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The Secret to Becoming a Market Leader

• Graham Kenny

You can define the playing field.

Winning companies aren’t led by customers.  They target the customers they want, they then do as much as they can to satisfy those customers’ needs, and they don’t let themselves get distracted.

The best-kept secret about strategy is that you are in control. You get to choose the game you want to play and how you might win it . Further, you can choose to lead on a variety of dimensions – market share, innovation, product quality, or customer service. You can tip the odds of success in your favor with these decisions.

• Graham Kenny is the CEO of Strategic Factors and author of Strategy Discovery . He is a recognized expert in strategy and performance measurement who helps managers, executives, and boards create successful organizations in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. He has been a professor of management in universities in the U.S. and Canada.

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How to Become a Market Leader (and stay there)

0  Comments

by  Jennifer Hall  

March 6, 2020

Seven steps to building a market leading business

(and how to stay there).

When you make a decision to become a market leader and that you're going to own a market leading business... it's rather like making the decision to go to the moon. It's a decision that not everyone is brave enough to make. It's also a decision that once made, gets under your skin, makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and you set about immediately doing what needs to be done to build your rocket.

Size means nothing these days when defining a market leader, some of the most profitable companies have tiny teams running the show meanwhile lapping up the majority of market share. With technology making it far easier to do business we can achieve market leader status considerably quicker and with much less (wo)manpower. However...

Will you make it as market leading business?

A lot of businesses will never achieve market leader status because they just don't have the true desire to build a business for the long haul - hobby and lifestyle businesses that are built around being able to choose your hours need go no further down this rabbit hole. Most businesses who have the dream to become market leading will still never reach market leader status because they fail to pioneer new solutions for their market and fail to strive for excellence in every area of their business. And the sad news is - most businesses that don't decide to become a market leader, gradually fade into the background, they scale down and move onto the next thing that takes their fancy, always side stepping but never attempting the bold act of market domination.

Becoming a market leader isn't something you need to be convinced of, it's either an in built goal or it's not. If you're reading this and the market leading mountain looks less like hard work and more like an Everest to be conquered then you'll be part of the exclusive 1%. 

Although as the infamous Edmund Hillary puts it - 'It's not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.'

How to become a Market Leader -The Market Leading Business & Brand Scorecard

If you've made the decision, it's time to decide with action. Below I have outlined a scorecard for you to rank yourself and create an action plan to move forward. In order to achieve market leader status and stay there you should be striving for excellence in each of these areas.

• Rank yourself 1-10 (10 being strongest) on how you're performing in each of the seven market leading areas? 
• Write down one thing (that you are not currently doing) in each of these areas that you can work on to build to a Market Leading Business...

1. Disruptive & Talked About:

• What do you need to do to make waves in your industry? 

Exemplar market leading brands that do this well -  Richard Branson/Virgin, Facebook, Tik Tok

2. Known for something specific (that's wanted by the market):

• How niche are you? 
• What are you / could you be known for that's unlike anything else out there and super specific?

Exemplar market leading brands that do this well -  Rab, Smart Water, Google

3. Innovative, Unique & Pioneering:

It's no longer enough for your USP to be your personality, your longevity or how good you are at something - the market is far too saturated, sophisticated and bored for these golden oldies to be wheeled out. Every one of your competitors could say the same thing and do. It's important in this day and age to create a concrete USP that is one of a kind.

• What are you doing/can you do that's groundbreaking for your market and industry?
• What is your concrete USP?

Exemplar market leading brands that do this well -  Spotify, Dyson, GoPro, Tesla/Elon Musk

If you'd like to learn more about creating a market leading, groundbreaking USP that your market can't get anywhere else, then make sure you  download my free Market Leader Guide by clicking here!

4. Futureproof & Forward Thinking:

New developments in your industry can provide new opportunities for innovation and leadership. Early adoption of new discoveries is a great way to really hone in your niche and cash in on helping your market navigate these opportunities. 

It's also about predicting the growth of your business and how you are going to adapt to that growth in terms of business model, systemisation and processes. A business without concrete / signature products and systems is not futureproof and relies on YOU to constantly hold the organisation together.

• How can you stay ahead of the curve in your industry?  
• What can you do to ensure your business can run without you?

Exemplar market leading brands that do this well - Amazon, McDonalds, Netflix

5. Outstanding Customer Service & Results:

That's not forgetting that giving your clients outstanding results consistently goes a long way to gaining the loyalty of your current client base AND market.  

• What are you able to do to go the extra mile to wow your prospects and clients?
• What are you able to do in order to achieve consistent results with your clients?
• How can you improve your customer experience?

Exemplar market leading brands that do this well - Apple, EverTrek, DPD

6. Credible & Respected:

• What can you do to continue to solidify your credibility?

Exemplar market leading brands that do this well -  John Lewis, Tesla, Neals Yard

7. Strong Leadership, Sense of Worth & Boundaries:

• How are you embodying the qualities and values of a strong leader?
• What boundaries do have in place to ensure you deliver the best service to your clients and run a sustainable business that you and your employees enjoy running?
• Does your business have and own incredible expertise &/or elements that isn't available anywhere else?

Exemplar market leading brands that do this well -  Steve Jobs/Apple, Microsoft, Amazon

Ready to rise to market leader level?

Then make sure you click here to download my FREE Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Market Leader so that you can speed up your journey and dominate your market.

Download my FREE Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Market Leader

In this guide I reveal - 

• How to overcome a common mistake many business owners make that creates a barrier to dominating a market, so that you can make the change to reach immediate 'in demand' status.
• Three crucial but overlooked market leading elements that will see you stand out of the noise and making waves in your industry.
• The transparent and raw case studies of three business owners who were standing in the way of achieving market leading status and how they overcame the hurdles.

