by Megan Moyer
It happens every year. We strategize and put our plan on paper and then we get side-tracked, distracted, misdirected – you name it – and we end up creating campaigns or one-off promotions to meet immediate needs. We don’t have time to step back and determine how or if it fits into our strategy for the year, it just has to get done.
If you’re a marketing manager, I know you can relate. It’s inevitable. Yet it’s part of being fluid and flexible to meet needs as they arise throughout the year. There will always be unforeseen projects that pop up.
Even though you may not be able to execute your marketing plan exactly as you lay it out in the beginning of the year, the effort is still important. A marketing plan gives you a roadmap to follow and the careful thought that you put into creating it will pay off. Establishing your main message for the year will ensure that your marketing communications are on point and consistent, no matter what marketing channel you need to apply it to. Thinking about how you can reuse copy and images over several pieces creates efficiencies and cost savings. Defining your strategy provides the guiding principles that every marcomm project should inevitably contribute towards.
The time and effort to develop a thorough marketing plan is worth it. Doing the work ensures you are reconsidering your brand on a regular basis and creating communications that build it and enforce the perception you want to achieve.
When do you start planning for the upcoming year?
How do you go about planning and developing your strategy?
