Marketing Planner Course

Lesson 1 • Aligning Plans with Business Goals

Explains how marketing objectives must support broader organizational strategy. Students practice translating business goals into marketing direction.

Lesson 2 • The Marketing Planning Process

Outlines the end-to-end planning cycle from analysis to review. Connects each stage so students see how the full process flows.

Lesson 3 • Stakeholders in the Planning Process

Identifies internal and external stakeholders who influence or are affected by marketing plans. Prepares students to manage input and approval workflows.

Lesson 1 • Customer and Audience Insights

Explores methods for understanding customer needs, behaviors, and motivations. Insights gathered here drive segmentation and targeting decisions.

Lesson 2 • Translating Research into Planning Inputs

Converts raw research findings into structured planning inputs. Bridges the gap between data collection and objective setting.

Lesson 3 • Analyzing the Competitive Landscape

Teaches frameworks for assessing competitors' strengths, weaknesses, and positioning. Feeds directly into the SWOT and strategy sections.

Lesson 4 • SWOT and PESTLE Analysis

Applies SWOT and PESTLE frameworks to synthesize research into actionable insights. Students complete a full situation analysis as a practical output.

Lesson 1 • Evaluating and Selecting Target Segments

Provides tools to score and prioritize segments based on attractiveness and fit. Students select primary and secondary targets for their plans.

Lesson 2 • Positioning Maps and Perceptual Analysis

Uses perceptual mapping to visualize competitive positioning and identify white space. Reinforces positioning decisions with visual evidence.

Lesson 3 • Crafting a Positioning Statement

Teaches the components of a strong positioning statement and how to differentiate from competitors. Outputs a positioning statement used in later strategy chapters.

Lesson 4 • Market Segmentation Principles

Introduces segmentation variables and criteria for evaluating segment viability. Establishes the foundation for all targeting decisions.

Lesson 1 • Cascading Objectives Across Teams

Demonstrates how top-level marketing objectives break down into team and individual goals. Ensures organizational alignment and accountability.

Lesson 2 • Types of Marketing Objectives

Categorizes objectives by funnel stage: awareness, consideration, conversion, and retention. Students match objective types to their planning context.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Effective Objective Setting

Explains what makes an objective actionable and how poor objectives derail plans. Builds the mindset for rigorous, outcome-focused planning.

Lesson 4 • Setting Baselines and Targets

Shows how to establish current-state baselines and set realistic improvement targets. Ensures objectives are grounded in actual performance data.

Lesson 1 • Competitive Strategy and Differentiation

Deepens competitive strategy by focusing on sustainable differentiation levers. Students identify defensible advantages for their plans.

Lesson 2 • Documenting the Strategy

Provides a structured format for writing a clear, concise strategy document. Outputs a strategy brief that feeds directly into tactical planning.

Lesson 3 • The Marketing Mix in Strategy

Applies the 4Ps and extended 7Ps to translate strategy into actionable mix decisions. Connects each mix element to the chosen positioning.

Lesson 4 • Strategic Options and Frameworks

Surveys growth strategies, competitive strategies, and portfolio frameworks. Students evaluate options against their situation analysis findings.

Lesson 1 • Integrated Campaign Planning

Teaches how to coordinate messages and timing across multiple channels for maximum impact. Introduces the concept of a unified campaign architecture.

Lesson 2 • Channel Landscape Overview

Maps the full range of paid, owned, and earned channels available to marketers. Gives students a complete menu before selection decisions are made.

Lesson 3 • Building the Tactical Activity Plan

Guides students in creating a structured activity plan with owners, timelines, and deliverables. Produces a ready-to-execute tactical document.

Lesson 4 • Channel Selection Criteria

Provides a scoring framework for choosing channels based on audience fit, cost, and objectives. Students apply the framework to their own planning context.

Lesson 1 • Marketing Budget Fundamentals

Explains budget types, common allocation methods, and how budgets connect to objectives. Establishes financial literacy needed for the rest of the chapter.

Lesson 2 • Resource Planning Beyond Budget

Addresses human, technology, and agency resources needed to execute the plan. Ensures students account for all resource constraints before finalizing plans.

Lesson 3 • Allocating Budget Across Channels

Provides frameworks for distributing budget across channels and campaigns. Students practice allocation decisions using real planning scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Building a Marketing Budget Document

Walks through the structure of a professional budget document with line items and justifications. Students produce a budget template for their own plan.

Lesson 1 • Building a Measurement Framework

Structures a measurement framework that links KPIs to objectives and data sources. Ensures every objective has a clear measurement path.

Lesson 2 • Analyzing Campaign Performance

Teaches how to interpret performance data to identify what is working and what is not. Connects analysis directly to decision-making and plan adjustments.

Lesson 3 • Plan Review and Iteration Process

Establishes a structured review cadence and process for updating the marketing plan. Closes the planning loop and prepares students for continuous improvement.

Lesson 4 • Marketing Attribution Models

Explains attribution approaches for assigning credit across touchpoints in the customer journey. Students select an attribution model appropriate for their plan.