About the author 

Jennifer Hall

Jen Hall is Business Clarity Coach for Coaches, Consultants & Experts who want to become Unrivalled Go-To Experts. Jen not only gets you clear on your micro-niche, message and what makes you unique and desirable, but she helps you to define what makes you an irrefutable offer to the market so you can position yourself as a high-end 'must have' option for your prospects. She is a Multi-Award Winning Speaker and Best Selling Author of Expert Unrivalled.

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Blog Marketing What is a Marketing Plan & How to Create One [with Examples]

What is a Marketing Plan & How to Create One [with Examples]

Written by: Sara McGuire Oct 26, 2023

A marketing plan is a blueprint that outlines your strategies to attract and convert your ideal customers as a part of your customer acquisition strategy. It’s a comprehensive document that details your:

• Target audience:  Who you’re trying to reach
• Marketing goals:  What you want to achieve
• Strategies and tactics:  How you’ll reach your goals
• Budget:  Resources you’ll allocate
• Metrics:  How you’ll measure success

In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about creating a marketing plan . If you need a little extra help, there are professionally designed marketing plan templates that’ll make the process much easier. So, let’s ditch the confusion and get started!

Click to jump ahead:

What is a marketing plan?

How to write a marketing plan , 9 marketing plan examples to inspire your growth strategy.

• Marketing plan v.s. business plan
• Types of marketing plans

Marketing plan FAQs

A marketing plan is a report that outlines your marketing strategy for your products or services, which could be applicable for the coming year, quarter or month.  

Watch this quick, 13-minute video for more details on what a marketing plan is and how to make one yourself:

Typically, a marketing plan includes:

• An overview of your business’s marketing and advertising goals
• A description of your business’s current marketing position
• A timeline of when tasks within your strategy will be completed
• Key performance indicators (KPIs) you will be tracking
• A description of your business’s target market and customer needs
• A description of how you will measure marketing plan performance

For example, this marketing plan template provides a high-level overview of the business and competitors before diving deep into specific goals, KPIs and tactics:

Learning how to write a marketing plan forces you to think through the important steps that lead to an effective marketing strategy . And a well-defined plan will help you stay focused on your high-level marketing goals.

With Venngage’s extensive catalog of marketing plan templates, creating your marketing plan isn’t going to be hard or tedious. In fact, Venngage has plenty of helpful communications and design resources for marketers. If you’re ready to get started, sign up for  Venngage for Marketers   now. It’s free to register and start designing.

Whether you’re a team trying to set smarter marketing goals, a consultant trying to set your client in the right direction, or a one-person team hustling it out, Venngage for Marketers helps you get things done.

As mentioned above, the scope of your marketing plan varies depending on its purpose or the type of organization it’s for.

For example, you could look for performance marketing agency to create a marketing plan that provides an overview of a company’s entire marketing strategy:

A typical outline of a marketing plan includes:

• Executive summary
• Goals and objectives
• User personas
• Competitor analysis/SWOT analysis
• Baseline metrics
• Marketing strategy
• Tracking guidelines

Below you will see in details how to write each section as well as some examples of how you can design each section in a marketing plan.

Let’s look at how to create a successful marketing plan (click to jump ahead):

• Write a simple executive summary
• Set metric-driven marketing goals
• Outline your user personas
• Research all of your competitors
• Set accurate key baselines & metrics
• Create an actionable marketing strategy
• Set tracking or reporting guidelines

1. Write a simple executive summary

Starting your marketing plan off on the right foot is important. You want to pull people into your amazing plan for marketing domination. Not bore them to tears.

One of the best ways to get people excited to read your marketing plan is with a well-written executive summary. An executive summary introduces readers to your company goals, marketing triumphs, future plans, and other important contextual facts.

Basically, you can use the Executive Summary as a primer for the rest of your marketing plan.

Include things like:

• Simple marketing goals
• High-level metrics
• Important company milestones
• Facts about your brand
• Employee anecdotes
• Future goals & plans

Try to keep your executive summary rather brief and to the point. You aren’t writing a novel, so try to keep it under three to four paragraphs.

Take a look at the executive summary in the marketing plan example below:

The executive summary is only two paragraphs long — short but effective.

The executive summary tells readers about the company’s growth, and how they are about to overtake one of their competitors. But there’s no mention of specific metrics or figures. That will be highlighted in the next section of the marketing plan.

An effective executive summary should have enough information to pique the reader’s interest, but not bog them down with specifics yet. That’s what the rest of your marketing plan is for!

The executive summary also sets the tone for your marketing plan. Think about what tone will fit your brand ? Friendly and humorous? Professional and reliable? Inspiring and visionary?

2. Set metric-driven marketing goals

After you perfect your executive summary, it’s time to outline your marketing goals.

(If you’ve never set data-driven goals like this before, it would be worth reading this growth strategy guide ).

This is one of the most important parts of the entire marketing plan, so be sure to take your time and be as clear as possible. Moreover, optimizing your marketing funnel is key. Employing effective funnel software , along with CRO tools , can simplify operations and provide valuable customer insights. It facilitates lead tracking, conversion rate analysis, and efficient marketing optimization .

As a rule of thumb, be as specific as possible. The folks over at  VoyMedia  advise that you should set goals that impact website traffic, conversions, and customer success — and to use real numbers. Complement your goals with website optimization tools (e.g., A/B testing speed with Nostra – check Nostra AI review to learn more) to further improve conversions.

Avoid outlining vague goals like:

• Get more Twitter followers
• Write more articles
• Create more YouTube videos (like educational or Explainer videos )
• Increase retention rate
• Decrease bounce rate

Instead, identify  key performance metrics  (KPI) you want to impact and the percentage you want to increase them by.

Take a look at the goals page in the marketing plan example below:

They not only identify a specific metric in each of their goals, but they also set a timeline for when they will be increased.

