Identify and briefly describe the main components of a typical marketing plan

What will be an ideal response?

A marketing plan contains six basic sections. The executive summary provides a brief overview of the primary goals, recommendations, and planned actions included in the marketing plan. The company description, purpose, and goals follows the executive summary and is used to describe the history of the business, its core competencies, and its competitive advantages. The third section of the marketing plan is the marketing situation section, which assesses competitors, customers, distribution channels, and the marketing environment. Next is the forecasting section, which focuses on the anticipated revenues and expenses based on the achievement of predefined marketing goals. The fifth section is the marketing strategy, which lays out the procedures the business intends to follow to meet its marketing objectives. Finally, the business plan closes with a measurement and controls section. This section identifies the process the company will use to monitor achievement of the marketing objectives.