Written by Carol O’Kelly, founder of Redstorm Marketing, this guide looks at each stage of the business strategy development process. Giving you the tools and tips to enable you produce a robust marketing strategy for your own company. Carol gives you a step-by-step guide to developing your own marketing plan in an easy to follow, straightforward style. That’s the way we work at Redstorm... no fluff, no jargon and lots of common sense.

1. An essential guide to developing
the marketing strategy that will
transform your business.
redstorm
www. ie Copyright © Redstorm Marketing

2. Hello
Written by Carol O’Kelly, founder of Redstorm Marketing, this guide
looks at each stage of the strategy development process. Giving you
the tools and tips to enable you produce a robust strategy for your own
company.
Carol gives you a step-by-step guide to developing your own marketing
strategy in an easy to follow, straightforward style. That’s the way we
work at Redstorm... no fluff, no jargon and lots of common sense.
If you’ve any feedback or ideas we’d be delighted to hear from you. We
hope it’s useful...
www.redstorm ie Copyright © Redstorm Marketing

3. Carol O’Kelly
Strategic marketing and business development expert Carol O'Kelly
has worked with many high profile launch phase companies over
the past 17 years, both in Ireland and the US. She has captured
attention as a passionate and pioneering Marketing Entrepreneur.
Carol’s untraditional and multi-faceted approach to branding and
strategic marketing provides actionable insight to those looking to
build businesses, truly engage their audiences and leverage the full
power of their marketing creativity for real results. A Marketeer,
long immersed in the international entrepreneurial community,
Carol is familiar with the common pitfalls of early stage start-ups
and the tips and tools that foster success.
Carol is the founder of Redstorm.ie, a leading marketing strategy,
branding and business development agency in Dublin, Ireland.
Carol is a graduate from UCD B.Comm, the Irish Management
Institute and Harvard Business School. She also holds a Masters in
Strategic Marketing from Smurfit Graduate School.
Carol is a well known speaker, coach and business development
mentor.
www.redstorm ie Copyright © Redstorm Marketing

4. An essential guide to developing
the marketing strategy that will
transform your business.
Every business owner should develop it may indicate a temporary emer-
a written guideline that sets forth the gency action prompted by competi-
business's marketing strategy. This tion or other factors beyond normal
document is used to judge the appro- management control. Or it may indi-
priateness of each action that the cate the need to change or revise the
business takes. If a company has to company's marketing strategy.
take an action that is off strategy,
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5. Where are you today?
Where do you want to go?
What’s the Gap?
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6. An overall marketing strategy
should give a clear picture
of where your business is
going...
* Clear definition of what business you are in
* Who else is playing in that space?
* Position your business as Leader, Challenger, Follower or Niche Player
* Define the brand/personality in the minds of buyers and end users
* Define life cycle influences, if applicable
* Financial and other resources you will need for the journey
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7. Use the following Checklist
to help create your own
detailed marketing strategy...
* What business are you in?
* Identify in detail the products or services that your company provides
* What competitive market segments will you compete in?
* Who else is playing in that space?
* Pricing strategy versus competition
* Define the brand or business personality
* Describe your key target buyer/end user and their needs
* Unique positioning of your company and products Vs competition
* Marketing tactics and messages per segment
* Marketing expenditure and budgets
* Distribution channels
* Market research and R&D needs and expenditure
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8. Your Company
What business? What Brand? Against Who? How Different? What Price?
Product/Service A
Market Segment 1 Market Segment 2 Market Segment 3
Benefits 1 Benefits 2 Benefits 3
Marketing Tactics1 Marketing Tactics2 Marketing Tactics 3
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9. Each Market Segment above
should have a distinct set of
marketing tactics...
This will feed back directly into your Choose a clear marketing message for
overall marketing strategy and form each segment, highlighting your
the basis of your day-to-day market- benefits. This message should be
ing activities for each target market consistent through all the tactics you
segment. This set of tactics should be employ.
measureable and have clear goals - so
you know what is working in your Be creative in ways to get the atten-
drive to develop your business in tion of your audience. Sometimes to
each segment area. be heard you need to whisper...
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10. Referral Schemes
Digital Marketing
eBooks
Public Speaking
Sponsorship
eZines Word of Mouth
Social Media Website
Marketing Tactics
Blogging Advertising
Public Relations
Direct Mail
eMail Marketing
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11. If you always do
what you’ve always done...
You’ll always get
what you’ve always got!
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12. Thank You!
We hope this has helped you understand how to go about developing
a robust marketing strategy for your business. Also, to understand
how critical a good strategy is to its successful development.
If you need further help with marketing, social media or would like
one-to-one business development mentoring please get in touch.
We’re easy to contact and would love to hear from you:
Email: develop@redstorm.ie
+353 87 2476600
Twitter: @carolokelly
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carolokelly
Read our blog here!
redstorm
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