Implementation, evaluation and control are like the three legs of a stool; remove one, and the stool wobbles and crashes to the ground. If you remove one of these items from a marketing plan, it falls apart, and the plan won't succeed. All three are necessary for the successful completion of marketing activities that help businesses achieve their strategic goals.
The strategy section of a marketing plan describes the market position the business hopes to achieve given the current economic climate and competition. The implementation section outlines the exact steps the business will take to achieve the strategy. Both are equally important.
Advertisement Article continues below this adA great strategy with poor implementation won't help the business achieve its goals, because it won't take the proper steps to achieve the strategy. A poor strategy with great implementation is also a waste of time and money; the tactical steps may be flawlessly executed, but without a strong strategic vision, they won't achieve the company's goals. Both must be equally well-conceived and executed to successfully achieve marketing goals.
Missteps in the implementation phase of a marketing plan can be disastrous. Implementation means execution, or the actual steps the company will take to promote its business. These steps may include running ads, launching a website or sending direct mail. If the implementation isn't completed according to plan, the company won't achieve its strategic objectives. The best ideas still need to be enacted. The implementation phase of the marketing plan makes sure the marketing activities happen in the correct time and sequence for success.
Advertisement Article continues below this adThe evaluation step of a marketing plan focuses on analyzing quantitative and qualitative metrics associated with the implementation and strategy. Quantifiable metrics are those to which numbers can be attached, such as the numbers of sales leads obtained, customers reached and dollar amounts achieved. Qualitative factors include measures of customer satisfaction.
Evaluating the marketing plan means looking at the data and examining whether or not the company achieved its strategy objectives from the implementation phase. If it did, the steps can be replicated for future success. If not, changes can be made to improve performance and results.
Controls are necessary for the evaluation phase. Controls established during the creation of the marketing plan provide benchmarks to assess how well the plan accomplished its goals. Controls are like goals; they give the company something to aim for when enacting the plan. Controls may include measures such as the marketing budgets and market share.