Marketing/PR Planning: Plotting a Course for Success

“To the person who does not know where he wants to go there is no favorable wind.”
-- Seneca

Just as a sailor must use a compass to plot his course and navigate the high seas to reach his destination, so too must marketing communications and PR professionals who want to take a strategic approach to planning. Instead of a compass, however, we must follow a marketing communications plan. Developing a marketing plan involves four stages of action:

• Researching and analyzing your business and the market
• Planning and writing the plan
• Implementing the plan
• Evaluating the results

Sometimes due to tight deadlines and budget constraints, it’s easy to overlook the research stage. In my experience however, this stage is critical. While you may not have the time or money to conduct market research, you should clearly articulate your vision and goals, and determine stakeholder beliefs, market issues, competitors and long and short-term communicate priorities.

Following are the key questions I ask when meeting with clients before developing a marketing communications or PR plan to ensure success:
1. Vision: What does your business or organization want to become?
2. Goals: What are the key business/organizational goals you want to achieve?
3. Reputation: What does your business/organization want to be known for?
4. Target audiences – Who do you want to reach with your marketing message?
5. Stakeholder Beliefs: What do you want your core stakeholders to think of it?
6. Competitors: Who are your direct and indirect competitors?
7. Market Issues: What market issues are affecting your communication efforts?
8. Objectives: What are your key marketing communications objectives?
9. Communication Priorities: What are your short-term communication priorities?
10. Communication Priorities: What are your long-term communication priorities?