Mastering the Marketing Plan
The marketing plan sets the direction for all marketing activities. It should analyze why the company has performed as it has and break down business objectives into a winning strategy and tactical plans. In this path, you get templates and accompanying courses that explain what to include, how to think, and how to present a credible, concrete strategy for growth.
In this path you get:
I denna path får du:
Clear structure with templates for what to include in your marketing plan
Review of performance analysis
How to translate business objectives into marketing objectives
What to describe in business strategy, market, and customer analysis
How to create a marketing strategy and growth plan
How to set goals, KPIs, and allocate responsibilities
Different templates for tactical plans for packaging, distribution, sales, and marketing communication.
You have matching courses for each part to help you easily create slides and fill-in templates.
Knowledge of the reasoning that is important when creating a strategic marketing plan.
This path is for:
Denna path passar:
For anyone responsible for or involved in the process of writing or updating a marketing plan. The templates are designed so that you can use them for both large and small businesses, both B2C and B2B.
- Marketing manager
- CEO or managing director
- Business area manager
- Product or project manager
- Sales manager
- Agencies
Path Overview
Setting the Structure
Here, we set the basis for how to structure a marketing plan. After the module, you should have a first draft and presentation template for what to include.
The first course describes the basic structure we use here at Marketing Levels. You can skip this course if you are already familiar with our Marketing Levels Canvas and the 16 competencies. Otherwise, it is a necessary introduction or valuable reminder.
In the second course, we'll start reviewing what you have today in your marketing plan and what you might need. We'll let you think for yourself before we go into our recommendations. Download the template for the course and start making a plan.
In the third course, we set the basic structure for your marketing plan. Here, we give our recommendations on what to include, and you get all the templates for these parts.
Marketing Levels 16 Competencies
Learn the 16 competencies every marketer must master.
What to Include in the Marketing Plan
Learn the basic structure of the marketing plan.
Marketing Plan Review
Learn how to use the different parts of a marketing plan.
Performance analysis and future objectives
We cannot set a plan for the future if we cannot understand how we have performed in the past. Thus, the first course looks at how you can report your performance.
The second course looks at how you need to break down business objectives into market objectives. This will clarify what will be required of the marketing department and your marketing activities to deliver on the business objectives.
After the module, you should have two different parts ready.
- Firstly, a review of your results with an analysis of how you performed and why you did so.
- Secondly, a breakdown of your business objectives into concrete, clear, and easy-to-understand marketing objectives.
Structuring Marketing Metrics
Learn to select, prioritize and present the right KPIs to increase internal understanding of marketing.
Translating Corporate Goals to Marketing KPIs
Learn how to analyze your business goals and translate them into marketing objectives and KPIs.
Describing your business, market, and customer
This module is the one that will make the most significant difference in workload depending on your choices and where you are today. The module aims to guide you in describing your current business strategy, market, and customer analysis. This can mean a few slides or many. So the question you need to ask yourself is:
1) How much of our business strategy (competitive advantages, business model, product portfolio, pricing, and distribution strategy) do we need to include for the readers of the plan to understand?
If you are a company in transition, you will probably need to include some, especially if you want to recommend changes. Otherwise, you need less. See the first course for guidance on what is included in business strategy.
2) How well do we need to analyze and explain our market?
Again, if you are a changing company in a changing market, you probably need more. See the second course in the module for guidance on what is included in market analysis.
3) How well do we need to analyze and explain our customers?
I think it is always good to include an explanation of who the main customers are and what their drivers are. Check the third course and decide what you need to have.
Introduction to Customer Analysis
Learn which tools and models to use in order to analyze your customers.
Introduction to Market Analysis
Learn which tools and models to use in order to analyze your market.
Introduction to Business Strategy
Learn the different elements of a business strategy and what they include.
