Proposal for Developing a Marketing - Business Plan Example

Proposal for Developing a Marketing Plan Memo Proposal for Developing a Marketing Plan Purpose The aim of this proposal is to help CA Technologies develop a marketing plan. This proposal is made with an aim of helping CA Technologies achieve a number of its goals and objectives through the creation of an effective marketing plan. CA Technologies is one of the largest companies in the U.S. The firm faces a problem with declining sales and marketing activities. In order to revive these activities, it is vital to develop a marketing plan. The marketing plan that will be developed for CA Technologies will provide a platform for continuous self-evaluation. CA Technologies is based in New York, and it offers services and products in the technological field. The firm creates software systems that run in cloud computing environments, distributed computers, virtual machines and mainframe. The marketing plan is important because it will enable CA Technologies to identify its weaknesses and strengths through an external and internal analysis of market opportunities. The plan will also help the firm to analyze its services and products using a customer’s view-point. Summary I present this proposal as a three phase program. The first phase involves the identification of the marketing problems. The second phase, which is the main phase, is the development of a marketing plan and the third phase is the implementation of the plan. CA Technologies faces challenges in achieving its organizational objectives because of the problems it faces in marketing. The marketing plan will be created through collaboration with the management of the firm, and the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods. I will use qualitative research methods to gain information and insights from peer reviewed books and journals. Quantitative study approaches will be used to collect information and insights from professionals in the marketing field. The project will require four months from May to August 2014. Introduction I would like to request a grant of $10,000 in order to initiate a three phase program for CA Technology’s marketing plan. The project is expected to be completed in four months starting from May 2014 to August 2014. The first two phases of the project have been divided into four areas of focus. The last phase, phase three, has two areas of focus. The initial phase is concerned with the identification of the marketing challenges facing CA Technologies. The second phase is the development of the marketing plan. This is the most important phase of the project. During this phase, I will collaborate with the management of the firm and professionals in the marketing field. The last phase is the implementation of the marketing plan. I will provide the strategies that can be used to implement the marketing plan. In case the project progresses according to plan, CA Technologies will benefit from improved and increased marketing activities, which are focused on the achievement of the firm’s organizational goals. Proposed Tasks Phase 1 Phase one will span over a period of four weeks, and it will involve activities that seek to identify the marketing problems facing CA Technologies. This is the data collection and research part of the project. The aim of this phase is to identify the firm’s need for a marketing plan. Data will be collected using qualitative and quantitative study method. Surveys and interviews will be conducted within the projected timeframe. Results from this phase will play a crucial role in guiding the second phase of the project. The phase is divided into four categories of activities, which are the assessment of the firm’s marketing environment, assessment of the organizational environment, collection of data and information and analysis of the data. 1. Assessment Of The Firm’s Marketing Environment This assessment is important for the identification of the marketing strengths and weaknesses of the firm. The aim of this assessment is to establish how the marketing environment of CA Technologies influences its process. The assessment will focus on the internal and external marketing environment and its impact on the ability of the firm to competitively take opportunities in the market (Luther, 2011). The area of concern is whether the marketing environment contributes to the maintenance and development of important assets. This may be in the form of partners, consumers, knowledge and brand. 2. Assessment Of The Organizational Environment Activities in this category include the assessment of how the firm’s organizational environment influences marketing activities. It is vital to consider the impact of the firm’s organizational structure on its marketing activities. This step will also assess the contributions of different workers to CA Technology’s marketing activities (Luther, 2011). The workplace will be assessed in order to determine the levels of communication and collaboration at the firm. 3. Collection Of Data Data will be collected using a number of tools. A formal data collection method will be used because of its ability to gather accurate and defined data. The data collected from this stage will be used for decision making. Structured interviews will be administered on some of the employees of CA Technologies. 4. Data Analysis The data analysis tools used in this project will serve multiple purposes. The tools will be used in the generation of data sets and construction of datasets from different sources. Data analysis will focus on the long-term impact of the firm’s marketing actions and the long-term effects of marketing networks and relationships. Phase 2: Developing a Marketing Plan Phase 2 will begin two weeks after the completion of phase one. The findings and reports from phase one will be presented to the management of the firm for review before the project proceeds. Phase two will last for two months. It is vital to note that the grant money will be used in supplies because the team is non-profit. The second phase is the most important phase of the project. The marketing plan will be focused on CA Technology’s service and product lines, financial situation, markets, sales tactics and mission. Activities in this phase are divided into four categories based on the outcomes of the activities in the first phase. 1. Assessment Of The Firm’s Marketing Environment The marketing environment of CA Technologies will determine the action that will be taken during the development of the marketing plan. The outcome of this assessment will be rated on a scale of 1-3, with 3 being the most appropriate marketing environment. In case the assessment gives a score of 1, the marketing problem should be solved immediately. The marketing strategies and tactics used by the firm should be abandoned for strategies that will help in solving the problem. In this case, the major concern is overhauling the marketing approach used by CA Technologies. In case the assessment gives a score of 2, the project will shift towards an investigation of the ineffective strategies and tactics. In case the assessment gives a score of 3, no action will be taken. A score of 3 shows that the marketing environment is appropriate for the firm’s marketing activities. 