Marketing Plans That Work, Targeting Growth and Profitability [Paperback]

Warren Keegan (Author), Malcolm McDonald (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0750698284 | ISBN-13: 978-0750698283 | Publication Date: July 23, 1997

For marketing managers and business executives concerned with profitability and sustained growth of their organizations, Marketing Plans provides a practical and insightful step-by-step guide on how to prepare and use a marketing plan. The whole process of marketing planning from initial assessment of a company's business plan to the steps necessary to ensure a company achieves its profit targets is fully explained. There is also a section which provides a `this is how you do it' guide to devising your own marketing plan, combining the very best of current practice with the necessary theoretical background.

Any book can provide the simple outline for the process of marketing planning. Marketing Plans That Work, Targeting Growth and Profitability goes a step beyond and provides detailed answers to such questions as: When should it be done, how often, by whom, and how?; Is it different in a large and a small company?; Is it different in an international and domestic company?; What is the role of the chief executive?; What is the role of the planning department? Additionally, this text is linked to EXMAR, the software application that allows you to create a marketing plan by answering questions as outlined in the book.

Practical, step-by-step guide to marketing planning.
Integrates useful parts of the marketing audit.
Dynamic writing team of US professional and respected European marketing authority.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Finally, a book devoted to assisting managers to understand and
develop first rate marketing plans."--Philip Kotler, Distinguished
Professor of International Marketing, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of
Management

From the Publisher

Any book can provide the simple outline for the process of marketing planning. Marketing Plans That Work, Targeting Growth and Profitability goes a step beyond and provides detailed answers to such questions as: When should it be done, how often, by whom, and how?; Is it different in a large and a small company?; Is it different in an international and domestic company?; What is the role of the chief executive?; What is the role of the planning department? Additionally, this text is linked to EXMAR, the software application that allows you to create a marketing plan by answering questions as outlined in the book.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann (July 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750698284
• ISBN-13: 978-0750698283
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,572,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Indespensible reading for the market planning pragmatist, May 7, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marketing Plans That Work, Targeting Growth and Profitability (Paperback)

At last, a marketing planning book that really leads the reader through the marketing planning process. As Philip Kotler, the famous marketing guru at Northwestern says on the back cover, "finally a book devoted to assisting mangers to understand and develop first rate marketing plans."

The authors' McDonald and Keegan have written an extremely readable book outlining in detail a comprehensive, strategic approach and guide to market planning. In 236 pages including the index, the authors set forth for the reader how to prepare a marketing plan that will insure that unique value is created for the market and competitive advantage for the firm. I personally like the strategic approach that draws on the leading marketing and strategy thinkers including George Day and Michael Porter as well as the best work of the top consulting and strategic management firms like Boston Consulting Group and General Electric.

To put the book in a larger context, even though responsibilities and corporate environments have undergone radical changes with reengineering, TQM practices and cross-functional teams, to name a few of the most well-known and widespread influences, most organizations continue to overlook a critical component for success namely, comprehensive, strategic market planning and initiatives as an integral part of the overall corporate planning process. To understand and address this need, McDonald and Keegan offer insightful, pragmatic guidance on understanding marketing analysis tools and implementing and effectively structuring market strategies that strengthen a company's competitive position. This book provides a road-map and comprehensive plan to achieve marketing success grounded in firm analysis and assessment.

The authors' provide insightful analysis of well-known market planning, mapping and strategic assessment tools, supported by easily-understandable flow-charts, graphs and detailed bullets. Specific attention is paid to the strategic definition of product, the product life c! ycle, the diffusion of innovation and the concept of product portfolio both as it relates to market planning and to the corporate planning process. Highlighted is a discussion of the well-known Boston Consulting Group Matrix and the Directional Policy Matrix. The resulting competitive marketing strategies are differentiated and analyzed in an understandable and practical manner. An easily understood discussion of gap analysis leads logically to a discussion of new product development, market extension and diversification strategies. An insightful discussion of organizing the enterprise for effective market planning, corporate cultural issues and the implication of size, complexity and diversity of functional operations, addresses three of the more difficult contextual issues in the field of market planning.

All in all, a well-designed book, which one can read sequentially or focus solely on Chapter 12 which outlines a step-by-step marketing planning system-- a thorough and comprehensive approach that more corporate strategists and market planners should utilize for strategic and sustainable results.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Guide For Entry Level Marketers, September 23, 2002

By 

D. Johnson (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Marketing Plans That Work, Targeting Growth and Profitability (Paperback)

The book is good and cursory. I recommend it as an introductory book. However, the information is outdated and does not reflect current marketing knowledge and understanding. The book does not discuss value based pricing, an integral part of any modern day pricing and marketing policy. It's branding concepts are weak. Most people would be better off with an introductory marketing textbook which explains fundamentals, or specialized expert books.

5.0 out of 5 stars Marketing Tools, January 19, 2012

By 

Rita Eileen Glynn "Rita Glynn Smith" (La Mesa, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Marketing Plans That Work, Targeting Growth and Profitability (Paperback)

One of my "must have" handbooks - lots of little tabs for quick references..
that's because it's loaded with good stuff.