Know-How Exchange : Strategy

The final say could be different in different companies, based on how they set things up. But in general, it falls on the shoulders of whoever controls the budget for the advertising activity.

You probably have a process in place for your annual promotions plan. I would modify that process such that it starts taking into account these out of cycle suggested activities (whether to consider them off cycle, or just get them so they are considered during the next annual cycle).

On the whole, I would say it is beneficial to be able to have some flexibility to allow for out of cycle programs. Things change over the course of a year, but sticking an annual plan would not allow you to react to these changes.

This is a frustration that is not the way things should work - or are they?
Part of the reason for this situation could be that the team designated to develop and drive business strategy, do not spend sufficient time, and energy arriving at a strategy. It could also be a factor of not having the right people involved in arriving at a strategy.
Strategy is not a once a year activity, its dynamic and ever changing to the changes in the market, and as such needs to be reviewed and controlled as such.
This is a common challenge faced by most marketing people at some stage of their career.
What works for me is to have a regular review of the market landscape and how that relates back to the strategy. If necessary make changes, get agreement and re-shuffle the budget. This could mean that some projects will need to be shelved for a period - and this negotiation is the tough one, however when the success is seen of the updated strategy this negotiation becomes easier.
Good luck and kind regards Mark - South Africa

In my company the marketing plan is a living document; if we think of something that wasn't originally in there, we create a new version that includes it-- with the ultimate goal of thinking of everything for next year. We're up to version 7 now!

I agree with Peter and the others; a marketing plan is definitely a living document.

What's worked for me in the past is to have one point of contact gather and evaluate all requests, and to recommend which, if any, to include in this year's plan (in your case, this might be each of your managers). You may decide to do this monthly, quarterly, or weekly, depending on how dynamic your business is.

As far as what should be considered, we consider the same criteria as that for marketing activities chosen during the regular planning process: fit with target audience, fit with marketing objectives (awareness, trial, etc.), projected return on investment, and timing (can the activity or program be executed successfully in the time available), among others. You might want to set aside a small part of your budget to test and learn.

Regarding who makes the decision, it's usually the person directly responsible for the business results of the brand or line of services.

Good luck!