2016

IMPLEMENT MARKETING ACTIVITY PLANS TO MEET AGREED

DEADLINES
UNIT STANDARD ID: 10040
NQF LEVEL: 4
CREDITS: 14
NOTIONAL HOURS: 140

LEARNER GUIDE

Name
Contact Address
Telephone (H)
Telephone (W)
Facsimile
Cellular
E-mail

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Table of Contents
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE ........................................................................................................ 3
ICONS ......................................................................................................................................... 3
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................... 3
PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................... 4
LEARNING ASSUMPTIONS........................................................................................................ 4
HOW YOU WILL LEARN ............................................................................................................. 4
HOW YOU WILL BE ASSESSED ................................................................................................ 4
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................... 5
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................... 5

SECTION 1: COMMUNICATION WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS ................ 8

1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 9
1.1 SETTING MEETING DATES AND TIMES (AC 1, AC 4) .................................................... 11
1.2 COMMUNICATING EVALUATION FEEDBACK ................................................................. 18
1.3 MARKETING ACTIVITIES (AC 3) ...................................................................................... 20

SECTION 2: MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIP WITH PROVIDERS ................................................... 24

2. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 25
2.1 SELECTION CRITERIA FOR PROVIDERS ....................................................................... 25
2.2 COMMUNICATING WITH PROVIDERS ............................................................................ 31
2.3 REVIEWING PROVIDER REPORTS AND INPUT ............................................................. 32

SECTION 3: MANAGING AND MONITORING MARKETING ACTIVITY PLANS ............................ 35

3. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 36
3.1 BRIEFING PROVIDERS .................................................................................................... 37
3.2 SETTING AND MONITORING MEASUREMENT CRITERIA AND PERFORMANCE ........ 40
3.3 IDENTIFYING AND CORRECTING PROBLEMS AREAS .................................................. 42

SECTION 4: EVALUATING COMPLETED MARKETING ACTIVITIES ........................................... 47

4. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 48
4.1 EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES OF IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES .................................... 49
REFERENCE LIST .................................................................................................................... 62

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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

This workbook belongs to you. It is designed to serve as a guide for the duration of your training
programme and as a resource for after the time. It contains readings, activities, and application aids
that will assist you in developing the knowledge and skills stipulated in the specific outcomes and
assessment criteria. Follow along in the guide as the facilitator takes you through the material, and
feel free to make notes and diagrams that will help you to clarify or retain information. Jot down
things that work well or ideas that come from the group. Also, note any points you would like to
explore further. Participate actively in the skill practice activities, as they will give you an opportunity
to gain insights from other people’s experiences and to practice the skills. Do not forget to share your
own experiences so that others can learn from you too.

ICONS

For ease of reference, an icon will indicate different activities. The following icons indicate different
activities in the manual.

Outcomes Individual activity

Assessment Criteria Note!

Practical activity Reflection

Notes (Blank) Group Discussion

Definition Summaries

Additional Reading Example

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PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

PURPOSE

Learners working towards this standard will be learning towards the full qualification, or will be
working within a Marketing environment, specialising in Marketing Management, where the acquisition
of competence against this standard will add value to one's job. This standard will also add value to
learners who are starting their own business and recognises that marketing forms an integral
component of any business.

At the end of the training you will be capable of:

 Communicating with internal and external stakeholders
 Maintaining relationship with providers
 Managing and monitoring marketing activity plans
 Evaluating completed marketing activities.

LEARNING ASSUMPTIONS

 Learners accessing this qualification will have demonstrated competence in communicating

verbally and in writing and computer technology at Level 3 on the NQF or equivalent.

HOW YOU WILL LEARN

The programme methodology includes facilitator presentations, readings, individual activities, group
discussions, and skill application exercises.

HOW YOU WILL BE ASSESSED

This programme has been aligned to registered unit standards. You will be assessed against the
outcomes of this unit standard by completing self-tests, group exercises, quizzes, assignments, on
the job tasks and theoretical tests that covers all specific outcomes, assessment criteria and the
essential embedded knowledge stipulated in the unit standard. You will be required to collect and
keep all evidence of assessments until you are done and then submit them in the format of a Portfolio
of Evidence which will have to be signed off by your manager. When you are assessed as competent
against the unit standard, you will receive a certificate of competence and you will be registered on
the NLRD (National Learner Record Database) as having achieved 14 credits.

ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

In order to be declared competent for this learning programme the following is required of you:
a. Ensure that you attend all training sessions for the full duration.

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 b. Ensure that all tasks are completed as they are being done in the training session and if not,
then it must be completed as homework.
c. Ensure that all on the job assessments are completed under the supervision of your manager
and are signed off by the same manager.
d. Ensure that all assessments, be they formative, summative, theory or practical are completed
and submitted as part of your POE.
e. Work smart, not hard!!!

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

In each Learner Guide, several activities are spaced within the content to assist you in understanding
the material through application. Activities in the learner manual are not for assessments. Formative
assessments are in a separate module written formative assessment. Please make sure that you
complete ALL activities in the Formative Assessment Guide, Formative activities must be completed
at the end of each section.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

You will be required to complete a Portfolio of Evidence for summative assessment purposes. A
portfolio is a collection of different types of evidence relating to the work being assessed. It can
include a variety of work samples. The Portfolio Guide will assist you in identifying the portfolio and
evidence requirements for final assessment purposes. You will be required to complete Portfolio
activities on your own time, using real life projects in your workplace environment in preparing
evidence towards your portfolio.

Being Declared Competent Entails:

Competence is the ability to perform whole work roles, to the standards expected in employment, in a
real working environment. There are three levels of competence:

 Foundational competence: an understanding of what you do and why.

 Practical competence: the ability to perform a set of tasks in an authentic context.

 Reflexive competence: the ability to adapt to changed circumstances appropriately and

responsibly, and to explain the reason behind the action.

To receive a certificate of competence and be awarded credits, you are required to provide evidence
of your competence by compiling a portfolio of evidence, which will be assessed by a relevant SETA
accredited assessor.

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 You Have to Submit a Portfolio of Evidence
A portfolio of evidence is a structured collection of evidence that reflects your efforts, progress and
achievement in a specific learning area, and demonstrates your competence.

The Assessment of Your Competence

Assessment of competence is a process of making judgments about an individual's competence
through matching evidence collected to the appropriate national standards. The evidence in your
portfolio should closely reflect the outcomes and assessment criteria of the unit standards of the
learning programme for which you are being assessed. To determine a candidate’s knowledge and
ability to apply the skills before and during the learning programme, formative assessments are done
to determine the learner’s progress towards full competence. This normally guides the learner
towards a successful summative (final) assessment to which both the assessor and the candidate
only agree when they both feel the candidate is ready.

Should it happen that a candidate is deemed not yet competent upon a summative assessment, that
candidate will be allowed to be re-assessed. The candidate can, however, only be allowed two
reassessments.

When learners have to undergo re-assessment, the following conditions will apply:

 Specific feedback will be given so that candidates can concentrate on only those areas in
which they were assessed as not yet competent.

 Re-assessment will take place in the same situation or context and under the same conditions
as the original assessment.

 Only the specific outcomes that were not achieved will be re-assessed.

 Candidates who are repeatedly unsuccessful will be given guidance on other possible and
more suitable learning avenues.

In order for your assessor to assess your competence, your portfolio should provide evidence of both
your knowledge and skills, and of how you applied your knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts.
The POE guide directs you in the activities that need to be completed so that your competence can
be assessed and so that you can be awarded the credits attached to the programme.

NOTE YOUR POE GUIDE HAS MORE INFORMATION ON THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

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Assessment Process Flow

C Assessment Plan Observation

A agreed by candidate Knowledge conducted as per
N & completed by the Questionnaire the Assessment
D assessor before the conducted as per the Plan
I actual assessment Assessment Plan
D
A
T
E
A
S Portfolio of
Evidence Portfolio of
S
A detailed Assessor E submitted to Evidence
Report compiled & S service provider compiled as per
forwarded for S as per the the Assessment
Moderation M Assessment Plan Plan
E
N
T

Feedback Report
Completed by Appeal form
Assessment Assessor & Record of
Results completed by
individual Learning
Moderated feedback given
the candidate in
the event of Updated
to the candidate
dispute

Completed Assessor S
Report / Moderator Report / E All records & Action Plan
evidence Completed by
Record of Learning T
A filed Assessor

Certificate of Register
Competencies candidates on the
Approval & Learner Record
issued to
Certification Database
successful
obtained candidates

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SECTION 1: COMMUNICATION WITH INTERNAL
AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

Specific Outcome
On completion of this section you will be able to communicate with
internal and external stakeholders.

