Marketing Plan -- Situation Analysis
The role of situation analysis in marketing plan
Facing to more complex business environment, systematically marketing plans are important to organizations in terms of maintaining a high level of operating efficiency and achieving goals fully. According to Sally and John (1996:3), marketing plans are “the written document or blueprint for implementing and controlling an organization’s marketing activities related to a particular marketing strategy” (Sally, D., Lyndon S., & John, B., 1996: 3). A successful marketing plan is able to improve organizations’ profits and growth, uses in objective setting and monitors results (Subash Jain, Michael D. Clemes, Gregory Brush, 2008: 5)
In order to gain a successfully marketing plan, it is important to marketing decision makers to understand the current situation comprehensively and trends affecting the future of the organization. There are two major reasons to explain why situation analysis plays a vital role in developing marketing plan.
Firstly, dynamic marketing environment will lead to uncertainty, threats and opportunities for marketers. Marketing managers who success to know changes in environment through situation analysis can lead their companies to capitalize on opportunities and cope with threats created by changes.
Then, systematically analyzing situational environments is a crucial way for organizations to identify their customers and understand their needs. As Peter(1998: 23) said, “The successes of any marketing plan hinges on how well it can identify customer needs and organize its resources to satisfy them profitably” (J. Paul Peter, James H. Donnelly, JR, 1998)
Here is an example about Brumby’s to adapt to the marketing environment. Since Australians are looking to alter their lifestyles and are conscious about what they eat, Brumby’s has now launched a low-carbohydrate white bread and emphasizes that its bread is preservative free to respond to these changes (S. Rundle-Thide, D.Waller, G. Elliott, A.
Facing to more complex business environment, systematically marketing plans are important to organizations in terms of maintaining a high level of operating efficiency and achieving goals fully. According to Sally and John (1996:3), marketing plans are “the written document or blueprint for implementing and controlling an organization’s marketing activities related to a particular marketing strategy” (Sally, D., Lyndon S., & John, B., 1996: 3). A successful marketing plan is able to improve organizations’ profits and growth, uses in objective setting and monitors results (Subash Jain, Michael D. Clemes, Gregory Brush, 2008: 5)
In order to gain a successfully marketing plan, it is important to marketing decision makers to understand the current situation comprehensively and trends affecting the future of the organization. There are two major reasons to explain why situation analysis plays a vital role in developing marketing plan.
Firstly, dynamic marketing environment will lead to uncertainty, threats and opportunities for marketers. Marketing managers who success to know changes in environment through situation analysis can lead their companies to capitalize on opportunities and cope with threats created by changes.
Then, systematically analyzing situational environments is a crucial way for organizations to identify their customers and understand their needs. As Peter(1998: 23) said, “The successes of any marketing plan hinges on how well it can identify customer needs and organize its resources to satisfy them profitably” (J. Paul Peter, James H. Donnelly, JR, 1998)
Here is an example about Brumby’s to adapt to the marketing environment. Since Australians are looking to alter their lifestyles and are conscious about what they eat, Brumby’s has now launched a low-carbohydrate white bread and emphasizes that its bread is preservative free to respond to these changes (S. Rundle-Thide, D.Waller, G. Elliott, A.
References: List Sally, D., Lyndon S., & John, B., 1996 S. Rundle-Thide, D.Waller, G. Elliott, A. Paladino, 2007. Marketing: Asia-Pacific edition Boston, The United States of America: Houghton Mifflin Company Subash Jain, Michael D J. Paul Peter, James H. Donnelly, JR, 1998. Marketing Management: Knowledge and Skills Boston, the Unites States of America: McGraw-Hill Reed John DeCicco, Freda Fung, Feng An, 2003. Automaker’s Corporate Carbon Burdens Unpublished doctoral thesis, environmental defense Other resources