This document explains (in an outline way) the marketing planning process we follow when working with clients to create a marketing strategy for their business. If you are looking for marketing agencies in London to help you to create and deliver a marketing plan for your business, please contact Steve Brown at Abacus Marketing at steve.brown@abacusmarketing.co.uk or by visiting www.abacusmarketing.co.uk.

1. Strategic marketing
planning process
Steve Brown
CEO
Abacus Marketing

2. About Abacus…
We offer a big agency
experience without the big
agency price tag.
Better quality work
Higher service standards
Greater value for money
We are an integrated London
marketing agency offering a
full one-stop-shop service.
All media formats
All customer channels
All industry sectors
We work with many different
organisations, who come in
lots of shapes and sizes…
Start-ups, SMEs and blue chips
Private, public and third
UK, EMEA and global

3. What is a strategic
marketing planning
process?

4. What is a
strategy?
A strategy is the most effective and
efficient use of scarce resource to
achieve a specific goal in a defined
period of time through the creation
of perceived added value.

5. What is
marketing?
Click here to view 72 definitions. This is
one of our favourites…
Marketing when done well is (a) the strategy
of the business – its value proposition, go to
market strategy, and brand positioning and
image to the world.
Marketing when not done well is (b) an
endless checklist of advertising and
promotional to-dos that can never be
completed.
Marketing in the twenty-first century must be
(c) largely, but not entirely, measurable and
accountable around driving business goals.
Marketing when done brilliantly is driven by
(a) includes a small, disciplined subset of (b),
and is steeped in a culture of (c).
Matt Blumberg, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, Return Path

6. What is a
planning
process?
• A systematic approach, where
evidence is gathered in a logical
and orderly fashion to arrive at a
credible and rational conclusion.

7. What is a
strategic
marketing
planning
process?
It is a standardised planning
process which establishes the best
use of scarce resource to deliver the
most efficient and effective
marketing solution in order to
achieve a specific goal in a
definitive period of time through the
creation of perceived added value.

8. Strategic
marketing
planning
process
Business plan
and sales
forecasts
Products and
services
Target market
Competitor
analysis
Market research
Strategic brand
proposition
Stakeholder
communications
Communication
platforms
Sales pipeline
process
Internal sales
culture
Lead generation
activities
Targets,
timelines and
budgets

9. Business plan and sales forecasts
Purpose
Mission / profit / exit
strategy
Sales
Historical / current /
ambitions
Skills
Management / employees /
partners / associates /
suppliers / investors /
board
Products and
services
Features / pricing /
channels
Customer
segments
Geographies / sectors /
departments

10. Products and services
Features
Facts and figures
Rational needs
Benefits
Pain points
Emotional drivers

11. Target market
Customer segments (demographics)
•Classifications
•Age
•Gender
Customer personas (psychographics)
•Personalities
•Lifestyles
•Beliefs

12. Competitor analysis
Physical
Website
Social media
Mystery shopper
Technical
Website
Social media
Marketing campaigns

13. Market research
FOCUS GROUPS TELEPHONE
SURVEYS
ONLINE
QUESTIONNAIRES
INDUSTRY
REPORTS

14. Strategic brand proposition
Market positioning
Quality
Service
Value
Brand voice
Vision
Values
Views
Virtues
Vows
Message proposition
Corporate
Products
Customers

15. Stakeholder
communications
Prospects Customers Staff
Investors Partners Associates
Suppliers
General
public
Regulatory
bodies

16. Communication
platforms
Website
Social media
Stationery
Corporate brochure
Product leaflets
Newsletters
Annual report
Exhibition stand
Uniforms, signage, lanyards, posters…
Mugs, pens, notepads, coasters…

17. Sales pipeline process
Customer relationship
management (CRM)
Salesforce
Capsule CRM
Insightly
Email marketing platform
MailChimp
Constant Contact
Drip
Marketing automation software
HubSpot
ActiveCampaign
Infusionsoft

18. Internal sales
culture
Deliver regular
corporate-level
sales/profit
updates
Establish
individual roles
for all
departments
Provide
appropriate
ongoing training
and support
Build sales
performance
into all staff
appraisals
Create a
customer service
charter
Develop an
internal service
charter

19. Lead generation activities
Digital marketing
Digital advertising
Search engine optimisation
Social media marketing
Email marketing
Content marketing
Non-digital marketing
Events, conferences and exhibitions
Advertising and direct marketing
Point of sale and sales promotions
PR, publicity and media

20. Levels of immediacy
SHORT-TERM
TACTICS
MEDIUM-TERM
CAMPAIGNS
LONG-TERM
STRATEGIES

21. Targets, timelines and budgets
Starting point
Market
competitiveness
Sales goals
Timings Profits Internal cash
Investor funding Set budget

22. Setting
SMART goals
Specific,
significant,
stretching
Measurable,
meaningful,
motivational
Agreed upon,
attainable,
achievable,
acceptable, action-
oriented
Realistic,
relevant,
reasonable,
rewarding,
results-oriented
Time-based, time-
bound, timely,
tangible, trackable

23. Our planning
process is one
of continual
evolution…
Briefing
Workshop
Research
Brainstorm
Insight
Solution
Delivery
Analysis

24. Testing, testing, testing…
DELIVER MEASURE ANALYSE DISCUSS LEARN IMPROVE REPEAT

25. Strategic
marketing
planning
process
Steve Brown
CEO, Abacus Marketing
February 2019
www.abacusmarketing.co.uk
steve.brown@abacusmarketing.co.uk