But change happens a lot faster than it did 20 or even 10 years ago. For that reason, Bob Dawson of The Business Group, a consulting firm in Freemont, California, recommends that his clients prepare a three year plan and review it every quarter. Frequent reviews enable companies to identify potential problems and opportunities before their competition, he explains. You don't wait a whole year to do it. You can't change history but you can anticipate what's going to happen.
Most marketing plans consist of three sections.
The first section should identify the organization's goals. The second should section establish a method for attaining them. The third section focuses on creating a system for implementing the strategy. Although some plans identify as many as six or eight goals, many experts suggest a company whittle its list to one or two key objectives and focus on them. Bilfield argues that a focused, consistent message is easier to communicate to the market place and to different disciplines within the corporation than a broad, encompassing one.