What's in a marketing plan you may ask? Well, there's quite a few different models out there but here is one of our favourites - SOSTAC ®. Nice easy to remember acronym and is easier to present to clients than many other models. SOSTAC ® is a registered trademark of PR Smith. More information from: www.PRSmith.org/SOSTAC Smith, PR (2015) The SOSTAC® Guide To Your Perfect Digital Marketing Plan, www.PRSmith.org/SOSTAC Smith PR (2013) The SOSTAC ® Guide To Your Perfect Marketing Plan, www.PRSmith.org/SOSTAC Follow PR Smith’s daily updates: t: PR_Smith f: PRSmithMarketing

1. SOSTAC® MODEL
ADAPTED, WITH KIND PERMISSION FROM PR SMITH’S
SOSTAC ® PLAN .
“To Fail To Plan Is To Plan To Fail”Developed by PR Smith

2. Situation analysis
STAGE 1 WHERE ARE WE NOW? (20% of planning time)
 How are we performing?
 What are our distinctive competitive (marketing) advantages?
 How effective is our Marketing Mix?
 Are we focusing on the best segments with the right type of customer?
 Are we using the most appropriate channels for communication and
distribution?
 What uncontrollable event(s) or trend(s) can impact my business?

3. Objectives
STAGE 2 WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO? (5% )
 Business Mission?
 Business Objectives?
 Marketing Objectives – Business Development?
 Marketing Communication Objectives?
 The SMART Test for Objectives
 Make sure your objectives are practical and measurable. Do they fit the following
criteria?
 Specific (with numbers)
 Measurable (monitor progress and confirm achievement)
 Actionable (can we do it?)
 Reasonable (realistically attainable)
 Timed (incorporate deadlines)

4. Strategy
STAGE 3
STRATEGY HOW DO WE GET THERE? (45% )
 Segmentation – How do we want to divide up the
market(s)?
 Targeting – Which segments of the market do we
wish to focus upon?
 Positioning – How do we want to be perceived in
each different target segment?

5. Tactics
STAGE 4 TACTICAL PLAN (30%)
 HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGY?
 Which Communication Tools are we going to use?
 How are we going to use them?
 What message(s) do we wish to communicate?
 Are we being consistent across different tools and messages?
 Do we have the necessary resources/budgets?

6. Action
STAGE 5 ACTION PLAN WHO, WHAT, WHEN?
 Who is going to do what?
 When are they going to do it?
 What is the resource allocation for the action?
 What are the key performance measurements?
 How is performance going to be recorded?

7. Control
STAGE 6 KEEPING TRACK OF PROGRESS
 Do action performance measurements relate to objectives?
 Responsibility for measurement?
 Frequency of measurement?
 Resources for measurement?
 Review of measurements?
 Actions on variance?

8. The Full SOSTAC® model
3M’s of
Men
Money
Minutes

9. Need Some Help Or Want To Know More?
 Email : graham@3dragonmarketing.co.uk
 Call me on: 0845 4 673 683
 Tweet me: @Graham_3Dragons

10. Acknowledgements
 SOSTAC ® is a registered trade mark of PR Smith.
 More information from: http://prsmith.org/sostac
 Smith, PR (2015) The SOSTAC® Guide To Your Perfect Digital Marketing
Plan, http://prsmith.org/sostac
 Smith PR (2013) The SOSTAC ® Guide To Your Perfect Marketing Plan,
http://prsmith.org/sostac
 Follow PR Smith’s daily updates:
 Twitter: @PR_Smith
 Facebook: PRSmithMarketing