The same vague goals listed earlier become much clearer when specific numbers and timelines are applied to them:

• Get 100 new Twitter followers per month
• Write 5 more articles per week
• Create 10 YouTube videos each year
• Increase retention rate by 15% by 2020
• Decrease bounce rate by 5% by Q1
• Create an online course  and get 1,000 new leads
• Focus more on local SEO strategies
• Conduct a monthly social media report to track progress

You can dive even deeper into your marketing goals if you want (generally, the more specific, the better). Here’s a marketing plan example that shows how to outline your growth goals:

3. Outline your user personas

Now, this may not seem like the most important part of your marketing plan, but I think it holds a ton of value.

Outlining your user personas is an important part of a marketing plan that should not be overlooked.

You should be asking not just how you can get the most visitors to your business, but how you can get the right visitors.

Who are your ideal customers? What are their goals? What are their biggest problems? How does your business solve customer problems?

Answering these questions will take lots of research, but it’s essential information to get.

Some ways to conduct user research are:

• Interviewing your users (either in person or on the phone)
• Conducting focus groups
• Researching other businesses in the same industry
• Surveying your audience

Then, you will need to compile your user data into a user persona  guide.

Take a look at how detailed this user persona template is below:

Taking the time to identify specific demographic traits, habits and goals will make it easier for you to cater your marketing plan to them.

Here’s how you can create a user persona guide:

The first thing you should add is a profile picture or icon for each user persona. It can help to put a face to your personas, so they seem more real.

Next, list demographic information like:

• Identifiers
• Activities/Hobbies

The user persona example above uses sliding scales to identify personality traits like introversion vs. extroversion and thinking vs. feeling. Identifying what type of personality your target users tend to have an influence on the messaging you use in your marketing content.

Meanwhile, this user persona guide identifies specific challenges the user faces each day:

But if you don’t want to go into such precise detail, you can stick to basic information, like in this marketing plan example:

Most businesses will have a few different types of target users. That’s why it’s pertinent to identify and create several different user personas . That way, you can better segment your marketing campaigns and set separate goals, if necessary.

Here’s a marketing plan example with a segmented user persona guide:

The important thing is for your team or client to have a clear picture of who their target user is and how they can appeal to their specific problems.

Start creating robust user personas using Venngage’s user persona guide .

4. Conduct an extensive competitor analysis

Next, on the marketing plan checklist, we have the competitor research section. This section will help you identify who your competitors are, what they’re doing, and how you could carve yourself a place alongside them in your niche — and ideally, surpass them. It’s something you can learn to do with rank tracking software .

Competitor research is also incredibly important if you are starting a blog .

Typically, your competitor research should include:

• Who their marketing team is
• Who their leadership team is
• What their marketing strategy and strategic marketing plan are (this will probably revolve some reverse-engineering)
• What their sales strategy is (same deal)
• Social Media strategy (are they using discounting strategies such as coupon marketing to get conversions)
• Their market cap/financials
• Their yearly growth (you will probably need to use a marketing tool like Ahrefs to do this)
• The number of customers they have & their user personas

Also, take as deep a dive as you can into the strategies they use across their:

• Blog/Content marketing
• Social media marketing
• SEO Marketing
• Video marketing
• And any other marketing tactics they use

Research their strengths and weaknesses in all parts of their company, and you will find some great opportunities. Bookmark has a great guide to different marketing strategies for small businesses if you need some more information there.

You can use this simple SWOT analysis worksheet to quickly work through all parts of their strategy as well:

Click the template above to create a SWOT chart . Customize the template to your liking — no design know-how needed.

Since you have already done all the research beforehand, adding this information to your marketing plan shouldn’t be that hard.

In this marketing plan example, some high-level research is outlined for 3 competing brands:

But you could take a deeper dive into different facets of your competitors’ strategies. This marketing plan example analyses a competitor’s inbound marketing strategy :

It can also be helpful to divide your competitors into Primary and Secondary groups. For example, Apple’s primary competitor may be Dell for computers, but its secondary competitor could be a company that makes tablets.

Your most dangerous competitors may not even be in the same industry as you. Like the CEO of Netflix said, “Sleep is our competition.”

5. Set accurate key baselines & metrics

It’s pretty hard to plan for the future if you don’t know where your business stands right now.

Before we do anything at Venngage, we find the baselines so we can compare future results to something. We do it so much it’s almost like second nature now!

Setting baselines will allow you to more accurately track your progress. You will also be able to better analyze what worked and what didn’t work, so you can build a stronger strategy. It will definitely help them clearly understand your goals and strategy as well.

Here’s a marketing plan example where the baselines are visualized:

Another way to include baselines in your plan is with a simple chart, like in the marketing plan example below:

Because data can be intimidating to a lot of people, visualizing your data using charts and infographics will help demystify the information.

6. Create an actionable marketing strategy

After pulling all the contextual information and relevant metrics into your marketing plan, it’s time to break down your marketing strategy.

Once again, it’s easier to communicate your information to your team or clients using visuals .

Mind maps are an effective way to show how a strategy with many moving parts ties together. For example, this mind map shows how the four main components of a marketing strategy interact together:

You can also use a flow chart to map out your strategy by objectives:

However you choose to visualize your strategy, your team should know exactly what they need to do. This is not the time to keep your cards close to your chest.

Your strategy section may need to take up a few pages to explain, like in the marketing plan example below:

With all of this information, even someone from the development team will understand what the marketing team is working on.

This minimalistic marketing plan example uses color blocks to make the different parts of the strategy easy to scan:

Breaking your strategy down into tasks will make it easier to tackle.

Another important way to visualize your marketing strategy is to create a project roadmap. A project roadmap visualizes the timeline of your product with individual tasks. Our roadmap maker can help you with this.

