Ian Linton Successful marketing plans b r deliver unbeatable i l l i campaigns. a n t Marketing This is the book to help you write any marketing plan – step-by-step, quickly M and efficiently – so that you can accomplish more and get the results you want. a r Brilliant Marketing Plans will demonstrate fast and clever ways to prepare outstanding campaigns. Packed with practical and sensible advice together k with 15 easy-to-use, self-contained guides, you’ll be introduced to all the key e concepts and discover the most effective ways to present your plan, get it t agreed and put it into action. i n g Whatever you’re planning marketing for, everything you need to know to get it Plans right first time is here. P l BRILLIANT OUTCOMES a n • Understand your marketing needs and take s action • Know how to create a winning plan • Feel prepared, ready and confident to fully implement your plan What to know L and do to make £12.99 i n management t o a successful plan n Visit us on the web www.pearson-books.com CVR_LINT6293_01_SE_CVR.indd 1 08/08/2011 10:32 brilliant marketing plans brilliant marketing plans What to know and do to make a successful plan Ian Linton PEARSON EDUCATION LIMITED Edinburgh Gate Harlow CM20 2JE Tel: +44 (0)1279 623623 Fax: +44 (0)1279 431059 Website: www.pearsoned.co.uk First published in Great Britain 2011 © Pearson Education Limited 2011 The right of Ian Linton to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Pearson Education is not responsible for the content of third-party internet sites. ISBN: 978-0-273-75629-3 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the Publishers. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 15 14 13 12 11 Typeset in Plantin 10pt by 30 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Henry Ling Ltd, at the Dorset Press, Dorchester, Dorset Contents About the author vii Introduction: What makes a brilliant marketing plan? ix part 1 Products 1 1 Speed up product development 3 2 Launch a new product 17 3 Add value with service 33 part 2 Market development 49 4 Educate the market 51 5 Reposition a company 63 6 Take your business online 79 7 Make the most of social media 95 part 3 Sales channels 109 8 Improve sales force performance 111 9 Reduce the sales cycle 131 10 Develop key account business 149 11 Manage customer partnerships effectively 167 12 Improve distributor performance 183 13 Control competitors 199 part 4 Customers 215 14 Enhance the customer experience 217 15 Strengthen customer relationships 233 Conclusion: Keep tuned to the market 247 Index 249 About the author Ian Linton, a graduate of the University of Bristol, is a pro- fessional writer and marketing consultant, specialising in business-to-business communications and management books. He has more than thirty years’ experience in the business and has handled a wide range of marketing and communications pro- grammes for international clients such as AT&T, Barclays Bank, BP Chemicals, Cisco, Dell, Ernst & Young, Ford, IBM, KPMG, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Shell, Siemens and Vauxhall. He is the author of more than twenty business books in the fields of marketing and customer service and has written a number of case studies for the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Introduction: What makes a brilliant marketing plan? Marketing success doesn’t always come through an orthodox approach – brilliant marketing plans sometimes break the rules. That’s because marketing planning is about winning – taking share from competitors or strengthening a vulnerable position against attack. First, identify the problems and opportunities, then focus on strengthening your position. But don’t overlook overall objec- tives; brilliant marketing plans integrated with corporate strategy deliver brilliant results. So where do you start? A lot of very good books on market- ing planning describe the formal process of planning. That’s great if you want to get to grips with the basics. The problem is that marketing departments are under pressure to be more accountable and deliver measurable results that demonstrate an effective return on investment. It’s time for action, not theory. A brilliant planning toolkit That’s why this book focuses on outcomes, not processes. You’ll find it’s a practical toolkit to help you develop effective marketing plans quickly. The book provides a practical, project- based approach that enables you to put specific programmes into action quickly and effectively, without having to read an entire book.