Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control

 Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control

The aim of this text is to enable the reader to develop a sound theoretical

and practical understanding of marketing, planning and control.

Although primarily written for those studying for the Chartered Institute

of Marketing Professional Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma profes-

sional marketing qualifications, this text is equally useful for industry

practitioners. This is not an introductory text to the subject of marketing

planning, but builds on the existing knowledge that students and practi-

tioners already hold about the principles of the subject. The aim has been

to provide a clear, concise guide to the tools, techniques and concepts neces-

sary to undertake strategic marketing decisions.

The text also covers contemporary issues by exploring current develop-

ments in marketing theory and practice including:

● Customer relationship management

● Ethics and strategic marketing decision making

● The concept of a market-led orientation

● A resource/asset-based approach to internal analysis and planning

Innovation is a theme throughout the text, reflecting the growing import-

ance of this issue, both in terms of its academic profile and current busi-

ness practice. There is also an emphasis on developing a view of the future

through various forecasting techniques.

This new edition also includes three new chapters which relate to CRM,

ethics and problem-based learning approaches. Throughout this new

edition new illustrative examples have been included to reinforce the

material covered in each chapter.

An instructor’s manual is available to academic staff adopting this text.

This contains expanded versions of selected illustrative examples fea-

tured in the main text, new cases and a pack of lecture material.

■ Information for students studying

for the CIM qualifications

The Chartered Institute of Marketing has continued to offer the Professional

Diploma in Marketing for a number of years (QCA level 6). The CIM also

still offers Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (QCA level 7) which was

launched in 2004.

The Marketing Planning syllabus, which is part of the Professional

Diploma stage is divided into four major areas:

1 The marketing plan in its organisational and wider marketing context

2 Marketing planning and budgeting

3 The extended marketing mix and related tools

4 Marketing in different contexts

The CIM has designed their syllabus around the statements of marketing

practice, which were developed by the Standard Setting Body for market-

ing under the direction of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. These

statements identify the practical tasks that marketers undertake within

their marketing career. These standards are available on the CIM website

(www.cim.co.uk).

This textbook includes important strategic theory, some of which is not

specifically included within the Marketing Planning syllabus, however,

this does add further understanding for the student and thus goes beyond

this syllabus. Also it is not the intention of this text to cover the theory relat-

ing to the marketing mix elements, as this is available in most fundamen-

tal marketing texts. However, the Marketing Planning syllabus requires

candidates to be able to discuss the operationalisation of their marketing

planning decisions using the marketing mix and so students should ensure

that they have this knowledge also.

■ Links with other papers

The Marketing Planning syllabus was developed to provide the key skills

and knowledge required by an operational marketing manager. This mod-

ule replaced the ‘Marketing Operations’ module in the old CIM Advanced

Certificate. It aims to prepare marketers for practice at management level

and does consider operational issues as well as strategic marketing deci-

sions. The general basis of this module is the marketing planning function

and the implications for the operational decisions. However, as many

organisations today are small- or medium-sized businesses, the marketing

planning process is undertaken at a lower level of management than in

larger multi-national organisations as cited in many other text books.

Therefore, the Marketing Planning module acts as a central base for the

other CIM modules to build upon at the Professional Diploma (QCA level

6) and also is very much required for Postgraduate Diploma (QCA level 7)

underpinning theory for this higher level of study.

This text will provide students with an understanding of the nature of

strategic marketing decisions and the marketing decision process. This

text covers key elements of the syllabus (such as forecasting, control

mechanisms and budgeting) which are not covered well in other text

books on the market and so is of major benefit to all students studying for

this examination. Indeed, these are the areas of the syllabus which tend

not to be taught well and consequently students do not perform well in

response to questions in this area. Therefore, this text offers a useful and

directed aid to this section of the Marketing Planning syllabus both for

lecturers, students and practitioners.

The Marketing Research and Information module, which is another of

the CIM modules within the Professional Diploma, includes the manage-

ment of information and this is important to understand in relation to

inform the marketing planning. This unit offers knowledge to oper-

ationalise the concepts discussed in this text.

The CIM Integrated Marketing Communications module within the

Professional Diploma offers understanding of customer dynamics, which

again offers information to make marketing planning decisions discussed

in this text.

The final CIM Professonal Diploma module, Marketing Management in

Practice, requires students to operationalise and illustrate their skills and

their knowledge of marketing planning processes as discussed in this text.

Therefore, this text can add value to the reading for this syllabus also.

The CIM offer two assessment routes for the Professional Diploma syl-

labus, which are by examination or assignment. Any CIM centre at which

students are studying will be able to inform them of the assessment route,

which will be offered at that centre.