For example, this project roadmap shows how tasks on both the marketing and web design side run parallel to each other:

A simple timeline can also be used in your marketing plan:

Or a mind map, if you want to include a ton of information in a more organized way:

Even a simple “Next, Now, Later” chart can help visualize your strategy:

7. Set tracking or reporting guidelines

Close your marketing plan with a brief explanation of how you plan to track or measure your results. This will save you a lot of frustration down the line by standardizing how you track results across your team.

Like the other sections of your marketing plan, you can choose how in-depth you want to go. But there need to be some clear guidelines on how to measure the progress and results of your marketing plan.

At the bare minimum, your results tracking guidelines should specify:

• What you plan to track
• How you plan to track results
• How often you plan to measure

But you can more add tracking guidelines to your marketing plan if you see the need to. You may also want to include a template that your team or client can follow,  for  client reporting ,  ensure that the right metrics are being tracked.

The marketing plan example below dedicates a whole page to tracking criteria:

Use a task tracker to track tasks and marketing results, and a checklist maker to note down tasks, important life events, or tracking your daily life.

Similarly, the marketing plan example below talks about tracking content marketing instead:

Marketing plan vs. marketing strategy

Although often used interchangeably, the terms “marketing plan” and “marketing strategy” do have some differences.

Simply speaking, a marketing strategy presents what the business will do in order to reach a certain goal. A marketing plan outlines the specific daily, weekly, monthly or yearly activities that the marketing strategy calls for. As a business, you can create a marketing proposal for the marketing strategies defined in your company’s marketing plan. There are various marketing proposal examples that you can look at to help with this.

A company’s extended marketing strategy can be like this:

Notice how it’s more general and doesn’t include the actual activities required to complete each strategy or the timeframe those marketing activities will take place. That kind of information is included in a marketing plan, like this marketing plan template which talks about the content strategy in detail:

1. Nonprofit marketing plan

Here’s a free nonprofit marketing plan example that is ideal for organizations with a comprehensive vision to share. It’s a simple plan that is incredibly effective. Not only does the plan outline the core values of the company, it also shares the ideal buyer persona.

Note how the branding is consistent throughout this example so there is no doubt which company is presenting this plan. The content plan is an added incentive for anyone viewing the document to go ahead and give the team the green light.

2. Social media marketing plan

Two-page marketing plan samples aren’t very common, but this free template proves how effective they are. There’s a dedicated section for business goals as well as for project planning.

The milestones for the marketing campaign are clearly laid out, which is a great way to show how organized this business strategy is.

3. Small business marketing plan

This marketing plan template is perfect for small businesses who set out to develop an overarching marketing strategy for the whole year:

Notice how this aligns pretty well with the marketing plan outline we discussed in previous sections.

In terms of specific tactics for the company’s marketing strategy, the template only discusses SEO strategy, but you can certainly expand on that section to discuss any other strategies — such as link building , that you would like to build out a complete marketing plan for.

4. Orange simple marketing proposal template

Marketing plans, like the sample below, are a great way to highlight what your business strategy and the proposal you wan to put forward to win potential customers.

5. One-page marketing plan

This one-page marketing plan example is great for showcasing marketing efforts in a persuasive presentation or to print out for an in-person meeting.

Note how the fact sheet breaks down the marketing budget as well as the key metrics for the organization. You can win over clients and partners with a plan like this.

6. Light company business fact sheet template

This one-page sample marketing plan clearly outlines the marketing objectives for the organization. It’s a simple but effective way to share a large amount of information in a short amount of time.

What really works with this example is that includes a mission statement, key contact information alongside all the key metrics.

7. Marketing media press kit template

This press kit marketing plan template is bright and unmistakable as belonging to the Cloud Nine marketing agency . The way the brand colors are used also helps diversify the layouts for each page, making the plan easier to read.

We like the way the marketing department has outlined the important facts about the organization. The bold and large numbers draw the eye and look impressive.

8. Professional marketing proposal template

Start your marketing campaign on a promising note with this marketing plan template. It’s short, sharp and to the point. The table of contents sets out the agenda, and there’s a page for the company overview and mission statement.

9. Social media marketing proposal template

A complete marketing plan example, like the one below, not only breaks down the business goals to be achieved but a whole lot more. Note how the terms and conditions and payment schedule are included, which makes this one of the most comprehensive marketing plans on our list.

Marketing plan vs. business plan

While both marketing plans and business plans are crucial documents for businesses, they serve distinct purposes and have different scopes. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:

Business plan is a comprehensive document that outlines all aspects of your business, including:

• Mission and vision
• Products or services
• Target market
• Competition
• Management team
• Financial projections
• Marketing strategy (including a marketing plan)
• Operations plan

Marketing plan on the other hand, dives deep into the specific strategies and tactics related to your marketing efforts. It expands on the marketing section of a business plan by detailing:

• Specific marketing goals (e.g., brand awareness, lead generation, sales)
• Target audience analysis (detailed understanding of their needs and behaviors)
• Product:  Features, benefits, positioning
• Price:  Pricing strategy, discounts
• Place:  Distribution channels (online, offline)
• Promotion:  Advertising, social media, content marketing, public relations
• Budget allocation for different marketing activities
• Metrics and measurement to track progress and success

In short, business plans paint the entire business picture, while marketing plans zoom in on the specific strategies used to reach your target audience and achieve marketing goals.

Types of marketing plans that can transform your business strategy

Let’s take a look at several types of marketing plans you can create, along with specific examples for each.

1. General marketing strategic plan / Annual marketing plan

This is a good example of a marketing plan that covers the overarching annual marketing strategy for a company:

Another good example would be this Starbucks marketing plan:

This one-page marketing plan example from coffee chain Starbucks has everything at a glance. The bold headers and subheadings make it easier to segment the sections so readers can focus on the area most relevant to them.

