Trade shows offer an efficient way to conduct market research.
Marketing activities are the actions that ultimately sell every product and service, as well as every organizational agenda. While the word marketing brings to mind successful advertising campaigns and other high visibility marketing efforts, organizational marketing activities also include behind the scenes tasks, like market research and planning. These marketing activities include all the various ways that companies, government entities, non-profit organizations and cities communicate the intended message.
Market Research
Conducting market research is key for developing a reliable and comprehensive marketing plan capable of achieving organizational objectives. Until the research is completed and the information is analyzed, it is premature to move forward with the development of a marketing plan. Management that bypasses or marginalizes this important step by rushing research are likely to proceed with inadequate information. Without the necessary data required to develop a comprehensive marketing plan, an organization jeopardizes the probability for future success. Market research activities include collecting data through questionnaires, analyzing the competition, studying the marketplace to spot trends and changing conditions, as well as preferred pricing and distribution channels. After compiling the data collected and analyzing the findings, an organization is prepared to develop a marketing plan.
Marketing Plan Development
Developing a workable marketing plan to meet organizational objectives plays an instrumental role in an overall marketing effort. Creating the right marketing mix of activities is of paramount importance. Using the data collected during market research, a target market group is identified and studied. Many organizations identify a market niche to target, as part of a marketing strategy to exploit opportunities to address the needs of an underserved group. Demographic information related to identifying and understanding the target audience is critical data to be considered at the planning stage. Whether an organization is marketing a political agenda, a product, or a service, it cannot be effective getting the message out without a complete audience profile for guidance. To achieve marketing results, management must know how the target audience thinks and what mediums they use to get information. With this information in hand, an organization drafts a viable sales plan, a marketing and advertising game plan and a public relations plan of action.
Marketing Plan Implementation
A comprehensive marketing plan includes using the best marketing activities available to implement the action plan and successfully meet organizational objectives. Marketing a consistent message to the intended audience for the purpose of branding is a primary objective of any management team. For this reason, the different marketing teams involved in advertising, public relations, and sales need to work closely together to ensure that the company image and marketing materials communicate the intended message.
Marketing Activities
Establishing a customer service team is a practical first step in establishing a front line extension of the organization to promote positive customer relations and to collect ongoing market research for evaluation purposes. By gathering immediate feedback from initial marketing efforts, a company can adjust any marketing activities that appear to be off the mark. Customer service teams are an efficient way to stay in touch with the target audience with outgoing calls and emails, in addition to receiving immediate incoming messages from the target audience.
Tags: marketing activities, target audience, comprehensive marketing, comprehensive marketing plan, market research, marketing plan, organizational objectives