Having a marketing strategy and marketing approach is very important. Thus, instead of recreating the wheel, here is a short, sweet, easy-to-understand marketing strategy template to help you place your ducks are in a row in designing your marketing strategy. MARKETING STRATEGY FOR INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONALS ...coaches, consultants, accountants, lawyers... GENERAL OVERVIEW Business Strengths Our extensive knowledge of the adventure travel industry is our greatest strength, in addition to our positioning in the region. Business Weaknesses The greatest weakness our business faces is our ability to handle new competition. Currently, we are the only providers of our services in the area, and any competitor that moves in will pose a threat to our stability. BUSINESS GOALS Profit Our current profit goals are: Year Two: $__________ post-tax profit Year Three: $________ post-tax profit We have not established any other long-range profit goals at this time Sales Our long-term sales goals are to operate at or close to cash flow break-even by Year Two and to be profitable from Year One onward. We would like our profit margin to be 7 percent by Year Three. Marketing Our long-term marketing goals are to develop an extensive Web site, to increase our public relations activities, and to create an informative store window to draw in customers. POSITION IN THE MARKETPLACE Description of Our Customers Our customers are ___ to ___-year-old professionals, married or unmarried, without children, who are ___________. Our Customers Needs Our target customers are looking for customized planning services that will provide them with all the information necessary to take an adventure vacation in Europe. Often, they do not have the time or the resources to do the research themselves, so they turn to us for hassle-free planning services. Why Our Customers Choose Us Our well-informed, up-to-date staff, combined with our extensive knowledge of the ______________, allows us to surpass the services provided by other agencies. What Sets Us Apart From the Competition What sets our company apart from our competitors is the fact that we sell custom-designed packages for people. We ask them questions, find out exactly what they want and need, and direct them to the appropriate destinations. MARKETING CAMPAIGN SPECIFICS STRATEGY Goals of the Campaign We would like to increase our visibility, attract new customers, and display special offers that are currently available. Campaign Focus: Specific Products or General Promotion? Our primary focus is to expand our customer base. We would also like to keep our current customers aware of special promotions we are offering and secure their future business with us. Products to be Advertised We will be advertising our complete range of European adventure travel services, special discounts on travel packages, and sales on seasonal clothing and gear. Measurements of Success We will measure this ad campaigns success by the number of inquiries received after its launch. This includes phone inquiries as well as inquiries made in person at the store. Evaluation of Effectiveness We will be reviewing the campaigns effectiveness one month after its launch. We will evaluate its effectiveness based on the number of inquires we receive and any corresponding increase in revenue. MESSAGE Our Marketing Message: No one knows more about [what] than [Your name]. TIME FRAME Campaign Start Date We will launch this marketing campaign in ________. Length of Campaign This campaign will run through __________, for a total of ________ months. BUDGET Annual Marketing Budget $40,000 Budget For This Campaign $81,025. This includes $41,325 for Web site and database design, implementation, and hardware purchases, which will be useful for more than one year and will therefore be capitalized and depreciated accordingly. Cost-Saving Measures We plan to keep advertising costs down by targeting the most appropriate advertising methods for our business, which include online advertising, newspaper ads, and classified ads. |
