During my final marketing class in college, the professor said something that stuck with me:
If someone asks you to write a marketing plan, find out if what they want is really a promotional plan. If it is, tell them they need a marketing plan first. They are not the same thing.
Since then, there have been many occasions when I heard someone say that their company needs more “marketing”. To non-practitioners, marketing is often synonymous with promotion. And while promotion is indeed necessary, it’s entirely likely that a promotional campaign will fail if it’s not rooted in a solid, well considered marketing strategy.
What’s the difference between a marketing plan and a promotional plan? [Read more…]