Market and marketing strategy
This is the module that makes your marketing plan strategic. First, it's about getting your market and customer segments together on a single slide to determine which ones are in focus, which will contribute the most to your growth, and how you will succeed. It's a difficult slide, so get started immediately with the first course on setting a market strategy.
The second course is an extension of the market strategy in that it is about organizing a growth plan based on your markets, KPIs, channels, or activities.
The third course then goes into setting a marketing strategy. It defines how to prioritize all the different projects within the marketing department. You set overall KPIs, responsibilities, and timelines for each project.
After the module, you should have two, maybe three, really good slides on which you have spent a lot of time and effort. If you need help or feedback, do not hesitate to contact the course leader, Erik Modig, and he will help you further.
Writing a Marketing Strategy
Learn how to develop a marketing strategy that creates focus and growth.
Writing a Growth Plan
Learn how to write a growth plan. You get several different templates and exercises.
How to Write a Market Strategy
Get a complete guide on how to create a market strategy that focuses on growth.
Plans
The scope of the final part depends on the size of your company, the number of different activities you carry out, and, above all, how much planning you want to include in your marketing plan. Different tactical areas require different tactical plans. Therefore, the only course here is a review of the different tactical templates available, and then it is up to you to decide which one(s) you want to use and include.
How to Structure Tactical Plans
Learn both simple and more advanced tactical plans to plan and evaluate different activities.
How to use paths
Module 1:
Setting the Structure
To explain how marketing contributes to the success of companies and organizations, we have summarized the competence of the marketer in 16 competencies. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the characteristics and components of these competencies and how to develop them to the next level.
Every marketing plan is and should be unique, both in terms of content and structure. However, some elements are fundamental for every marketing plan that all serious and strategic marketers should always include. The course goes through the different parts you need to master to ensure that you create a marketing plan that provides direction and focus.
Marketing Plan Review
A marketing plan looks different depending on the company, situation, and purpose. Therefore, it is important to evaluate what is needed. Here we go through different elements of the marketing plan so that you can assess what you need, and what you have, and what needs to be developed or improved. This way, you will have a clear to-do list for future work with the plan and courses here at Marketing Levels.
Here, we set the basis for how to structure a marketing plan. After the module, you should have a first draft and presentation template for what to include.
The first course describes the basic structure we use here at Marketing Levels. You can skip this course if you are already familiar with our Marketing Levels Canvas and the 16 competencies. Otherwise, it is a necessary introduction or valuable reminder.
In the second course, we'll start reviewing what you have today in your marketing plan and what you might need. We'll let you think for yourself before we go into our recommendations. Download the template for the course and start making a plan.
In the third course, we set the basic structure for your marketing plan. Here, we give our recommendations on what to include, and you get all the templates for these parts.
Here, we set the basis for how to structure a marketing plan. After the module, you should have a first draft and presentation template for what to include.
The first course describes the basic structure we use here at Marketing Levels. You can skip this course if you are already familiar with our Marketing Levels Canvas and the 16 competencies. Otherwise, it is a necessary introduction or valuable reminder.
In the second course, we'll start reviewing what you have today in your marketing plan and what you might need. We'll let you think for yourself before we go into our recommendations. Download the template for the course and start making a plan.
In the third course, we set the basic structure for your marketing plan. Here, we give our recommendations on what to include, and you get all the templates for these parts.
Module 2:
Performance analysis and future objectives
Structuring Marketing Metrics
Marketing is often a bit fuzzy, and sometimes difficult to understand exactly how it contributes to growth. This is because marketing metrics often need to be clearly linked to growth or other company goals. This course explains how to explain and illustrate using the right metrics.
The course teaches you how to structure different types of marketing metrics and make logical connections from investment to impact. The course shows you how to link marketing with sales and, management objectives. After working through the exercises in the course, you will receive practical slides that you can use in your presentation internally and externally to show how marketing contributes to the company's success.
