Two Models for a Marketing Plan

• John Vandivier

This article will discuss two models for a marketing plan.

One model is a "Minimum Viable Marketing Plan," which discusses the bare minimum I would consider to be a marketing plan. The other is a "Full Marketing Plan," which discusses all of the things I would think might be helpful. Of course, there are any number of intermediate forms.

My goal will be to define the endpoints to the spectrum. Writing less than the minimum means you are lacking important pieces, and writing more than the full plan means you are writing fluff with no real added value.

Basically the point of a marketing plan is to identify who might want what you have, and to drive 3 actions:

  1. Let them know you have it.
  2. Make them want more.
  3. Make more of them want it.
Before I discuss the specific plans, here are some sources from which these plans are built:
  1. [Forbes] Marketing Plan Template: Exactly What To Include
  2. 10 Steps to Marketing Plan Success
  3. Marketing strategy
  4. Marketing plan
Minimum Viable Marketing Plan (\"MVMP\")

Contains the following:

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Product Description
  3. Target Consumer Profile
  4. Competitive Assessment
  5. Available Resources Assessment
  6. Recommended Promotional Mix
Full Marketing Plan

I'll get to this some other time. Check the sources for now.