Marketing is a management function that aims at observing customer needs and providing them with the necessary requirements. Organizations have realized that they must find a way to communicate to the public in order to lure them into purchasing their products (Artsderbyshire.org.uk, 2002). The business environment has become increasingly dynamic. Businesses have therefore had to develop elaborate plans on how to market their goods and how to counter competition. Strategic marketing process represents efforts made by an organization in order achieve its marketing objectives. A strategic marketing process is a long-term plan that involve three phases; planning implementation and control. Organizations allocate recourses towards the strategic process to ensure that the organization succeeds in marketing its products and in anticipating changes in the environment (Sahaf, 2008 p. 30).
A Plan is a conscious and deliberate determination of a course of action. The planning phase is the most important marketing process. Effective planning depends on the enterprises understanding of the environment. The organization undertakes a market audit observing sales summary and market analysis. If the results are not conclusive, the organizations conduct a market research to enable it understands its external environment (Artsderbyshire.org.uk, 2002). A market research is used to analyze the target market. The organization divides the entire population into small segments. The organization economically examines the small segments and chooses the most viable.
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The organizations undertake an analysis of its potential by determining its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) (Sahaf, 2008 p.32). A SWOT analysis gives the organization gives the actual picture of its current prevailing conditions. The analysis enables the management to understand where to begin in their quest for improvement. , the organization embarks in setting of objectives for the organization after determining their current position. The organization sets it’s the tasks it wishes to undertake to achieve the goals it has set (Sahaf, 2008 p. 33). Each function is explicitly stated, a time line set and the estimated results determined. Planning helps the organization in mapping its way towards the objectives. A plan is also a communication tool. It helps the organization to understand its target market and providing them with the products they require. The organization reduces conflict and wastage of resources through planning thus enhancing efficiency (Artsderbyshire.org.uk, 2002).
The economic part of planning is crucial for a business. It involves drawing a budget for the marketing processes. The budget estimates sales and cost for the marketing of a business product. An enterprise designs the product it intends to put in the market. Once the product is put in the market, the organization finds a proper marketing mix to enable them sell the product (Artsderbyshire.org.uk, 2002). A marketing mix involves the products, price, place and the promotion channel .the company uses these four features of a marketing mix to focus more specifically on its target market. The product in the marketing mix refers to the features of the product. The product possesses distinctive features such as the quantity, packaging, and quality. The product features determines the users of the products. If the product is parked in enormous quantities, the consumers will be only limited to the rich or organizations who can afford such amounts. Some products may be highly-priced to make them luxury goods available only to the affluent in the society. The geographical place a product is marketed determines the consumers of such a product. A product may be distributed around major cities, reaching only those people working around those cities. The youth will only consume a product distributed to colleges and universities. A channel for promotion is critical. It determines the people most likely to consume the product. Products advertised on the internet are more likely to be consumed by the youth since they use the internet more than senior citizens. The marketing mix determines the segment that uses the product (Sahaf, 2008 p. 34).
The practical use marketing mix draws customers to a product. Customers are attracted to specific features of a product such as the price and quality. The promotion channel similarly encourages customers to purchase a product repeatedly (Sahaf, 2008 p. 34). Customers will choose to buy products that suit their products well. Therefore, if the product is meant specifically for a particular group of people and distributed to them then, it will create customer loyalty for a product.
The implementation phase means putting plans into action. Implementation involves the production of the product, packaging, branding and selling the product (Sahaf, 2008 p. 41). The organization provides resources for the actual work of production of it products. An enterprise then determines the geographical area to distribute the product and the price to sell the product. The company also chooses the channel, through which to promote the product, for example, an organization may decide to use the internet to advertize its product (Artsderbyshire.org.uk, 2002).
A review comes as the last phase because it involves monitoring of the progress of the marketing process. While planning the organization sets objectives that are supposed to b met within predetermined timelines (Artsderbyshire.org.uk, 2002). The budget also states estimated revenue that they expect to generate from the sale of the product within a particular period. The organization is also interested in determining the impact it is making in the market. Control can be exercised by considering customer responses on the quality of the product or the relationship between sales and advertisement. Control enables an organization to evaluate its progress and adjust accordingly. It the performance is not impressive then corrective measures must be taken to ensure that the organization’s objectives are met.
Strategic marketing planning is vital to any organization. It offers the organization an opportunity to determine the best product to their consumers. Businesses learn the environment they are operating ensuring that they provide a high-quality product to the customers.
