Developing a Marketing Plan
What is marketing?
It is important to first establish that the term marketing is not synonymous to advertising. Advertising is just one piece of the big marketing pie, just as the marketing plan is only one piece of the overall business plan.

What is marketing?
Marketing is determining the value of your product or service and communicating this information to people who might buy your product or service. Read this document to find out how.
Why develop a marketing plan?
Your marketing plan is an essential part of your overall business plan. When you start a business or introduce new products or concepts, the plan will help you:

•Assess the needs of your clients and develop a product or service to meet those needs.
•Communicate the attributes of the product or service to the client.
•Establish distribution channels to get the products/services to the client.
•Make a profit.
Developing your marketing plan will, first and foremost, help you think of all aspects of marketing; aspects which you could otherwise overlook. To produce a sound business plan you will need to outline things such as the nature of your clients, and how and why they will buy your product or hire your services. Secondly, your banker or lender will want to see the marketing section of your business plan before considering lending you money.

You can purchase software to help you write your marketing plan and your business plan as a whole. Such software may include sample plans, marketing scenarios, and the ability to perform calculations. Equally, you can choose to write your plan in any word processor; even a pencil and paper can suffice for your first draft.

Styles, markets, and goals change and so should your plan. Your marketing plan should be readily accessible to consult, revise, and update. You should update your plan regularly, adjusting it according to business activities and predictions of new trends.

Writing your Business Plan
Know what elements are considered essential in any business plan and the key points that should be included in each section of your business plan.
Before writing your marketing plan
Market research
Before you develop your marketing plan, you must first research the potential market for your product or service. Use the numbers, facts and findings of market research to back up statements in your marketing plan. The following articles can help you conduct research.

Designing a Questionnaire Get advice on how to design a survey questionnaire in order to gather market research data.
Guide to Market Research and Analysis Discover how market research can help your business succeed and learn how to conduct a variety of market research activities.
Market Research Approaches Find information on commonly used research approaches that can support your market research efforts.
Online Survey Design Guide

http://lap.umd.edu/survey_design/guidelines.html
Get tips and guidelines on the design and implementation of web-based surveys.
Types of Survey Questions Examine different kinds of closed- and open-ended questions that can be used in surveys.
Parts of a marketing plan
Executive summary - What is my overall plan?
The executive summary is an overview of the key points contained in your marketing plan and although it is written last, it should be positioned at the front of the plan. This summary is usually the first section that a potential investor or lender will read and may well be the only section to be read. You need to give proper attention to this important part of your marketing plan. The executive summary should:

•Include highlights from each of the other sections to explain the basics of your marketing plan.
•Be interesting enough to motivate the reader to continue reading the rest of your marketing plan.
•Be short and concise.
Identify yourself - Who am I and what are my values?
If you haven't already done so in your overall business plan, you'll want to clearly describe who you are, what your business is about and its goals, and what has inspired you to start, buy or grow a business. For example:

•Include the company name, address, phone number, and names of owners/partners.
•Indicate the company's motto, its voice and its style (this should align with your target market).
•Indicate the core values and goals of the business and its owner(s).
Describe the product or service - What need do I meet?
Detail how your product or service is unique or how it is better than models that already exist. If the product or service is not unique, maybe the location is ideal or a large market allows room for competition. Provide numbers, facts or the steps you took to come to these conclusions.

Identify your target market - Who are my customers?
Through research, identify the age group, gender, lifestyle and other demographic characteristics of the people who have shown interest in your product or service. Also from your research, provide statistics, analysis, numbers and supporting facts that show the reader that there is a demand for your product or service.

Who is your customer? Before you begin selling something, you need to know who you are selling to.
Know your competitor - Who else can woo my clients?
Most businesses must compete with others. Even if you are now the only player, before long you will most likely have competition. The trick is to know with whom you are competing and their competencies. Figure out what you do better and make sure your clients know about it. You'll want to compare your own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) with those of your competition. Industry Canada's SME Direct provides information, techniques and tools to help you perform your SWOT analysis.

SWOT Analysis - SME Direct

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/dir-ect.nsf/eng/h_uw00926.html
Find out how to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your business and how to evaluate the opportunities and threats that can affect it.
Detail your distribution and delivery channels - How will I deliver to my client?
Traditionally, clients shop at stores to find the products they want. Similarly, we often assume that we need to go out to a specific location for services such as a massage or a haircut. However, there is nothing that dictates this is how you should serve your client. What is important is that you detail who the middle players are and how much they will cost. For example, you could decide to:

•Sell through a retailer, wholesaler, professional sales agent
•Sell through kiosks in schools, offices, public places, events
•Go to the client's home or place of business
•Take orders from a catalogue or through the Web
Group your marketing activities - How will my message reach potential customers?
Create a table or chart and provide your estimate as to how much of your total marketing budget you plan to spend on each media type. In another table or chart, detail how much of your time you plan to spend on each. You could break down each group by specific media. Some suggestions are:

