The Unique Characteristics of Successful Marketing Plans

You can improve your chances of success by understanding the unique characteristics that are common to many successful marketing plans. Your marketing plan may be quite different from other marketing plans that have been launched in the past, but there are many things it will have in common with those other marketing plans. These similarities can give you a significant strategic advantage. If you understand why other marketing plans have succeeded, you may be able to incorporate some of the elements of these successful plans into your own endeavor.

Of course, launching a new product or marketing venture can be risky if it is undertaken without good information. It is the intent of Part 1 of this book to act as your guide in the development of your marketing plan. Many successful marketing plans have been studied for this part of the book, and records have been kept on why these marketing ventures have succeeded. You will see specific examples of things that have been done right, as well as some things that have been done wrong and then corrected.

Having the Correct Positioning

One common denominator of many of the successful new marketing ventures included in this book is that they have positioned the product in a way that was meaningful to their target market. In many cases this positioning has very positively differentiated the product from its competition, giving the product a unique and appealing personality. The positioning of these successful products was clear to potential customers. The developers of these successful marketing plans made sure that there were no major negatives that would prevent people from wanting to buy the product.

Marketing plans often succeed because they demonstrate that the product or service-is able to eliminate a significant consumer negative. You may be involved in a product category where existing products seem to meet virtually every consumer requirement, yet careful observation of consumer behavior may reveal an important negative that could enable you to create a critical point of difference for your product. In Chapter 1 you will learn how Energizer has been able to become the fastest -growing brand in the hearing aid battery market by identifying and eliminating a hidden but significant consumer negative.

Meeting Consumer Needs and Desires

Many of the marketing plans that will be discussed in this book succeeded because their developers addressed the needs and/or desires of their potential customers head on. In some cases they helped the customer solve a problem; in other cases they provided consumers with something they felt they definitely needed. Typically, potential buyers clearly recognized the benefits of these successful new products. The products were often the best alternative available at the time they were launched.

Successful marketing plans are often based on the solution of consumer problems. In Chapter 2 you will see the great example of Jumbo-Koter ^TM , a new product that was successful because it solved an irritating consumer problem. In evaluating the marketing plans for your product or service, it is helpful to learn whether your offering solves perceived problems for potential customers. If it does, this is a good indication that they might become buyers. If it is the only solution to a major problem, the chances of their buying your product or service is that much better.

With the exception of gifts, people rarely, if ever, buy anything without feeling that the product or service has some specific benefit that is important to them. Many business ventures succeed because they provide meaningful benefits that their customers clearly recognized. In Chapter 3 you will see how Philips Lighting identified the benefits that their customers wanted from their product category, and then wrapped an entire marketing program around those benefits. The results were quite dramatic.

Creating a Comfortable Buying Experience

One factor that many successful marketing plans have in common is that they provide a comfortable and convenient buying experience for their customers. In many of these plans, this was applied to each factor in all channels of distribution, including wholesalers, distributors , retailers, and the final consumer. Often these successful products have been pleasant to purchase because a great deal of attention was placed on the appearance of the product. They simply looked good. The pricing of these successful ventures typically communicated the appropriate image, and all the players on the venture team had the right attitude.

Convenience is more important today than ever because consumers have so many alternatives. If a new product or service is difficult or time-consuming to use, then it is frequently rejected. People want a new product to be easy to buy, and easy to return if something goes wrong. In Chapter 4 you will learn how the Hanes Corporation completed a revolutionary marketing plan to market womens hosiery products in supermarkets and drugstores. This new brand of hosiery, Leggs, became so successful that it has lasted over 30 years and today is the largest selling brand of pantyhose in the world. This success proved the critical importance of consumer and retailer convenience.

Ensuring Usefulness

As the perceived usefulness of a product or service increases , so does the probability of its success. For example, ideally consumers should have clearly identifiable uses for the product or service. Then the actual effectiveness of the product or service can be a critical factor in its success. Highly successful ventures often saved money or other resources for the usersor simplified some aspect of their lives. Most people want things that are easy to deal with.

Potential customers are generally interested in how effectively a new product or service does its job. If they are convinced that the product will work, they will often buy it. In Chapter 5 you will see how a new product, launched under the brand name Zicam, was successful because its effectiveness lead to repeat purchases. Zicam customers believed that the product really worked and therefore kept buying it over and over again. Many of those customers were so convinced that Zicam worked that they not only used it themselves but told others about it. It is worth asking people why they believe your new concept will do the job it is intended for, and then carefully listening to find out whether they really feel it will be effective.

Timing Is Everything

We have all heard the expression ˜˜timing is everything. This can be especially relevant when launching a new product or service. It is not hard to see how timing a new business venture to coincide with trends can lead to success. It is important to determine how your marketing plans fit into the current priorities of your existing and potential customers. Of course, the ultimate timing advantage occurs when a new product or service is preemptive, and is way ahead of the competition.

New products or services that are preemptive are likely to have a greater chance of success. Many new products have jumped years ahead of their competition with ideas that were first in their category and difficult to copy. One such product is the Treo ^TM from Handspring, Inc., which is discussed in Chapter 6. This was one of the first devices to integrate a mobile phone, a Palm OS organizer, and wireless data applications in one compact, full- color communicator. Use this as an example for your creative thinking. If you can develop a new product or service that is seen by consumers as ˜˜the only alternative, you will significantly increase the odds of your success.

This section of the introduction has indicated some of the reasons for the success of marketing plans. The next section deals with the writing of those plans.