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Fe29900 PDF
Fe29900 PDF
1. This document is FE299, one of a series of the Food and Resource Economics Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date August 2001.
Revised October 2015. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. Allen Wysocki, associate dean and professor, Food and Resource Economics Department; Ferdinand F. Wirth, associate professor, St. Josephs
University, Philadelphia, PA; Derek Farnsworth, assistant professor, Food and Resource Economics Department; and Jennifer L. Clark, senior lecturer,
Food and Resource Economics Department; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL.
The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the
products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to
individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national
origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your countys UF/IFAS Extension office.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County
Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.
Truly strategic managers have the ability to capture es- What is a marketing plan?
sential messages that are constantly being delivered by the
A marketing plan is a written document containing the
extremely important, yet largely uncontrollable external
guidelines for the organizations marketing programs
forces in the market and using this information as the basis
and allocations over the planning period (Cohen 2001).
for altering the important controllable internal factors of
Please note that a strategic marketing management plan
the business to strategically and effectively position the firm
is a written document, not just an idea. A marketing plan
for future success.
requires communication across different functional areas
In addition to identifying strengths and weaknesses, firms of the firm, such as operations, human resources, sales,
would do well to identify factors outside the direct control shipping, and administration. Finally, marketing promotes
of managers. In this workbook, these are referred to as accountability for achieving results by a specified date. Just
opportunities and threats. Careful analysis regarding this like an effective goal, an effective marketing plan will be
combination of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and measurable, specific, and attainable.
threats will help managers position the firm for success.
Strategic Marketing Management
Introduction There are at least four goals of strategic marketing manage-
This workbook is designed to help producers become ment that need to be understood by those wishing to
more familiar with how to construct a strategic marketing use strategic marketing management to craft profitable
management program for their business. Originally used strategies:
at the Grapefruit Economic Workshop, this material was
1. To select reality-based desired accomplishments (e.g.,
presented by the Florida Cooperative Extension Service
goals and objectives)
and the Indian River Citrus League. The purpose of the
workshop was to allow individual producers an opportunity 2. To more effectively develop or alter business strategies
to focus on grapefruit marketing and production strategies.
That workbook has been modified to apply to a wide range 3. To set priorities for operational change
of producer groups. It provides a basic introduction to
marketing and strategic marketing management. Readers 4. To improve a firms performance
will learn the basics of a marketing plan and why they need
one. Reality-based accomplishments are shaped by the level of
understanding decision makers have regarding the external
This workshop challenges producers to consider what factors outside of their control and the internal factors
their individual firms marketing strategies and to identify under their control. Proper use of external and internal fac-
alternative strategies. Are producers willing to change the tors will lead to more effective business strategies. Strategy,
way they market to improve the profitability of their busi- by definition, means decision makers must make choices.
nesses? Included is detailed information for performing an That means setting priorities for operational change.
analysis of the customer, the company, the competition, and Conducting a strategic marketing management planning
the industry as a whole. This workbook shows how these exercise should be more than just an exercise. Therefore,
analyses can be used to form an effective strategic market- the goal of effective marketing management is to improve a
ing plan that could increase efficiency and profitability. firms performance.
Customer Analysis
Figure 1. The Strategic Marketing Management Model. Customer analysis involves the examination of customer
segmentation, motivations, and unmet needs (Aaker
External Analysis Components 1995). The following components of customer analysis are
External analysis involves an examination of the relevant discussed here as part of the external analysis component of
elements external to your organization that may influence the model:
operations. The external analysis should be purposeful,
focusing on the identification of threats, opportunities, Market segmentation is the identification of potential
and strategic choices that are most critical for the firm market segments (Wedel and Kamakura 1998). For
(Aaker 1995). There are three main components of external example, a fresh fruit producer could identify potential
analysis: market segments such as produce wholesalers, food
service distributors, retail grocery buyers, roadside stand
Customer analysis is the identification of market segments customers, and gift fruit buyers.
and the motivations and needs of potential customers Customer characteristics and purchasing hot buttons pro-
Competitor analysis is the identification of competitor vide information needed for whether to gain or maintain
strengths and weaknesses a sustainable competitive advantage for marketing to a
particular market segment (Lehmann and Winer 1994).
Industry analysis is the identification of major market
For example, retail grocery buyers of largae quantities of
trends, key success factors, and opportunities and threats
fresh fruit need fruit that carries UPC code labaels, and
through the analysis of competitive and change forces
they require a supplier who can meet their supply needs
(e.g., distribution issues, governmental factors, economic,
when they order.
cultural, demographic scenarios, and information needs)
Unmet needs may represent opportunities for dislodging
entrenched competitors (Aaker 1995). For example, offer
External Analysis Output a new concept for marketing fruit.