What we like about this example is how much it covers. From the ideal buyer persona to actional activities, as well as positioning and metrics, this marketing plan has it all.

Another marketing plan example that caught our eye is this one from Cengage. Although a bit text-heavy and traditional, it explains the various sections well. The clean layout makes this plan easy to read and absorb.

The last marketing plan example we would like to feature in this section is this one from Lush cosmetics.

It is a long one but it’s also very detailed. The plan outlines numerous areas, including the company mission, SWOT analysis , brand positioning, packaging, geographical criteria, and much more.

2. Content marketing plan

A content marketing plan highlights different strategies , campaigns or tactics you can use for your content to help your business reach its goals.

This one-page marketing plan example from Contently outlines a content strategy and workflow using simple colors and blocks. The bullet points detail more information but this plan can easily be understood at a glance, which makes it so effective.

For a more detailed content marketing plan example, take a look at this template which features an editorial calendar you can share with the whole team:

3. SEO marketing plan

Your SEO marketing plan highlights what you plan to do for your SEO marketing strategy . This could include tactics for website on-page optimization , off-page optimization using AI SEO , and link building using an SEO PowerSuite backlink API for quick backlink profile checks. Additionally, incorporating a rank tracker can help monitor keyword performance and track the impact of your optimization efforts.

This SEO marketing plan example discusses in detail the target audience of the business and the SEO plan laid out in different stages:

4. Social media marketing plan

Your social media marketing plan presents what you’ll do to reach your marketing goal through social media. This could include tactics specific to each social media channel that you own, recommendations on developing a new channel, specific campaigns you want to run, and so on, like how B2B channels use Linkedin to generate leads with automation tools and expand their customer base; or like making use of Twitter walls that could display live Twitter feeds from Twitter in real-time on digital screens.

For B2C brands, you can target Facebook and Instagram. Gain Instagram likes to build trust for your brand’s profile and post engaging content on both platforms. Leverage AI social media tools to automate and scale your content plan..

Edit this social media marketing plan example easily with Venngage’s drag-and-drop editor:

5. Demand generation marketing plan

This could cover your paid marketing strategy (which can include search ads, paid social media ads, traditional advertisements, etc.), email marketing strategy and more. Here’s an example:

What should marketing plans include?

Marketing plans should include:

• A detailed analysis of the target market and customer segments.
• Clear and achievable marketing objectives and goals.
• Strategies and tactics for product promotion and distribution.
• Budget allocation for various marketing activities.
• Timelines and milestones for the implementation of marketing strategies.
• Evaluation metrics and methods for tracking the success of the marketing plan.

What is an executive summary in a marketing plan and what is its main goal?

An executive summary in a marketing plan is a brief overview of the entire document, summarizing the key points, goals, and strategies. Its main goal is to provide readers with a quick understanding of the plan’s purpose and to entice them to read further.

What are the results when a marketing plan is effective?

When a marketing plan is effective, businesses can experience increased brand visibility, higher customer engagement , improved sales and revenue, and strengthened customer loyalty.

What is the first section of a marketing plan?

The first section of a marketing plan is typically the “Executive Summary,” which provides a concise overview of the entire plan, including the business’s goals and the strategies to achieve them.

Now that you have the basics for designing your own marketing plan, it’s time to get started:

More marketing design guides and templates:

• Marketing Infographics: The Definitive Guide [Includes Infographic Templates]
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• Free Business Plan Template
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Download: MOBI Business Plan Template

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MOBI Business Plan Template

The primary value of your business plan is to create a written resource that evaluates most aspects of your new business including a description of your target customers and markets, profitability, organization, operations and more. The very process of writing your business plan helps you put your ideas on paper so you can evaluate what resources you have and what you need to be successful.

Your business plan is your blueprint for starting your business, your script to tell the story of your business to others, and your comprehensive analysis of the opportunity for your business. Business plans help you plan your roadmap, state your goals, share your vision, and analyze your strategy. A business plan is an important and valuable tool for new as well as existing businesses.

This MOBI Business Plan Template consists of sections that relate to the content included in the MOBI Starting a Business course . You can also use this template as a guide independently. We have created this template with the input of key stakeholders such as economic development agencies, lenders, mentors and successful entrepreneurs. You can complete sections of the business plan as you go through the course, to apply what you are learning along the way, or you can wait until you have completed the course. This business plan template is a universal model suitable for most types of business, which you can customize to fit your circumstances. MOBI provides leading topics, questions, and suggestions in each section to guide you. Here are some instructions to help you get started:

• On the cover page replace the MOBI spark with your own logo and provide your business name, personal name, contact information, and date.
• Complete each section leaving the main title, such as “Executive Summary,” and using the subtitles and questions as a guideline. Replace those subtitles and questions with the needed and relevant information. If some of the subtitles work with your format, you can keep them. You can type directly over the provided content or delete it as you complete it.
• You might want to start each section on a new page, which can also be helpful if you decide to include a Table of Contents.

Once you complete your business plan, be sure that key stakeholders review it. Business plans are not static; they will change as your business and the business environment change around you. It’s important to continually review and update your business plan to adjust for these changes.

BUSINESS PLAN

Enter Your Business Name

Enter Your Name

 Enter Date

Contact Information

Executive Summary Provide a summary of your business by addressing these key areas.

Name and Description of Business State the name of your business and describe your product or service.

Targeted Market and Customers Describe your target markets and customers and why they want or need your product or service.    

Trends in this Industry What are the current trends in the industry that make this a good time for your product or service? For example, is the market for your product growing, and why? Have others failed to address a particular need that your product or service will address?  

