Question

Topic: Strategy

How To Structurize Marketing Activities

Posted by Anonymous on 12/18/2008 at 3:50 PM ET 250 Points
I am looking for information (links or book titles) on how to organize and structurize marketing activities and marketing processes in organizations.
How to divide roles and responsibilities between the different departments (marketing, communication, sales, production, IT, finance etcetera)?
How to set up clear processes for strategic marketing planning, yearly planning, operational marketing planning, promotions, communications, events.
I am looking for really hands-on information, cases and the-like.
All marketing theory (books) focus on WHAT should be done. I am looking for information on HOW to do it in medium - larger sized companies.

An example I am currently facing: large-medium sized company, large sales department, no real marketing department, just a communication department wants to become more a marketing oriented company.
They want to set up a marketing department which should perform and co-ordinate all marketing activities ranging from internal and external analysis, SWOT analysis, confrontation matrix to strategic marketing plans, tactical and operational marketing plans and execution / co-ordination of marketing activities.
What roles do they need, how should they share responsibilities with sales, communications and other departments? What processes should be set up? Who should be involved?

Many thanks for your help in advance!
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 12/18/2008 at 4:05 PM Member
    I don't know if you're looking for a cookie cutter solution, but with different companies and industries it will vary greatly. I don't think you can find a url/book that would encompass what you are seeking. I would advise finding a person that has done something similar in the past and hire them or bring in a consultant to help guide you along the way.

    Your company has not had a marketing department up to this point... That's amazing. Anybody trying to learn what needs to be done from square one will not be ready to handle the scope of the task before too much time passes. Find out what your budget is for accomplishing this and either hire an experienced marketing executive or bring in a consulting firm.

    All that being said, start by finding out where you are and where you want/need to go. Start with a SWOT analysis, it's just the start here, but you can't do anything until you start knowing where you are at.
  • Posted on 12/18/2008 at 4:12 PM Author
    Thank you tfurman for responding!

    I am not looking for a quick-and-dirty get-rich-in-10-minutes solution indeed :-)

    But the books I have seen so far on organizational structures do not cover marketing processes specifics (at all or not well enough). Also they are often on a too high abstract level. The marketing books hardly get into the problem of how to organize and structure everything.

    So I am mostly looking for books titles to consider. Probably written by expert marketing executives or consultants you talked about.

  • Posted on 12/18/2008 at 4:29 PM Accepted
    I would strongly suggest that you pick up two books and I think both are by George Day at UPenn
    The Market Driven Organization
    Market Driven Strategy (I think - its at home)

    You can spend alot of time looking other places but these will help you. Please first decide what your business strategy is and organize your teams to support the strategy rather than use a proscribed structure which maybe does not strengthen your strategy.

    Been through both and the second is frustrating and in the end hinders growth.
    John
  • Posted on 12/18/2008 at 4:31 PM Accepted
    Philip Kotler has been the best text book author when it comes to Marketing Management and Structure Framework, and I would agree that his books are probably the most solid out there.

    Good luck finding what you are looking for. If you are able to get all your real world questions answered from any book, that's amazing, but if you want to start some where, Kotler is probably the best.
  • Posted on 12/18/2008 at 4:32 PM Member
    PS - Dave Reibstein and George Day from Wharton used to put on a heck of a strategic product management course as consultants.
  • Posted on 12/18/2008 at 4:43 PM Member
    I'm not familiar with Day & Reibstein. Thanks JohnM, I'll have to look into them more.
  • Posted on 12/19/2008 at 9:38 AM Author
    Dear JohnM and tfurman. Thanks for your replies and input. George Day looks interesting.
    I will recheck Kotler, it has been a while :-)
  • Posted on 12/21/2008 at 4:15 AM Member
    I would also recommend you kotler, especially markleting managment and strategic marketing and planning by kotler
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