The marketing department must deliver on the overall corporate strategy, which typically comprises multiple objectives. However, these objectives can often be unclear in their impact on marketing investments. Therefore, it is crucial for marketers to be adept at interpreting business objectives and translating them into specific marketing objectives along with the necessary allocation of investment and resources. This course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the most common business objectives and how marketers can effectively translate them into more tangible marketing objectives.
We cannot set a plan for the future if we cannot understand how we have performed in the past. Thus, the first course looks at how you can report your performance.
The second course looks at how you need to break down business objectives into market objectives. This will clarify what will be required of the marketing department and your marketing activities to deliver on the business objectives.
After the module, you should have two different parts ready.
- Firstly, a review of your results with an analysis of how you performed and why you did so.
- Secondly, a breakdown of your business objectives into concrete, clear, and easy-to-understand marketing objectives.
We cannot set a plan for the future if we cannot understand how we have performed in the past. Thus, the first course looks at how you can report your performance.
The second course looks at how you need to break down business objectives into market objectives. This will clarify what will be required of the marketing department and your marketing activities to deliver on the business objectives.
After the module, you should have two different parts ready.
- Firstly, a review of your results with an analysis of how you performed and why you did so.
- Secondly, a breakdown of your business objectives into concrete, clear, and easy-to-understand marketing objectives.
Module 3:
Describing your business, market, and customer
Introduction to Customer Analysis
The ability to understand the customer is crucial for marketing products and offers. This course covers the different types of customer analysis and their advantages and disadvantages.
You will learn the different types of customer analysis and when each is important to do. It gives you an understanding of what needs to be done to understand the customers and what it takes to get good at it.
Introduction to Market Analysis
The reason companies succeed or fail in their marketing depends to a large extent on the understanding of the company's market. This course summarizes the various analyses that need to be done to increase the understanding and thus also increase the probability of success.
The course teaches you why and what you would gain from conducting analyses of segmentation, stakeholders, market structure, category structure, and competition. You will learn when the different analyses are most important so that you can assess what is most important for you.
Introduction to Business Strategy
Anyone who wants to understand how businesses grow must understand business strategy. Competitive advantage, business model, product portfolio, pricing, and distribution strategy are crucial to succeed against competitors. This course provides an overview of these different elements so you can more easily orient yourself in business strategy.
You learn to understand the different parts of business strategy to better evaluate what you and your company need to focus on.
This module is the one that will make the most significant difference in workload depending on your choices and where you are today. The module aims to guide you in describing your current business strategy, market, and customer analysis. This can mean a few slides or many. So the question you need to ask yourself is:
1) How much of our business strategy (competitive advantages, business model, product portfolio, pricing, and distribution strategy) do we need to include for the readers of the plan to understand?
If you are a company in transition, you will probably need to include some, especially if you want to recommend changes. Otherwise, you need less. See the first course for guidance on what is included in business strategy.
2) How well do we need to analyze and explain our market?
Again, if you are a changing company in a changing market, you probably need more. See the second course in the module for guidance on what is included in market analysis.
3) How well do we need to analyze and explain our customers?
I think it is always good to include an explanation of who the main customers are and what their drivers are. Check the third course and decide what you need to have.
This module is the one that will make the most significant difference in workload depending on your choices and where you are today. The module aims to guide you in describing your current business strategy, market, and customer analysis. This can mean a few slides or many. So the question you need to ask yourself is:
1) How much of our business strategy (competitive advantages, business model, product portfolio, pricing, and distribution strategy) do we need to include for the readers of the plan to understand?
If you are a company in transition, you will probably need to include some, especially if you want to recommend changes. Otherwise, you need less. See the first course for guidance on what is included in business strategy.
2) How well do we need to analyze and explain our market?
Again, if you are a changing company in a changing market, you probably need more. See the second course in the module for guidance on what is included in market analysis.
3) How well do we need to analyze and explain our customers?
I think it is always good to include an explanation of who the main customers are and what their drivers are. Check the third course and decide what you need to have.
