Marketing planning and control are two related concepts that are centered on the process of the development of an effective marketing plan. The relationship between marketing planning and control is the fact that measures or control plans must be implemented as part of a workable marketing plan to keep the whole marketing process under a tight rein. A failure to implement good control measures to keep the marketing process in check might lead to the failure of the marketing plan. To this end, some marketing control measures include factors like market research, budget analysis, an analysis of the sales, demographic delineation and product test drives.
One of the factors of marketing planning and control is the conduct of marketing research aimed at gaining insight into various aspects of the marketing environment. Such factors include other competitors, the nature of the industry, and facts like import and export quotas as well as custom duties. The importance of this type of research to marketing planning and marketing control is the fact that such knowledge can be applied toward proper marketing planning and control measures that will help the company make informed choices regarding the direction of its marketing.
An analysis of the overall budget of the company for marketing purposes in general for a stated period and the analysis of the marketing budget for particular projects also contribute to marketing planning and control. Knowing the budget will allow for better allocation and management of resources for marketing purposes. This will help the company control marketing costs as well as stay within the allotted budget for the marketing effort.
Analyzing the sales results of competitors for similar products in consonance with studying the way in which the product was received by consumers will contribute to effective marketing planning and control. The company can use the information gained from the study to develop a better marketing strategy. Knowing the target demographic for the marketing effort will also help put a cap on the marketing efforts. For instance, if the company knows that its target demographic is young girls between three and seven, then it will focus its resources toward that segment of consumers rather than wasting resources marketing its products to the general public. This type of information is especially important when the company is working with limited resources that it must conserve through the use of a concise and targeted marketing plan.
