COURSE OVERVIEW:

Market planning is the process of organising and defining the marketing aim of a company and gathering strategies and tactics to achieve them. A solid marketing plan should consist of the company’s value proposition, information regarding its target market or customers, a comparative positioning of its competitors in the market, promotion strategies, distribution channels, and budget allocated for the plan. All relevant teams in the organisation should refer to its marketing plan.

Most marketing plans run for a year at a time, but it is a good idea to set, or at least have some idea of your broad objectives in the longer term, say three to five years. A word of caution though, it is becoming increasingly difficult to plan very far ahead as the pace of change today is so fast, and the introduction of new technology is daily re-writing the textbooks on business operation and business development. Having said that, however, you still need to set objectives at least on an annual basis.

Creating an advertising and marketing plan and putting the plan in writing, puts a guide in place for your business to follow in an effort to reach your goals and objectives. A written advertising and marketing plans consist of information that ranges from your target markets and marketing objectives to plotting out the marketing strategies you plan on using to attract and convert potential customers into paying ones.

Part of your marketing involves you taking a look at your business and analysing its strengths and weaknesses. It also involves you looking at the marketplace in which your business operates and examining the opportunities and threats. This is called carrying out a S.W.O.T. analysis.

This course provides you with the knowledge to plan your marketing and advertising activities and know when and how a S.W.O.T. analysis should be conducted. Why and how your marketing objectives should be SMART. Then explains the four basic marketing strategies that will help you achieve your objectives. Also, will look on how to develop a marketing action plan.

Furthermore, what you should be clear about before deciding whether or not to advertise such as: your objective; who you are targeting; whether the chosen form of advertising will reach your target customers and would they respond to it; how your message can be creatively different? Finally, will show you how to make advertising and direct mail campaigns work.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

·       What is meant by marketing planning?

·       The S.W.O.T. analysis

·       Why you should consider consumer attitudes, changing lifestyles, habits, values and trends?

·       Why you should consider technological developments, legislation and the economic?

·       The marketing action plan

·       How to identify your target markets?

·       How to identify your services/products?

·       Why know your competitors?

·       How to conduct a S.W.O.T. analysis?

·       How to set your marketing objectives?

·       The market penetration strategy

·       The product or service development strategy

·       The market extension strategy

·       The diversification strategy

·       Advertising through signage and promotional items

·       The questions you need to address before deciding whether or not to advertise

·       How to set advertising objectives?

·       The printed advertising media: magazines, newspapers, directories, wall planners, diaries

·       The broadcast advertising media

·       Internet advertising media

·       ‘Off the Page’ advertising

·       Direct response advertising

·       Direct mail letters, leaflets, inserts into magazines and flyers, door drop leaflets

·       Signage: business premises, vehicles, uniforms

·       E-marketing

·       Promotional items: notepads, pens, carrier bags, t-shirts, giveaways

·       How to write the marketing plan?

·       Marketing strategies relating to products

·       Marketing strategies relating to pricing

·       Marketing strategies relating to advertising/promotion

·       Marketing strategies relating to distribution

·       Schedule of what, where and how

·       Sales promotion

·       Budgets and the profit and loss account

·       Controls and update procedures

·       How to present the marketing plan?

·       How to make advertising and direct mail campaigns work?

·       How to make your advertising message work?

·       The secrets of a good direct mail campaign

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.