| Abstract: | The standard textbook model of marketing planning starts with strategic analysis, leading to marketing objectives and strategy formulation, action programmes, implementation, and control. The empirical study reported here suggests that while many practitioners apparently aspire to use this model, few use it as prescribed. In particular, few firms included specific action programmes for the marketing mix or any forecasts of competitors'strategies. At the individual firm level there was also some mismatch between the contents of the plan and the intended benefits of planning. Whether or not they produced an explicit annual marketing plan, most firms'planning behaviour consisted mainly of extensive budgeting combined with limited strategic analysis. The main thesis is that the standard model of marketing planning aims to achieve too much and may even be counter-productive as well as time-wasting and energy-sapping. A simpler and more action orientated model is proposed. |
