What Is a High Level Marketing Plan?
A high-level marketing plan can be used to set goals and develop strategies for a business. Usually, a marketing plan consists of three main components: an executive summary, situation analysis, and SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis helps narrow down marketing options by identifying a business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Once the SWOT analysis is complete, a marketing plan will include a section called objectives. The objectives section will list specific plans that the company hopes to accomplish. After the objectives section, the plan will also include an action section that outlines steps to reach the goals set forth.
A high-level marketing plan is generally not as specific as a tactical marketing plan. For instance, a high-level marketing plan may suggest that a company should undertake marketing initiatives throughout the year. For instance, it might mention advertising on mass transit during the busiest buying season, but it does not specify how much money each of these initiatives will cost. Specific projects, like mass transit advertising, have wrinkles, and should be included in a more detailed plan.
The high-level marketing plan should be communicated by using a marketing roadmap. A marketing roadmap serves as a central umbrella for individual plans. It can be used as a presentation tool to highlight each initiative for the year. Marketing roadmap templates allow for easy and engaging presentations. Communications objectives, methods for achieving these objectives, and channels for communicating messages are also part of the roadmap. A well-developed communication strategy is important for setting the tone of all marketing activities and enabling stakeholders to contribute their ideas.
Another part of a marketing plan is a timeline. A marketing plan is typically a year-long document, but some companies operate on a quarterly or bi-annual basis. The timeline should include deadlines for tasks, as well as holidays and events. Without a plan, marketing can get messy.