Outro
Module 4:
Market and marketing strategy
Writing a Marketing Strategy
The course takes you step-by-step through how to set up a marketing strategy. It goes through how to bring together the different strategic initiatives from your business, marketing, brand, and marketing communication strategy so that you create a clear picture of the different strategic initiatives and directions you are considering. It then goes through how to reason about goals, budgets, KPIs, responsibilities, and deadlines so that the marketing strategy gives you and management a clear picture of the expectations and plans going forward and the resources needed to realize them.
You will learn how to put together a marketing strategy that evaluates your various strategic initiatives and allocates objectives, KPIs, budgets, and responsibilities. You will learn how to create a strategic structure so that you can reason about and present your marketing strategy.
Writing a Growth Plan
Companies usually have growth targets, so it is important to understand how to create and present a growth plan. In this course, you will get a variety of templates and exercises based on different ways to structure your growth. By learning how to break down your growth into markets, segments, KPIs, channels, or activities, you get a broad understanding of different approaches and can thus combine them in the best way.
You will learn several different ways to structure a growth plan. This means that in the future, you can break down your growth in an easily understandable way for both you and your colleagues. This also means that you can more easily evaluate whether your goals are reasonable and how you can adapt plans.
How to Write a Market Strategy
Here you will learn how to create a step-by-step market strategy that focuses on growth. You do exercises based on a clear template to build your strategy piece by piece. By connecting segmentation with market strategy, you get a clear chain that connects market and customer segments with objectives, market position, and value propositions. Here you create clarity that will benefit your work throughout the company and with external stakeholders.
You will learn the steps required to finalize or update a marketing strategy. You will learn to work with exercises and templates so that you have the skills to implement them on your own. The course requires some reflection and personal work if you want to write your own marketing strategy. Otherwise, it also serves as excellent inspiration.
This is the module that makes your marketing plan strategic. First, it's about getting your market and customer segments together on a single slide to determine which ones are in focus, which will contribute the most to your growth, and how you will succeed. It's a difficult slide, so get started immediately with the first course on setting a market strategy.
The second course is an extension of the market strategy in that it is about organizing a growth plan based on your markets, KPIs, channels, or activities.
The third course then goes into setting a marketing strategy. It defines how to prioritize all the different projects within the marketing department. You set overall KPIs, responsibilities, and timelines for each project.
After the module, you should have two, maybe three, really good slides on which you have spent a lot of time and effort. If you need help or feedback, do not hesitate to contact the course leader, Erik Modig, and he will help you further.
This is the module that makes your marketing plan strategic. First, it's about getting your market and customer segments together on a single slide to determine which ones are in focus, which will contribute the most to your growth, and how you will succeed. It's a difficult slide, so get started immediately with the first course on setting a market strategy.
The second course is an extension of the market strategy in that it is about organizing a growth plan based on your markets, KPIs, channels, or activities.
The third course then goes into setting a marketing strategy. It defines how to prioritize all the different projects within the marketing department. You set overall KPIs, responsibilities, and timelines for each project.
After the module, you should have two, maybe three, really good slides on which you have spent a lot of time and effort. If you need help or feedback, do not hesitate to contact the course leader, Erik Modig, and he will help you further.
Outro
Module 5:
Plans
How to Structure Tactical Plans
Getting the most out of any marketing activity involves planning, evaluation, and optimization. The challenge is that different marketing activities and tactical areas require different types of plans. As such, we will walk you through a range of tactical plans so you can find the best one for you.
You will learn how to plan and evaluate your different tactical activities. In the long run, this will lead to greater clarity, focus, and efficiency.
The scope of the final part depends on the size of your company, the number of different activities you carry out, and, above all, how much planning you want to include in your marketing plan. Different tactical areas require different tactical plans. Therefore, the only course here is a review of the different tactical templates available, and then it is up to you to decide which one(s) you want to use and include.