Value Proposition Provide a brief statement of the unique benefits and value your business will deliver to your customers. Describe the unique qualities of your product or service that will enable you to be profitable.

The Vision  Describe the vision of your business and why you are committed to pursuing this vision and making it successful. 

Founder Background: Work/life experience related to the intended business Describe your work/life experience, educational credentials, and how they are related to the business you plan to start. Include a list of your skills and knowledge, which will be required in your business. 

Your Team If you plan to hire full- or part-time employees or seek business partners, describe your plan for engaging with these other members of your team. If you already have employees or partners, describe key personnel and their roles here. 

Goals for business: Outline your key goals for your business. (Explain your plans for growing the business and what you can realistically accomplish in a defined period of time.)

Financing and Financial Projections ( Many business owners require the assistance of a bookkeeper or accountant when completing this section.)

Startup Capital Provide a table or spreadsheet showing the sources of your startup capital including what you or other investors will contribute and what you intend to borrow.  Create a list of what the startup capital will be used for and how much will be left over for working capital ( SCORE Startup Expenses Template ).

Accounting Statements Prepare your starting balance sheet and projected profit and loss (income) statements for the first three years. (By month for the first year and then by year for years two and three.) Forecast your month-to-month cash flow requirements for the first year.  

Analysis of Costs List and explain the key costs and profit margins that are important for your business.  Classify your costs as fixed, variable, product, delivery, etc. 

Break-Even Analysis Based on your costs and pricing strategy, prepare a break-even analysis.

Internal Controls Explain your internal and cash controls. For instance, check signing policy, strategy for controlling shrinkage, and control of incoming merchandise or supplies.

Business Organization

Business Organization Explain the form of business organization you intend to use and why it is best for your business (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, etc.).

Professional Consultants List the names of your key advisors: bookkeeper/accountant, consultants, lawyer, insurance agent, and any other professionals.   

Business Location

If you need a physical location other than your home to operate your business, identify your business space needs considering all phases of your workflow (production, storage, shipping, potential employees, customer meetings, and future requirements). Explain why the location you picked meets your workflow needs.

Marketing and Sales

Market Research: Your Customers and Competition Describe your ideal customer (who will be purchasing your product/service, key characteristics).

• Include any research that has helped you identify and characterize your target customer.

Describe your position in the market, your strongest competitors, and how you intend to compete. 

Marketing Strategy and Tools Describe your overall marketing strategy, how you will find, engage, and build customers, including:

• Traditional marketing tools (signage, storefront, collateral, advertising, promotion, uniforms,  mail, etc.).
• Online marketing (website, social media, email marketing, text marketing, others).
• Ecommerce (if applicable).
• Describe in detail how you plan to sell your products or services online.
• Describe how your best competitors utilize ecommerce and your strategy to improve on their practices.
• Research and identify the different channels where you will sell your product or services. What is your expectation of sales?
• Detail how will you take orders, process payments, and fulfill requests? 
• Provide a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in creating, operating, and maintaining your ecommerce activities.

Sales Strategy Describe your sales process, activities you will conduct, obstacles you expect, how you will overcome them, and any customer service strategies to retain and expand your customer base.

Include k ey details about how you will operate your business.

• Outline the workflow of your business and the processes and procedures you will put into place.
• If applicable, provide details about how you will procure supplies, manufacture your product, and deliver your product or service to your customer. Include any equipment and facilities that you need.
• Describe how you will measure the success of your operations for quality, efficiency, cost control, or other measures of performance. Include any testing.
• Order fulfillment: describe your order fulfillment process, software to be used, and quality control methods.
• Supply chain: describe products/materials you need to purchase in order to make your product, include primary and secondary sources for these. products/materials, lead times, purchasing methods, and tools.
• Staffing: skill requirements, training program, supervision, outsourced functions, and hiring timeline.

Addendum: Licenses and Permits   *Addendums can include but are not limited to License and Permits*

Make a comprehensive list of all licenses and permits you will need to do business in your area.   

Your list should include the following: (For US-based businesses; requirements differ by country and region.)

• Name under which you intend to do business
• Permissions and/or limitations on the use of your property or facilities
• Federal, state, and local licenses (city/county), permits, and certifications needed to do business in your area (e.g. business tax license, seller's permit, safety certifications, employer identification number, etc.)
• Industry licenses needed for your particular area of business (contractor, electrician, daycare, beauty, etc.)
• International and national intellectual property protection through trademarks, copyright, and patents.

Download:  MOBI Business Plan Template

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SANTA CLARA, Calif.--( BUSINESS WIRE )--dSPACE, one of the world's leading solution providers for simulation and validation of automated and connected vehicles, and an Amazon Web Service (AWS) Automotive Competency Partner, has announced the agenda of the one-day user conference on the West Coast at the AWS Automotive Prototyping and Innovation Lab.

This immersive all-day experience promises to give you firsthand insights to help you propel your current or future projects forward in automotive, aerospace, off-highway, rail, or beyond.

During this event, you'll gain valuable knowledge of the strategies adopted by your peers to overcome complex issues throughout the product development and validation process. Discover how dSPACE and AWS are at the forefront, collaborating to drive advancements across crucial technological domains.

The keynote, Strengthening the Foundation: Key Areas of Focus for Successful SDV Outcomes , presented by Jason France, Global Consulting Manager, SBD Automotive, will aim to address what’s conceptually needed to recognize successful SDV deployment at the consumer level (and by extension, OEM).

“We want to provide a space where customers and partners can come together and discuss industry challenges and discuss future technology developments,” says Thorsten Oppermann, Director Sales and Marketing dSPACE Inc. “We are looking forward to hosting the great event at the AWS lab where customers come to try technology during the development process.”

