
PROVIDES AT LEAST 3 solutions with their + and - elements
/20
RECOMMENDED SOLUTION
A SUMMARY OF THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION including
implementation
guidelines, impact statement, financial results are provided
/20
PROFESSIONAL FORMAT
The assignment is presented in PROFESSIONAL FORMAT and
business language
style

/20
Total /200
The Strategic Plan is due no later than Midnight the last day of
classes.

EXAMPLE STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN The following pages cont.docx

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