2. Assessment Of The Organization’s Environment Evaluating the environment of the organization will give opportunities to solve problems or issues that affect marketing activities. In this case, a marketing plan will be developed through collaboration with the firm’s management and marketing department. The development of the marketing plan will be funded by the grant. Some of the activities performed during the development process may be carried out by volunteers. For instance, the administration of surveys, questionnaires and interviews will be done by volunteers. 3. Collection Of Data The structured interview, surveys and questionnaires will be developed and administered by volunteers. These data collection tools will be administered on employees in the marketing department, managers of the firm and workers from other departments. The focus will be on the collection of information and opinions regarding the marketing approaches used by CA Technologies. 4. Data Analysis Data analysis will be based on the datasets created by the data analysis tools. According to the datasets, CA Technologies needs a marketing plan. The proposed marketing plan for CA Technologies will be an on-going self-evaluation, which will be unique to CA Technologies. Developing a Marketing Plan In order to develop a marketing plan for CA Technologies, it is vital to understand the firm’s weaknesses and strengths. This is achievable through an external and internal analysis of the firm’s market opportunities. CA Technologies is required to analyze its services and products based on the viewpoint of its customers. This means that CA Technologies must understand the needs of its customers, and the benefits of its products and services to its customers. The business needs to obtain the knowledge of its marketplace from its customers. The marketing plan for CA Technologies will analyze the target market, and include additional or alternative markets. Additionally, the plan will identify the firm’s competitors, and their weaknesses and strengths. Most importantly, the plan will give directions on how to apply resources towards the decision making process in order to maximize on marketing activities and the target market (Luther, 2011). CA Technologies must use the information collected about its environment and organizational process to identify measurable goals. This will assist in the identification of a marketing tactic that will help in the achievement of its goals. CA Technologies must implement the marketing plan and measure its successes based on the achievement of its objectives. The marketing plan will be used as a strategy for continuous self-evaluation. The plan will have a mission statement, which will outline the aim of the plan. The mission statement will also review the objectives and goals of the business and the strategies that will be used to achieve these objectives. All the activities of the firm must be guided by the mission statement of the marketing plan. After outlining the mission statement, the marketing plan will diagnose the firm’s current position (Luther, 2011). In order to achieve the goals outlined in the mission statement, CA Technologies needs an accurate evaluation of its present position or situation. The mission statement will have a statement that indicates the current state of CA Technologies. The marketing plan will identify all the products and services offered by CA Technologies. These products and services will be identified by their name, color, trademark, labeling and packaging. The products and services section will also outline the firm’s competitive advantages. CA Technologies strengths and weaknesses compared to those of its competitors will also be identified. The section on marketing will identify the customers through an evaluation of their lifestyle and demographic (Luther, 2011). This section will also outline factors that influence or affect the purchasing powers of the firm’s customers. The marketing plan will have a section on distribution, which will identify the most effective methods for reaching customers in a target market. All the promotional strategies that will be used by the firm will also be outlined. The promotional strategies will be identified according to the firm’s perceived image in the market place. Phase 3: Implementation of the Marketing Plan Two activities will be performed during the implementation of the marketing plan. These are executing and organizing. In organizing, the firm will be required to develop organizational structures which will manage and implement all the elements of the marketing plan. The organizational structure will outline the roles and responsibilities of all employees. In executing, all organizational units will be required to execute their assigned tasks (Luther, 2011). These will be executed in an efficient and effective manner in order to ensure that the marketing plan is operational. Schedule May 1- May 30 June 2- July 2 July 5- August 29 Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 The Team These activities will be accomplished by students at the university. The students came together to form a not-for-profit team. The team was open to volunteers who were willing to participate in the development of a marketing plan for CA Technologies. All the students and individuals involved in the development of the marketing plan focused their education on management, marketing and information technology. Budget The projected budget for the completion of the project is $10,000. It is expected that the budget will remain low because the team intends to finish the project within the allocated timeframe. All the remaining money after the completion of the project will be returned to the grantor. Conclusion This proposal is for the development of a marketing plan for CA Technologies. CA Technologies is a New York based information technology firm that deals with the development of software systems that run in different computing environments. Currently, the firm is faced with a problem of reduced sales and marketing activities. The marketing approach used by the firm does not meet the demands of the marketplace. In order to solve this problem, it is vital to develop a marketing plan for CA Technologies. The marketing plan will be developed through qualitative and quantitative study approaches. The budget for the completion of the project is approximately $10,000. In order to complete this project, I will collaborate with team members, the management of the firm and all its employees. The project will be presented as a three phase program. The first phase involves the identification of the problem. The second phase involves the development of the plan and the third phase involves the implementation of the marketing plan. Reference Luther, W. M. (2011). The marketing plan: How to prepare and implement it. New York: AMACOM. Read More