This event will cover topics including the dSPACE View on the Challenges Facing Our Customers, Dr. Peter Waeltermann, CEO, dSPACE Inc.; Data Challenges of a Global AV Company, Cameron Gieda, Director of Business Development, PonyAI USA; Lucid’s Scale of Testing and Infrastructure Using dSPACE Toolchain, Nirav Mehta, Sr. Manager SW Test, Lucid Motors; How GenAi Accelerates and Increases Quality for SDV Development, Jeremy Dahan, Automotive Compute Sr Tech GTM Specialist, AWS; plus technology deep dives in ADAS and Emobility topics including cybersecurity.

Besides the impressive lineup of thought leaders, dSPACE will have multiple in-person demos on site at the Lab such as a virtual environment for simulation and integration purposes using arm-based AWS graviton processors, data logging and prototyping with Seagate data storage services for autonomous driving applications, a flexible system for the precise and deterministic data replay of an unlimited number of raw sensor and bus data streams of any kind, a cloud-based, highly scalable solution for the simulation and validation of functions for autonomous driving including sensor-realistic simulation for ADAS/AD in real time, battery cell emulation and real-time-capable battery models that fit any use case, real-time simulation of power electronics circuits developed with Simscape Electrical™ (Specialized Power Systems), ready-to-use fuzzing cybersecurity test cases for commonly used automotive bus and network protocols and motor simulation with GDM -- allows for higher fidelity models and complex motor topologies.

REGISTER NOW for this event to hear the latest in simulation and validation technology.

About dSPACE

dSPACE is a leading provider of simulation and validation solutions worldwide for developing networked, autonomous, and electrically powered vehicles. The company's range of end-to-end solutions are used particularly by automotive manufacturers and their suppliers to test the software and hardware components in their new vehicles long before a new model is allowed on the road. Not only is dSPACE a sought-after partner in vehicle development, engineers also rely on our know-how at dSPACE when it comes to aerospace and industrial automation. Our portfolio ranges from end-to-end solutions for simulation and validation to engineering and consulting services as well as training and support. With more than 2,700 employees worldwide, dSPACE is headquartered in Paderborn, Germany; has three project centers in Germany; and serves customers through its regional companies in the USA, the UK, France, Japan, China, Croatia, Korea, India and Sweden.

Lisa Kuehl, Sr. Marketing Manager dSPACE Inc. [email protected]

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In-House Fabrication

• Chip-Sourcing Competition

Moore’s Law

• Intel's Changing Market

Intel Faces Criticism

• New Ohio Mega Plant

The Bottom Line

• Company Profiles
• Tech Companies

Inside Intel: A Look at the Mega Chipmaker

Never has a corporation done so much with so little. Founded in Mountain View, California, on July 18, 1968, by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, Intel Corp. ( INTC ) has been among the world’s leading manufacturer of microprocessors and chip sets almost since its inception.

According to data from Statista, Intel remained the largest semiconductor in the world based on revenue from 2009 through 2020, but rival Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) took over the top spot in 2021. In 2023, Intel’s revenue of $51 billion reclaimed the top spot, with NVIDIA ( NVDA ), Samsung, Qualcomm ( QCOM ), and Broadcom ( AVGO ) rounding out the top five revenue generators in the industry.

In this article, we’ll take a look at Intel’s strengths that kept it at the top of the semiconductor industry for so long. Plus, we’ll review challenges the company will need to contend with in the years to come as competition intensifies for the mega chipmaker.

Key Takeaways

• Unlike some of its competitors that outsource manufacturing to foundries in China, Intel fabricates its products in-house at Intel-owned facilities.
• In 2020, Intel lost a lucrative and long-standing customer when Apple announced that it was developing its own semiconductor solutions and that its new laptops and desktops would no longer use Intel processors.
• Intel has lost market share to rival companies—such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., and Samsung Electronics.
• In response to criticism from an activist hedge fund, Intel replaced CEO Bob Swan with VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger in February 2021.
• Intel broke ground in September 2022 on a new mega semiconductor plant in Ohio.

What separates Intel from most other semiconductor companies is that it fabricates its products in house. The bulk of semiconductor “manufacturers” farm the actual work of creating the products out to foundries in China.

Intel even fabricates chips for other companies—for the most part, ones too small to be considered true competitors. Is that a conflict of interest? Not really. Fabrication plants can cost several billion dollars to build, and it makes sense for Intel to keep its plants busy.

Intel does indeed assemble chip sets in China, but at Intel-owned facilities. It is received wisdom among some American doomsayers that low labor costs make China the world’s factory and the default base of manufacturing operations for U.S. corporations that want to save a few pennies per unit and “ship jobs overseas.” That claim is sometimes more accusatory than it is true.

At the end of 2023, Intel had a multitudinous workforce of 124,800. Almost half of Intel’s chip sets and microprocessors are manufactured in the United States, at facilities in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Portland, Oregon. Outside of China, most of the remaining Intel products are developed in Israel.

The semiconductor industry uses the term “fabless” to describe a company that designs and markets its chips while outsourcing the fabrication to a third-party manufacturer. Some of Intel’s biggest competitors—NVIDIA and Qualcomm—are fabless companies .

The Competitive World of Chip Sourcing

Given that Intel fabricates other companies’ chips at its facilities, the business of working with companies that in some settings might be your competitors is more common than you might think. For instance, in 2007, Apple Inc. ( AAPL ) began using Intel chips exclusively in its Macs, supplanting the PowerPC CPUs that Apple itself helped develop as part of a consortium.

But that long-term partnership with Intel came to an end in 2020 when Apple announced that its new laptops and desktops would no longer use Intel processors. Instead, the machines would be powered by Apple’s new M1 chip , which the company developed as part of its “Apple silicon” plan to own and control the primary technologies behind their products.

