What is Marketing Implementation?
Marketing implementation is the process that turns marketing strategies and plans into marketing actions to accomplish strategic marketing objectives.
Implementation involves day-to-day, month-to-month activities that effectively put the marketing plan to work. In contrast, marketing planning addresses the what and why of marketing activities, implementation addresses the who, where, when, and how.
People at all marketing system levels must work together to effectively implement marketing plans and strategies. Successful implementation depends on several important factors.
Marketing implementation is the process that turns marketing plans into action assignments and ensures that such assignments are executed to accomplish the plan’s stated objectives. No marketing program will succeed if it is not implemented properly.
To implement, the marketing executive must;
- obtain the support of all the people and institutions who will be involved,
- time all aspects of the program so that they are synchronized to precision, and
- retain some flexibility in the program to adjust to changes in the market environment.
How Marketing Implementation Works?
First, there must be an action program that pulls all of the people and activities together. The action program describes what must be done, who will do it, and how decisions and actions will be coordinated to accomplish the company’s marketing objectives.
Second, the company’s formal organizational structure affects the implementation of a marketing strategy.
Third, the company’s decision and reward systems – operating procedures that guide planning, budgeting, compensation, and other activities also play an essential role in implementation.
Forth, successful implementation also calls for careful human resources planning.
The company must fill its structure and systems with people possessing the required skills, motivation, and personal characteristics.
Finally, for successful implementation, the marketing strategies must be compatible with the company culture – a system of values and beliefs shared by people in an organization – the company’s collective identity and meaning.
Different Aspects of Implementing Marketing Activities
The planning and organizing functions provide purpose, direction, and structure of marketing activities.
However, until marketing managers implement marketing activities (plan), exchanges cannot occur.
Proper implementation of marketing activities depends on the coordination of marketing activities, the motivation of personnel who perform those activities, and the effective communication within the marketing department.
Coordinating Marketing Activities
Because of job specialization and differences in approaches, interests, and timing related to marketing activities, marketing managers must synchronize individuals’ actions to achieve marketing objectives.
They must work closely with managers in research and development, production, finance, accounting, and personnel to see that marketing activities mesh with other firm functions.
Marketing managers must coordinate the activities of marketing staff within the firm and integrate those activities with the marketing efforts of external organizations advertising agencies, researchers, shippers, and resellers, among others.
Marketing managers can improve coordination by making each employee aware of how one job relates to others and how each person’s actions contribute to the achievement of marketing plans.
Motivating Marketing Personnel
One important element in implementation is motivating marketing personnel to perform effectively. People work to satisfy physical, social, and psychological needs.
Since individuals try to achieve personal goals through the work environment, marketing managers must show each individual how personal goals can be attained. To
motivate marketing personnel, managers must discover their employees’ needs and then base their motivation methods on those needs. The degree to which a marketing manager can motivate personnel has a major impact on all marketing efforts’ success.
Putting this other way, managers must base their motivational efforts on individuals’ value systems within a specific organization. Various studies have shown that income, power, and prestige that accompanies a high organization position are often motivators.
Marketing managers can motivate marketing personnel to perform at a high level if they identify employees’ goals and provide rewards and some means of goal attainment.
It is most important that the plan to motivate personnel to be fair, that it provides incentives, and that employees understand it. Also, keep in mind that a minor reward or accomplishment for one employee may be the ultimate fulfillment for someone else.
Communicating Within the Marketing Department
Without good communication, marketing managers can neither motivate personnel nor coordinate their efforts. Marketing managers must be able to communicate with the firm’s top-level management to ensure that marketing activities are consistent with the company’s overall goals.
Communication with top-level executives keeps marketing managers aware of the company’s overall plans and achievements.
It also guides what the marketing unit is to do and how its activities are to be integrated with those of other departments – such as personnel, production, or finance – with whose management the marketing manager must also communicate to coordinate marketing efforts.
Marketing personnel must work with the production staff, for example, to help design products that customer groups want.
To direct marketing activities, marketing managers must communicate with marketing personnel at the operations level, such as researchers, package designers, advertising and sales personnel, wholesalers, and retailers.
To facilitate communication within the marketing department, marketing managers should establish an information system within the marketing department. This system should allow for easy communication among marketing managers, sales managers, and sales personnel.
The information system should aid marketers in preparing internal and external reports. Marketers need an information system to support various activities, such as planning, budgeting, sales analyses, and performance evaluations.
A useful information system should be designed to expedite communications with other departments in the organization and to minimize destructive competition among departments for organizational resources.
Conclusion
Successful marketing implementation depends on how well the company blends the five elements – action programs, organization structure, decision and reward systems, human resources, and company culture – into a cohesive plan that supports its strategies.
