A Marketing Plan is a written document that details the actions necessary to achieve a specified marketing objective(s). It can be for a product or service, a brand, or a product line. It can cover one year (referred to as an annual marketing plan), or cover up to 5 years. In general terms, it must:
describe and explain the current situation
specify the expected results (objectives)
identify the resources that will be needed (including financing, time, and skills)
describe the actions that will need to be taken to achieve the objective(s)
devise a method of monitoring results and adjusting the plan where necessary
There are many formats for marketing plans and every company does it a little different, but the outline that follows is a very complete format. Using this format will produce a 30 to 40 page plan. Many companies prefer an abridged format that would yield a 10 to 20 page plan.
