Brand Marketing Planning by Brad VanAuken, BrandForward, Inc. March 2008
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In the course of working with a variety of clients in developing brand marketing plans, I have witnessed a wide variety of abilities and levels of rigor regarding brand marketing planning.

To maximize the likelihood of success, brand marketing planning should include the following:

• A consistent understanding and articulation of the brand’s unique value proposition
• Including a discussion of any differentiating benefits that are becoming ‘cost-of-entry’ or ‘parity’ benefits
• Clarity on the primary, secondary and tertiary target markets
• Described in enough detail for media targeting and appropriate messaging
• The plan should be research-based
• Knowledge gaps should be identified
• The plan could also gain its insights from the field sales organization and other outward looking employees and business partners
• A thorough analysis of the marketplace in which the brand operates, including its competitive environment
• An analysis of any trends that could help or hurt the brand
• Including anticipating possible market disruptions due to new competitors, new technologies, new laws, new category definitions/formats, etc.
• A full brand SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis
• Marketing objectives organized by target market
• Possible objectives for each of the following customer brand insistence drivers (as appropriate)
• Increasing brand awareness
• Increasing the brand’s relevant differentiation
• This may require a brand repositioning project
• Increasing the brand’s perceived value
• Increasing the brand’s perceived convenience/accessibility
• Increasing customers’ emotional connection to the brand
• Clarity on how one intends to increase brand revenues and profitability
• For instance, by increasing awareness, preference, trial, usage, loyalty or some other component
• And for which market segments
• The strategies and tactics necessary to support each objective
• The investment required for each tactic and the incremental revenue or profit expected from the tactic
• Responsibility and timeline assignments for each tactic
• Brand planning should be linked to business planning to insure appropriate contribution to organizational objectives and adequate funding and resource allocation to achieve the plan

Brad VanAuken is president and founder of BrandForward, Inc., a full-service brand management consultancy with clients throughout the world. Previously, Brad was the vice president of marketing for Element K, a leading e-learning company and director of brand management and marketing for Hallmark Cards, Inc. During his tenure as Hallmark’s chief brand advocate, Hallmark received the Brand Management of the Year award. Recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on brand management and marketing, Brad is a much sought after speaker and writer. He wrote the books The Brand Management Checklist and Brand Aid. His free online brand management and marketing newsletter is read by thousands of marketers throughout the world. Brad has a BS degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Email: vanauken@brandforward.com
Company Profile: BrandForward, Inc.
Company URL: http://www.brandforward.com

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