This loss of a valued (and lucrative) customer came as a significant blow to Intel. In its 2020 annual report, the company said that one of its biggest challenges going forward would be in dealing with the loss of revenue from customers like Apple that decide to break ties and develop their own semiconductor designs.

Intel co-founder Gordon Moore lends his name to the most famous observation in technology. Formulated in 1965, Moore’s Law states that transistor density doubles every two years.

Not only has the observation held ever since, but Intel has also officially incorporated the law into its company strategy. In 2020, the company announced it had doubled its combined 14-nanometer (14nm) and 10nm manufacturing capacity in just a few years. This enabled Intel to expand its line of 10nm products and launch its next generation of mobile PC processors.

So, who’s buying all these Intel chips? In 2023, Intel had three major customers that were responsible for 40% of the company’s net revenue. Dell Inc. accounted for 19%, Lenovo Group Limited accounted for 11%, and HP Inc. accounted for 10%.

The Changing Market

Capitalizing on the leverage of its market-leading position, over the years, Intel has shifted some of its focus to smaller devices and embedded systems. The latter refers to chips placed in something other than stand-alone computers, which can include everything from cars and planes, to traffic signals and factory assembly lines.

Like any corporation of its size ($151.9 billion market capitalization as of April 12, 2024), Intel has an elaborate business organization. The company has five major divisions or groups:

• The Client Computing Group includes Intel’s core processor systems for desktop computers, notebooks, and tablets.
• The Data Center Group includes products for cloud communications and infrastructure.
• The  Internet of Things Group includes products designed for internet connectivity in areas like retail, transportation, industrial, video, buildings, and smart cities.
• The Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group creates memory and storage products with innovative form factors based on Intel Optane technology and Intel 3D NAND technology.
• The Programmable Solutions Group offers programmable semiconductors for the company’s cloud and enterprise market segments.

While Intel’s business groups have enjoyed a reputation for cutting-edge innovation, that reputation came under close scrutiny by activist hedge fund Third Point LLC in December 2020. Third Point criticized Intel management for losing market share to its rivals—noting, in particular, the loss of customers like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon that were developing their own semiconductor solutions and sending their designs to Asia for manufacturing. Additionally, Intel was rebuked for not retaining some of its top chip designers and leaders, who were steadily leaving the company.

Third Point Chief Executive Officer Daniel Loeb asked Intel to consider strategic alternatives, such as divesting itself of failed acquisitions and deciding whether it should remain an integrated device manufacturer. Bowing to the pressure, Intel’s board of directors announced that CEO Bob Swan would be replaced by VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger in February 2021.

Intel Breaks Ground on Mega Plant in Ohio

In September 2022, Intel officially began construction of a massive semiconductor manufacturing facility near Columbus, Ohio. The project takes advantage of billions of dollars in subsidies from the federal government. The Biden administration has highlighted the project as a critical step toward bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. and a key measure in reinforcing the country’s economic and national security.

The project, which carries an eye-popping price tag of $20 billion, is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the area. According to estimates, the new plant will eventually add 3,000 Intel jobs, in addition to 7,000 construction workers employed by the project and accompanying growth in the service sector. However, the scope of the project has raised concerns about how it will affect the area’s housing market, and local residents have questioned the potential environmental impact of the Intel facility.

Where Is Intel Headquartered?

The chipmaker’s headquarters are in Santa Clara, California. In addition, Intel maintains a presence around the world, with manufacturing facilities in countries including Israel, Ireland, and China.

Who Are Intel’s Main Customers?

As of 2023, 40% of Intel’s net revenue came from three main customers: Dell, Lenovo Group, and HP. In 2020, a key long-term partnership for the company came to an end when Apple Inc. announced that its Macs would no longer use Intel processors.

When Was Intel Founded?

Intel was founded in 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. Co-founder Moore lends his name to Moore’s Law, the well-known observation about the rapidly evolving speed and capacity of semiconductor chips. Intel has incorporated Moore’s Law into its strategy, and the company highlights its focus on research and development (R&D) as a critical factor behind its success.

Some companies dominate an industry, fail to innovate, and fall into irrelevance (e.g., Howard Johnson and Kodak). Others have great ideas but never manage to capitalize on them. The company that can leverage intellectual firepower with commanding market share is the company that can stay both powerful and relevant for decades.

While Intel has enjoyed over 50 years of dominance in the semiconductor industry, it faces fierce competition from rivals—such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Advanced Micro Devices, and Samsung Electronics—that could put Intel’s future dominance in the semiconductor industry in question.

Intel. “ Intel’s Founding .”

Statista. “ Semiconductor Companies Market Revenue Worldwide from 2009 to 2023 .”

Visual Capitalist. “ Ranked: Semiconductor Companies by Industry Revenue Share .”

Reuters. “ Exclusive: Hedge Fund Third Point Urges Intel to Explore Deal Options .”

Intel. “ Intel Corporation Form 10-K: Annual Report 2023 ,” Page 15 (Page 17 of PDF).

Intel. “ Intel Around the World .”

Intel. “ Intel Corporation Form 10-K: Annual Report 2020 ,” Page 54 (Page 56 of PDF).

Intel. “ Moore’s Law and Intel Innovation .”

Intel. “ 10nm, Creative Improvements Expand Intel Manufacturing Capacity .”

Intel. “ Intel Corporation Form 10-K: Annual Report 2023 ,” Page 86 (Page 88 of PDF).

Yahoo! Finance. “ Intel Corporation (INTC): Summary .”

Intel. “ Intel Appoints Tech Industry Leader Pat Gelsinger as New CEO .”

The Washington Post. “ Biden’s Visit Shows High Stakes of $20 Billion Ohio Chip Factory .”

Fortune. “ Intel’s Plan for a $20B Chipmaking Hub in Ohio Means an Affordable Housing Problem: ‘Where Are We Putting Everybody?’ ”

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