In Discussion Forum 10, post your response to the following discussion question. Reply to at least two classmates’ responses by the date indicated in the course Calendar.
Introduction
A large manufacturer of industrial equipment has a salesperson assigned to each major city. Regional sales managers supervise the sales representatives in several cities. The chief marketing officer wants to evaluate the profit contribution of the different cities.
Discussion Question
How might each of the following costs be allocated to each of the cities?
A. the aggregate costs of sending bills to customers
B. district sales manager’s expenses
C. national magazine advertising
D. marketing research
APPLIED MARKETING PRACTICES
Module 5—Implementing and Controlling Marketing Plans
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OVERVIEW
This module is intended to enhance your understanding of the implementation of the marketing plan. As well, you will learn about various controls used to ensure that the marketing plan leads to the stated objectives.
Be sure to check about due dates for the sections of your Marketing Plan and for submitting your complete plan to your instructor.
Notes about This module: Before you begin this module, you should be familiar with the key terms and critical themes and have completed the self-assessment in module 5.
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TOPICS
Module 5 covers the following topics:
● Implementing marketing strategies
● Understanding the relationship between business and marketing strategies
● Organizational structure and strategy implementation
● The control process
● Using feedback from customers
● Understanding sales analysis
● Using a marketing audit
● The contingency plan
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OBJECTIVES
After completing Module 5, you should be able to:
● Design strategies for implementation of the marketing plan
● Define the financial implications of the marketing plan
● Plan for subsequent evaluation and control of the plan
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STUDY MATERIALS
Textbook Readings
● Marketing Strategy
○ Chapter 12
Overview of readings
This reading focuses on the final stage of developing a marketing strategy: implementing and overseeing the marketing plan.
Before moving on to the activities in this module and completing your marketing strategy plan, you may wish to go back and review their readings to date. You will find this helpful as you prepare not just the final part of your plan but also your earlier work on it. Keep in mind that this plan will be the most important part of the portfolio of your work in this course.
As in previous modules, it is expected that you will read and become familiar with the content of the chapters assigned above before beginning the activities and activities in this module.
ACTIVITIES
Module 5 has five activities. Please consult the Course Calendar for the due dates.
Self-Assessment
Please take Module 5 self-assessment test.
Written Assignment 4: Strategy Implementation and Control
1. Select three of the sample marketing plans in Marketing PlanPro.
2. Compare the sections on strategy implementation, control, and contingency plans.
3. Prepare a brief memorandum on your assessment of the points discussed in each of the three plans.
Discussion Forum 9: O’Brien Candy Company
In Discussion Forum 9, post your response to the following discussion topics. Reply to at least two classmates’ responses by the date indicated in the Course Calendar.
Introduction
O’Brien Candy Company is a hypothetical medium-size candy company located in Manitoba. In the past two years, its sales and profits have barely held their own. Top management feels that the trouble lies with the sales force, that they don’t “work hard or smart enough.” To correct the problem, management plans to introduce a new incentive-compensation system and hire a trainer to train the sales force in modern merchandising and selling techniques. Before doing this, however, they decided to hire a marketing consultant to carry out a marketing audit. The auditor interviews managers, customers, sales representatives, and dealers and examines various sets of data. The auditor’s findings are as follows:
a. The company’s product line consists of primarily 18 products, mostly candy bars. Its two leading brands are mature and account for 76% of the company’s total sales. The company has looked at the fast-developing markets of chocolate snacks but has not made any move yet.
b. The company recently researched its customer profile. Its products appeal especially to lower-income and older people. Respondents who were asked to assess O’Brien’s chocolate products in relation to competitors’ products described them as “average quality and old-fashioned.”
c. O’Brien sells its products to candy jobbers and large supermarkets. Its sales force calls on many of the small retailers reached by the candy jobbers, to fortify displays and provide ideas; its sales force also calls on many small retailers not covered by jobbers. O’Brien enjoys good penetration of small retailing, though not in all segments, “sell-in” strategy including discounts, exclusive contracts, and stock financing. At the same time, O’Brien has not adequately penetrated the mass-merchandise chains. Its competitors rely more heavily on mass-consumer advertising and in-store merchandising and are more successful with the mass merchandisers.
d. O’Brien’s marketing budget is set at 15 % of its total sales, compared with competitors’ budgets of close to 20 %. Most of the marketing budget supports the sales force, and the remainder supports advertising. Consumer promotions are very limited. The advertising budget is spent primarily in reminder advertising for the company’s two leading products. New products are not developed very often, and when they are, they are introduced to retailers via a push strategy.
e. A sales vice-president heads the marketing organization. Reporting to the sales VP is the sales manager, the market research manager, and the advertising manager. Having come up from the ranks, the sales VP is partial to sales force activities and pays less attention to the other marketing functions. The sales force is assigned to territories headed by area managers.
The marketing auditor concluded that O’Brien’s problems would not be solved by actions taken to improve its sales force.
Discussion Topic
As the company auditor, list and discuss three short-term and three long-term recommendations you would make to O’Brien’s top management.
Discussion Forum 10: Cost Allocation
In Discussion Forum 10, post your response to the following discussion question. Reply to at least two classmates’ responses by the date indicated in the Course Calendar.
Introduction
A large manufacturer of industrial equipment has a salesperson assigned to each major city. Regional sales managers supervise the sales representatives in several cities. The chief marketing officer wants to evaluate the profit contribution of the different cities.
Discussion Question
How might each of the following costs be allocated to each of the cities?
a. the aggregate costs of sending bills to customers
b. district sales manager’s expenses
c. national magazine advertising
d. marketing research
Marketing Plan – Part 4 – Implementation Strategy and Financial Projections
Instructions
You are to prepare the following for the topic approved for your marketing plan:
a. Implementation Strategy
b. Financial Implications
c. Contingency Plan
As before, this should be prepared using the Marketing PlanPro software. You should have an almost complete marketing plan to start with, if you have been using this program in your other activities.
The implementation strategy should tell the story of “what happens tomorrow morning” to begin the business. This should outline the activities and responsibilities over the next year (first year?) of the operation.
The financial implications section should include a breakdown of costs and projected revenues for the startup and first year or two of operation. This should be fairly specific and detail the financing of the business as well.
The contingency plan should address how you will react to the threats (from the SWOT section), if they should actually happen. As well, you should detail any other “responses” to unexpected circumstances that would threaten the operation of your business.
This particular segment of your Market Plan should be a maximum of 10 pages in length. Based on the feedback you have received to date, your final paper should include all revised (if necessary) sections from the previous activities relating to the Marketing Plan. Please include any charts or diagrams as an appendix. Submit this paper to your instructor.
Assessment Criteria
This activity is worth one-fourth of the 60% allocated for the total Marketing Plan.
