What Is the Difference Between a Marketing Plan & a Marketing Concept?

by Leigh Richards, Demand Media
Marketing plans incorporate a number of marketing concepts to drive sales.

Marketing plans incorporate a number of marketing concepts to drive sales.

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There are a wide range of marketing concepts, and each may have relevance in the development of a marketing plan. Marketing concepts may range from the importance of segmentation and positioning, to the value of brand-building, to specific pricing strategies. Effective marketing professionals have a broad range of knowledge of various marketing concepts that they can bring to bear when developing a marketing plan. Importantly, though, marketing plans aren't just about generating a list of marketing concepts -- the planning process requires rigor and a focus on process to select the right concepts from among the many available.

Marketing Plans

Marketing plans are blueprints or roadmaps that provide organizations and their marketing and sales staff members with specific direction about what needs to be achieved and how these achievements will be realized. What needs to be achieved is generally stated as goals (broad) and objectives (specific). For instance: build market share (goal); increase market share among women aged 25 to 55 by 10 percent over the next quarter (objective). How goals and objectives will be achieved is stated as strategies and tactics that provide specific direction, tasks and assignments for staff.

Marketing Concepts Drive Strategies and Tactics

Marketing concepts serve as the foundation for the development of specific strategies and tactics that will be part of the marketing plan. There are a virtually unlimited number of potential marketing concepts that might be applied to the development of a marketing plan. Those developing the plan, though, don't just grab these ideas out of the air. They are ultimately based on a careful analysis of the internal and external factors that impact consumer behavior and drive sales success.

Understanding the Target Audience

Understanding the target audience is an important first step in determining which marketing concepts will serve to most effectively move the marketing plan forward. For instance, the marketing strategies and tactics used to sell even a simple product like shoes will vary significantly depending on the target market's age, media consumption behaviors, income levels, and other such attributes. The more specifically and accurately marketers can profile their desired target audience, the better they will be able to select from the myriad of marketing concepts available to help them meet their overall goals and objectives.

Positioning Against the Competition

Marketing concepts are also driven by the competition -- what they have to offer and how they are currently communicating with and positioning themselves within an organization's desired market. A company with no direct competitors in a particular market, for instance, will use significantly different marketing concepts than a company that faces multiple competitors. Concepts selected will ultimately be impacted by the quality and consumer reception to products and services, the price points at which those products and services are offered, how readily available products are, and how the product attributes and benefits are communicated through media channels.

Resources (2)

  • "Integrated Marketing Communication"; Robyn Blakeman; 2007

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