How to Develop a Strategic Marketing Plan. A Step‐by‐Step Guide

Citation

Kárpáti, L. (2001), "How to Develop a Strategic Marketing Plan. A Step‐by‐Step Guide", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 No. 11/12, pp. 1398-1402. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm.2001.35.11_12.1398.1

Reading the book of Norton Paley, the reviewer changed his feelings three times. The first phase started when I reviewed the book in the first time and I felt somewhat dissatisfied. Certainly, because I expected something else – a book, which exactly shows how a strategic marketing plan should be written point by point. I didn’t find it in a way as I expected it, therefore I formed a somewhat negative opinion. This feeling in me, however, was wrong since my expectations were not realistic. So the first negative feeling was caused by the reviewer himself.

The second feeling was positive. When I reviewed the book for a second and third time, I discovered the philosophy behind the building of the book, that is, how to use it to create a strategic marketing plan and involve those topics which would help the reader in creating his/her marketing plan. There are certainly good examples from the practice, which are very useful for creating solutions in connection with certain strategic questions.

When I reviewed the computer disc – which is attached to the book – I discovered that certain parts of the disc have a close relation with specific chapters in the book. A very good figure in it directs the reader from the beginning to the end of the strategic marketing planning. The Help Topics provide good support for creating certain parts of the marketing plan and generally the whole book is organised quite clearly. So, this contributed to the second phase in my mind, when I discovered the positive elements of the book and I was convinced that my first negative feeling was caused by my own misinterpretation.

And now the third phase, where I discovered that the book has left some questions open. There are some topics not included that should have been included. The fundamental one is the lack of a realistic complete strategic marketing plan, which would serve as an example for those who are creating it for the first time. It should have been included as an Appendix or added to the computer disc. When I reviewed the book again, it certainly created another question in my mind, namely: to whom was this book intended for? According to my judgement it is mainly for managers of small or medium‐size companies whose task is to initiate the creation of their companies’ strategic marketing plan. For larger firms the book can serve as a reminder or as a check‐list.

For smaller companies the book is certainly useful, but there is something lacking. The so‐called Help Topics chapter, which lists possible solutions in connection with certain topics of a marketing plan still falls short of expectations. In the whole book, including this chapter, the references are missing. Not a single one can be found in it. Of course I know, that this is not a scientific book and intended mainly for practitioners who are certainly not very much interested in a scientific debate of different authors about the same topics. But the references are important for the reader, specifically to see how others have treated the topics (and not just the author). The lack of these reduce the usefulness of the book.

The topics I mentioned previously, in the Help Chapter give a useful summary of the marketing knowledge, in connection with a lot of different questions, but deeper knowledge can be found in more detailed textbooks. If somebody wants to review and use them in his/her plan, s/he needs to consult with the original textbook or more elaborated books in connection with the specific question. The reader does not know here which book should be used or where to get more information about the separate topics. It is easy to misinterpret what the book is recommending. I am convinced that a careful credit given to other textbooks in this chapter couldn’t demolish the practicability of the book or even gives more emphasis to it. So, this is what I missed most.

One final negative remark is about the computer disc: it contains exactly the same text as can be found in the book. It doesn’t give more information or moreassistance for the planners. It is a pity because the disc would give an opportunity to create a more realistic sample strategic marketing plan. I have already seen business plan building software, which goes further than this programme. Therefore I think that it would have been more useful to create a disc which would help planners in creating a real strategic marketing plan.

So overall, my feelings were somewhat mixed after the third review and therefore I have a dilemma about what I should recommend to potential readers of this book. If I want to emphasise the positive side, I certainly refer to the first part of the book, that is the first three chapters, which deal with the strategic section, the practical section and also the lot of short case studies, which certainly offers very good practical examples. The computer disc and the same chapter (6) in the book are useful, but not as useful as it could have been. Chapter 4, which deals with the marketing audit, is somewhat out of the logical flow of the book because it deals with company analysis (not with planning). Certainly, it can be considered as a useful chapter, therefore I would start the book here. In connection with the Help Topics – while it contains a lot of useful methodical approaches and tools – due to the previously mentioned lack of references it cannot be considered as useful as it could have been.

Summarising my opinion, I think the book is useful for practitioners of small and medium‐sized companies and also for students, whose task is to create a marketing plan during their studies and it contributes to their professional development. Practitioners would certainly like the book because it is not very long, the style is clear and contains a lot of methodical assistance, in addition to the clearly defined steps of creating a strategic marketing plan.

The book therefore is certainly worth the money, but at the same time it creates room for a new edition with an even more elaborated guidance. Anyway, I will keep the book for my personal use.