The Marketing Book 5th Edition

Strategic marketing planning: theory and practice 107

the achievement of organizational and com-
mercial aims and objectives should be used as a
criterion as, clearly, they cannot all be equal.)
The organization will obviously have a greater
or lesser strength in serving each of these
‘markets’, and this will determine their com-
petitive position. For each location on the
graph, a circle, representing the size of current
sales, should be drawn.
The graph is divided into a four-box
matrix, and each box assessed by management
as suggested in the figure. This will give a
reasonably accurate ‘picture’ of the business at
a glance and will indicate whether or not it is a
well-balanced portfolio. Too much business in
any one box should be regarded as
dangerous.

9 Setting clear strategic priorities and sticking to

them

Guideline 9 suggests writing down the results

in the form of a strategic marketing plan with

all those benefits outlined in Part 1 of this

chapter.

Commercial history has demonstrated that

any fool can spell out the financial results they

wish to achieve. But it takes intellect to spell out

how they are to be achieved. This implies

setting clear strategic priorities and sticking to

them.

10 Understanding customer orientation

Guideline 10 will be familiar to all successful

companies. Quality standards, such as ISO 9001

Guideline 9 Setting clear strategic priorities and sticking to them

• Focus your best resources on the best opportunities for achieving continuous growth in sales and
  profits.


• This means having a written strategic marketing plan for three years containing:
  
  
  • A mission statement
  
  
  • A financial summary
  
  
  • A market overview
  
  
  • A SWOT on key segments
  
  
  • A portfolio summary
  
  
  • Assumptions
  
  
  • Marketing objectives and strategies
  
  
  • A budget
  
  
  
  


• This strategic plan can then be converted into a detailed one year plan.


• To do this, an agreed marketing planning process will be necessary.


• Focus on key performance indicators with an unrelenting discipline.

Guideline 10 Understanding customer orientation

• Develop customer orientation in all functions. Ensure that every function understands that they are
  there to serve the customer, not their own narrow functional interests.


• This must be driven from the board downwards.


• Where possible, organize in cross-functional teams around customer groups and core processes.


• Make customers the arbiter of quality.