•Advertising (TV, radio, print publications, online publications, websites, billboards, business cards)
•Publicity (signs, stationary, branding, testimonials, referrals)
•Listings (business directories, telephone directories, online listings, association listings)
•Sponsoring (research, community events, local charities, sports)
•Networking (get feedback from existing and potential customers and other industry players; reach out to the public through online social networking; provide advice on blogs and by speaking at public events; meet industry players at business events)
•Promotions (mail outs, samples, freebies, discount coupons, sales, displays)
•Internal marketing (employee rebates, sales incentives, referral incentives)
Public relations and media relations for small business Learn how to spread the word about your company.
Marketing FAQs

http://www.the-cma.org/?WCE=C=47|K=225539
Find clear answers to your questions about marketing techniques and approaches, including direct mail, e-marketing, online retail, customer loyalty and data mining.
Low-cost ways to motivate your employees

http://www.bdc.ca/en/my_project/Projects/articles/hr_motivate.htm?iNoC=1
Use a variety of inexpensive techniques to motivate your employees to stay loyal to your firm.
Building an Invincible Sales Team

http://www.bdc.ca/en/my_project/Projects/articles/marketing_sales.htm
Salespeople are the frontline of your business. This article will help you recruit and develop top-notch staff to give your business a competitive edge.
Outline how to overcome potential marketing challenges - What can I do about them?
Like any aspect of running a business, preparation helps you face a challenge. No matter how meticulously you've planned your marketing strategy, something unexpected can come your way. What you can do is brainstorm some possible "surprises" that could happen and write down what you could do about them. When the time comes, you'll be happy you were prepared.

The following are some marketing challenges for which you could plan:

•Regulations for new packaging/labelling/claims
•Shift in trends and buyer preferences
•Environmental issues related to your business
•Negative business image or perceptions
•Changes to the economy and disposable income (yours and that of your target market)
•New competition
Marketing regulations and standards
Attracting new customers to your business is essential. But you need to follow a few rules along the way.
Marketing during a recession Should you continue to promote your business during a recession? Of course. Find out why and how.
What your business can do: greening your mail

http://canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/aboutus/green/business/target.jsf
Adopting eco-friendly initiatives has become a respected – and expected – business practice. Find out how to green your mail and direct mail marketing activities.
Indicate your price or pricing strategy - How much should I charge?
Determining the right price is yet another aspect of marketing. If your price is too high, you may alienate clients, and if it's too low, you may give the impression that your product or service is cheap and below standard. Some businesses purposely charge a very high price so that their clients feel that they are getting a better product or service. Some sell at a slightly higher than average price in order to be able to offer exceptional customer service. Indicate in your plan, the price or pricing strategy you plan to use - the following articles will help decide your pricing strategy.

Project where you will be in one, three, and five years - What are my long-term goals?
If you start out small and want to remain small, be clear about this in your plan. If your long term goal is to expand over the years, gain an international market or sell franchising rights, be clear about this as well. Detail the steps you plan to take to grow your business and how you will adjust your marketing activities to reach these goals.

Growth
Find ways to grow your business and learn about activities that can help you get there.
Provide a date at which to review your marketing plan - When will I review my plan?
This step is a reminder to establish the frequency at which to review your marketing plan. You may wish to update it on a need basis and at least once per year.

Here we go again for the 2010 Oscars. The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers.

The Oscars 2010 Awards night is fast approaching and as early as now, a lot of people are now searching for the list of Oscars 2010 nominees.

The 82nd Oscars Awards Night, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will take place on March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and will be hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

As of now, the official announcement of the full list of Oscars 2010 nominees was held on February 2, 2010 at 5:30 AM Pacific Time and 8:30AM Eastern Time. The list of Oscar Nominations 2010 and Oscar 2010 nominees will be announced at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, byTom Sherak, president of the Academy Awards and Anne Hathaway.

UPDATE: Here is the FULL LIST of the Oscars 2010 Nominees. Who among these Oscars 2010 nominations are your bets to win the Oscars 2010 Award?

Best actor in a leading role Oscars 2010 nominees
* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
* George Clooney in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Colin Firth in “A Single Man” (The Weinstein Company)
* Morgan Freeman in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)
* Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)

Best actor in a supporting role Oscars 2010 nominees
* Matt Damon in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)
* Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
* Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones” (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)

Best actress in a leading role Oscars 2010 nominees
* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)
* Helen Mirren in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Carey Mulligan in “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
* Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Best actress in a supporting role Oscars 2010 nominees
* Penélope Cruz in “Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
* Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
* Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Best animated feature film of the year Oscars 2010 nominees:
*“Coraline” (Focus Features) Henry Selick
*“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox) Wes Anderson
*“The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney) John Musker and Ron Clements
*“The Secret of Kells” (GKIDS) Tomm Moore
*“Up” (Walt Disney) Pete Docter