The scope of the final part depends on the size of your company, the number of different activities you carry out, and, above all, how much planning you want to include in your marketing plan. Different tactical areas require different tactical plans. Therefore, the only course here is a review of the different tactical templates available, and then it is up to you to decide which one(s) you want to use and include.
Outro
Module 6:
Outro
Examination
Tillvägagångssätt
Examinationen består av två olika delar som examineras samtidigt eller var för sig.
Flervalsfrågor
För det första kommer du att få en uppsättning av 20 st flervalsfrågor baserat på innehållet i de fyra modulerna. Frågorna har ett rätt svar utifrån fyra olika alternativ. Här behöver du få 15 rätt för att bli godkänd. Om du inte får det vid första tillfället kan du ta testet igen en vecka efteråt.
Inlämningsuppgift
Du behöver också genomföra en inlämningsuppgift som består av två moment med två uppgifter i vardera moment.
- Analys av beslutsfattande
För det första ska du själv väljer ett bolag som du analyserar utifrån vilken typ av påverkan deras kommunikation skulle behöva ha på sin målgrupp för att lyckas med ett utsatt mål. Du anger vilket bolag, vilket mål de har och redogör för hur de ska uppnå det genom att koppla an till de olika begreppen i modul 1.
För det andra kommer vi att ge dig ett bolag och ett specifikt mål som du ska analysera utifrån vilken typ av påverkan deras kommunikation skulle behöva ha för att lyckas med det uppsatta målet. Här ska du förklara utifrån de begrepp som presenteras i modul 1 vad kommunikationen skulle behöva uppnå.
- Analys av marknadskommunikation
För det första vill vi att du väljer ett exempel av marknadskommunikation (en annons, ett mail eller liknande) och analyserar vilken möjlig effekt denna kommunikation bör ha på en definierad målgrupp.
För det andra kommer vi att ge dig ett exempel av marknadskommunikation (en annons, ett mail eller likande) där vi vill att du analyserar möjlig effekt samt kommer med tre konkreta förbättringsförslag.
Hela inlämningsuppgiften bedömer vi tar ca 2 timmar och vardera analys ca 0,5 A4 i skrift, så totalt ca 2 A4 text.
Efter inlämning får du besked om du är godkänd. Om ej godkänd kommer krav på komplettering och då är du godkänd när den färdigställts. När båda delarna är klara får du ditt diplom.
Anmäl dig till examination genom att maila till: cecilia@marketinglevels.com
Examination
Approach
The examination consists of two different parts that are examined simultaneously or separately.
Multiple choice questions
Firstly, you will receive a set of 20 multiple choice questions based on the content of the four modules. The questions have one correct answer from four different options. Here you need to get 15 right to pass. If you don't get it right the first time, you can take the test again a week later.
Hand-in assignment
You will also have to complete an assignment consisting of two parts with two assignments in each part.
- Analysis of decision-making
Firstly, you will choose a company to analyze based on the type of impact their communication would need to have on their target audience in order to achieve a set goal. You indicate which company, which goal they have and explain how they will achieve it by linking to the different concepts in module 1.
Secondly, we will give you a company and a specific goal to analyze based on the type of impact their communication would need to have in order to achieve the set goal. Here you should explain, based on the concepts presented in Module 1, what the communication would need to achieve.
- Analysis of marketing communication
Firstly, we want you to choose an example of marketing communication (an advertisement, an email or similar) and analyze the possible effect this communication should have on a defined target group.
Secondly, we will give you an example of marketing communication (an advertisement, an email, or similar) where we want you to analyze the possible effect and come up with three concrete suggestions for improvement.
We estimate that the entire assignment will take about 2 hours and each analysis about 0.5 A4 in writing, so a total of about 2 A4 text.
After submission, you will be notified if you are approved. If not approved, you will be required to complete the work. When both parts are completed, you will receive your diploma.
Register for the examination by emailing: cecilia@marketinglevel