You might be wondering what kind of information can be
garnered from an external analysis of the factors affecting In Table 1, you are asked to take a few minutes to identify
your firm. An effective external analysis will lead to the as many customer market segments as you can for your
identification and understanding of the opportunities and particular industry. For each customer market segment,
threats facing the organization arising out of customer, state the customer characteristics and their purchasing hot
competitor, and industry analyses. The following is a buttons. Indicate whether the characteristics represent an
definition of opportunities and threats: opportunity (O) or threat (T) to your firm. Cite evidence
why the characteristic is an opportunity or a threat to your
Opportunities are external factors or situations that offer organization.
the most potential for moving closer or more quickly
toward the firms goals
Threats are external factors or situations that may limit,
restrict, or impede the business in the pursuit of it goals.
Strength. Something a company does well, or a character- To summarize, SWOT analysis generally follows a four-step
istic that gives it an important capability (e.g., Wal-Marts process. Please note that steps one and two are inter-
cost-efficient distribution system). changeable. That is, you can begin the analysis on either
Weakness. Something a company does poorly, or a char- an external or internal focus. The key point is that both
acteristic that puts it at a disadvantage (e.g., Wal-Marts external and internal analyses need to be done for effective
inflexibility to respond to changes in local marketplace). strategic marketing management to take place. This process
is listed below:
2. After exhausting the chances to use competitive Although this SWOT process was quite detailed, and at
advantages, develop internal strengths that give your firm times repetitive, we hope you found the process insightful
competitive advantages and useful. Having completed a thorough SWOT analysis,
it is time to use this information to begin crafting a strategic
3. After exhausting 1 and 2 above, work to eliminate posture.
competitive disadvantages
Strategic Posture Components
Opportunities and Threats SWOT provides the foundation for an effective strategic
Analysis posture, which is a set of decisions that:
Table 7 provides you with a worksheet to assess your firms
five most important opportunities and threats from your Expresses how management intends to achieve a firms
own beliefs and from those you identified as part of the long-term mission, vision, and objectives
external analysis worksheets (Tables 3, 4, and 5). In the final Commits management to a way of achieving competitive
column, cite specific evidence that supports your belief advantage
that the item is an opportunity or a threat. Remember, an Springs from awareness of the firms internal strengths
opportunity is any external factor or situation that offers and weaknesses, and its external opportunities and
potential for moving closer or more quickly toward the threats
firms goals. A threat is any external factor or situation that
may limit, restrict, or impede the business in the pursuit of Unifies short-term operational plans and decisions
its goals. A fair question to ask would be why should one care about
strategic posture? A strategic posture:
Strengths and Weaknesses Creates a bridge between the broad intentions of long-
Analysis term vision and objectives and the specific actions needed
Table 8 provides you with a worksheet to assess your firms for implementation
five most important strengths and weaknesses from your Demands that you make choices about what you plan to
own beliefs and from those you identified as part of the doyou cannot be all things to all people
self-analysis worksheets (Table 6). In the Rank column,
Requires different capabilities and resources for different
provide a numerical ranking of the top five strengths and
posturesthere are a lot of strategic combinations to
weaknesses. Place a 1 besides the top-priority strength
choose from; and strategic postures can be developed for
and top-priority weakness. In the final column, cite
the whole firm, a business unit, or for a department
specific evidence that supports your belief that the item is
a strength/competitive advantage or weakness/competitive
A complete strategic posture includes decisions in at least
disadvantage.
four areas: primary competitive strategy, competitive
role, priority strategic initiative, and vertical coordination
Strategic Marketing Management strategy. Each of these areas is discussed in upcoming
sections of this workbook.
Analysis
The final analytical task is to zero in on the strategic issues
that management needs to address in forming an effective Primary Competitive Strategy
strategic action plan. Here, managers need to draw upon Firms can chose from four generic primary competitive
all prior analysis, put the companys overall situation into strategies (Porter 1980; Aaker 1995):
perspective, and get a lock on exactly where they need to
focus their strategic attention (Thompson and Strickland
Question 2.
In its simplest form, the critical marketing strategy
question (CMSQ) is: Why should customers purchase The final step of the STP strategy involves the establishment
your firms products/services over those of your competi- of a positioning strategy. Positioning includes decisions in
tors? This may sound like a simple question. You may be product, price, distribution, and promotion. Each of these
surprised at how difficult it can be to come up with good is the subject of a workbook unto itself. Remember, once
reasons (reasons that differentiate you from your competi- you have determined the one or two markets you want to
tion) why people/firms should purchase your products/ target, you need to decide how to position your product or
services. Table 10 asks you to list all the reasons why you service in the minds of potential customers, relative to your
believe customers should buy products/services from your competitors.
firm.
Based on the list in Table 10, select the first and second
Conclusions
most important reasons why customers buy from you. That We hope you found value considering the strategic market-
is, in essence, your answer to the critical marketing strategy ing management process as identified in this workbook.
question. Please remember that the strategic marketing management
process is not meant to be used once every five years, only
1. to collect dust on some managers shelf. To be effective, this
process requires the support of upper management and the
2. involvement and commitment of the entire company.
Threats Evidence