Best in art direction Oscars 2010 nominees:
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg
Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
*“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics) Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro
Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
*“Nine” (The Weinstein Company) Art Direction: John Myhre
Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
*“Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
*“The Young Victoria” (Apparition) Art Direction: Patrice Vermette
Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Best in cinematography Oscars 2010 nominees:
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Mauro Fiore
*“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (Warner Bros.) Bruno Delbonnel
*“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Barry Ackroyd
*“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Robert Richardson
*“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics) Christian Berger

Best in costume design Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Bright Star” (Apparition) Janet Patterson
*“Coco before Chanel” (Sony Pictures Classics) Catherine Leterrier
*“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics) Monique Prudhomme
*“Nine” (The Weinstein Company) Colleen Atwood
*“The Young Victoria” (Apparition) Sandy Powell

Best Director Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) James Cameron
*“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Kathryn Bigelow
*“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Quentin Tarantino
*“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate) Lee Daniels
*“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) Jason Reitman

Best documentary feature film Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Burma VJ” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
A Magic Hour Films Production Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
*“The Cove” (Roadside Attractions)
An Oceanic Preservation Society Production Nominees to be determined
*“Food, Inc.” (Magnolia Pictures) A Robert Kenner Films Production Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
*“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
A Kovno Communications Production Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
*“Which Way Home” A Mr. Mudd Production Rebecca Cammisa

Best documentary short subject Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province”
A Downtown Community Television Center Production Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
*“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”
A Just Media Production Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
*“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” A Community Media Production Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
*“Music by Prudence” An iThemba Production Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
*“Rabbit à la Berlin” (Deckert Distribution) An MS Films Production Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Best in film editing Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
*“District 9″ (Sony Pictures Releasing) Julian Clarke
*“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
*“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Sally Menke
*“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate) Joe Klotz

Best foreign language film of the year Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Ajami”(Kino International) An Inosan Production Israel
*“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haddock Films Production Argentina
*“The Milk of Sorrow” A Wanda Visión/Oberon Cinematogràfica/Vela Production Peru
*“Un Prophète” (Sony Pictures Classics) A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production France
*“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics) An X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production Germany

Best in Makeup Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Il Divo” (MPI Media Group through Music Box) Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
*“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
*“The Young Victoria” (Apparition) Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Best in music written for motion pictures Oscars 2010 Nominees (Original score)
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) James Horner
*“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox) Alexandre Desplat
*“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
*“Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
*“Up” (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino

Best in music written for motion pictures Oscars 2010 Nominees (Original song)
*“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney) Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
*“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney) Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
*“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36″ (Sony Pictures Classics) Music by Reinhardt Wagner. Lyric by Frank Thomas
*“Take It All” from “Nine” (The Weinstein Company) Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
*“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best motion picture of the year Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) A Lightstorm Entertainment Production James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
*“The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.) An Alcon Entertainment Production Nominees to be determined
*“District 9″ (Sony Pictures Releasing) A Block/Hanson Production Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
*“An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics) A Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
*“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) A Voltage Pictures Production Nominees to be determined
*“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) A Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production Lawrence Bender, Producer
*“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate) A Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
*“A Serious Man” (Focus Features) A Working Title Films Production Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
*“Up” (Walt Disney)A Pixar Production Jonas Rivera, Producer
*“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) A Montecito Picture Company Production Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Best animated short film Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“French Roast”A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production Fabrice O. Joubert
*“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” (Brown Bag Films) A Brown Bag Films Production Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
*“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” A Kandor Graphics and Green Moon Production Javier Recio Gracia
*“Logorama” (Autour de Minuit) An Autour de Minuit Production Nicolas Schmerkin
*“A Matter of Loaf and Death” (Aardman Animations) An Aardman Animations Production Nick Park

Best live action short film Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“The Door” (Network Ireland Television) An Octagon Films Production Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
*“Instead of Abracadabra” (The Swedish Film Institute) A Directörn & Fabrikörn Production Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
*“Kavi” A Gregg Helvey Production Gregg Helvey
* “Miracle Fish” (Premium Films) A Druid Films Production Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
*“The New Tenants” A Park Pictures and M & M Production Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Best in sound editing Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
*“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Paul N.J. Ottosson
*“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Wylie Stateman
*“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
*“Up” (Walt Disney) Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Best in sound mixing Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
*“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
*“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
*“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
*“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount) Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Best in visual effects Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
*“District 9″ (Sony Pictures Releasing) Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
*“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Best in Adapted screenplay Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“District 9″ (Sony Pictures Releasing) Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
*“An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics) Screenplay by Nick Hornby
*“In the Loop” (IFC Films) Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
*“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate) Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
*“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Best in Original screenplay Oscars 2010 Nominees:
*“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Written by Mark Boal
*“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Written by Quentin Tarantino
*“The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories) Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
*“A Serious Man” (Focus Features) Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
*“Up” (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Top Box Office As Of Dated 7th Feb

30% Dear John $30.5M
82% Avatar $22.9M
33% From Paris With Love $8.2M
55% Edge of Darkness $6.9M
15% The Tooth Fairy $6.6M