Slide 14 of 17
Notes:
The format identified in the last few slides is a typical one used in industry.
We often referred to ths process as developing our marketing plan. Whether I
worked on a soap, brownies, or dog food, we always used this same approach. Firms
seldom change their format because one of the values of this process is to
compare plans on a year-to-year basis.
The Situation Analysis is a critical section, as it tries to objectively look at
the company and the product and evaluate the firms in terms of strengths and
weaknesses. This is the oportunity for the writer (often called a brand manager)
to look critically at the business.
Students often are surprised to learn that a company's budget is typically an
inflexible goal. Often times, if volume or profit is below expected levels,
marketing cuts occur so that the profit or "bottom line" can be preserved.
In many instances, the advertising recommendations are part of a separate
document called an "Advertising Plan." In the example from this book they are
incorporated into the body of the main document.