Assessment Criteria

This specific outcome shall cover the following:

 Meeting dates and times are set and attended. (SO 1, AC 1)

 Evaluation feedback is communicated. (SO 1, AC 2)

 Activities advised to relevant parties. (SO 1, AC 3)

 Communication processes timely and effective in securing quality

input and participation. (SO 1, AC 4)

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1. INTRODUCTION

The success of any organisation or business directly depends on effective communication with its
stakeholders.

A stakeholder is anyone with an interest in a business. Stakeholders are

individuals, groups or organisations that are affected by the activity of the business.

They include:
 Owners who are interested in how much profit the business
makes.

 Managers who are concerned about their salary.

 Workers who want to earn high wages and keep their jobs.

 Customers who want the business to produce quality products at

reasonable prices.

 Suppliers who want the business to continue to buy their products.

 Lenders who want to be repaid on time and in full.

 The community which has a stake in the business as employers of local people. Business
activity also affects the local environment. For example, noisy night-time deliveries or a
smelly factory would be unpopular with local residents.

Stakeholders can be divided into two groups:

 Internal stakeholders are groups within a business for example management, supervisors,
employees.

 External stakeholders are groups outside a business for example, customers, providers,
consultants, companies, local government

Owners have a big say in how the aims of the business are decided, but other groups also have an
influence over decision making. For example, the directors who manage the day-to-day affairs of a
company may decide to make higher sales a top priority rather than profits.

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Customers are also key stakeholders. Businesses that ignore the concerns of customers find
themselves losing sales to rivals.

Internal stakeholders (also known as primary stakeholders) are those within an organisation with an
interest in its success and failure, since they may be rewarded or punished accordingly. Employees,
managers, corporate leaders, and owners/stockholders are examples of internal stakeholders.

Internal stakeholders stand in contrast to external ones such as suppliers, customers, governments,
and communities. Each stakeholder has its own set of priorities and values, which may either overlap
or conflict with those of other stakeholders. For internal stakeholders, the continuance and success of
the organisation is the paramount concern. Other interests may vary between the different types of
internal stakeholders.

For example, employees may be most concerned about such things as job security, pay and benefits,
rewards and recognition, while stockholders care most about business growth, share price, and
profitability.

On occasion, doing what is best for one group may be detrimental to another, and in such instances
ethical judgment can come into play.

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Comparison Chart
Basis for Internal Stakeholders External Stakeholders
Comparison
Meaning The individual and parties that The parties or groups that are not a part of
are the part of the organisation the organisation, but gets affected by its
is known as Internal activities is known as External
Stakeholders. Stakeholders.
Nature of impact Direct Indirect
Who are they? They serve the organisation. They get influenced by the organisation’s
work.
Employed by the Yes No
entity
Responsibility of the Primary Secondary
company towards
them
Includes Employees, Owners, Board of Suppliers, Customers, Creditors, Clients,
Directors, Managers, Investors Intermediaries, Competitors, Society,
etc. Government etc.

It is very important to communicate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders.

1.1 SETTING MEETING DATES AND TIMES (AC 1, AC 4)

Stakeholder meetings provide members with the opportunity for communication and interaction. The
purpose of stakeholder meetings is to foster collaboration, not legislation. It gives all of those with an
interest in your business a chance to stay involved in the operations of the company. Keeping
stakeholders informed is the best way to keep them engaged and up-to-date on topics having a
potential impact on the business. By involving stakeholders in decision-making and communicating
regularly through meetings and other channels, it will be easier to get their approval for new ideas and
their support if problems do arise.

Meetings are often educational and informational, covering general topics or new changes coming to
the company. A well-organised meeting is key to make a positive impression on stakeholders.

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1.1.1 BEFORE THE MEETING

The following are some tips to help you make your next meeting successful, effective and maybe
even fun.

Step 1
Identify the specific purpose of the stakeholder meeting, as well as the specific audience. For
example, plan a meeting for your suppliers to address changes in your purchasing process or a
meeting with shareholders to keep them updated on an upcoming corporate merger. Use this purpose
and the specific audience as a planning tool for the meeting.

Step 2
Write an agenda that covers each portion of the meeting. Determine how you will start the meeting,
present the information and wrap up the meeting. Include key points on the agenda that you plan to
cover to serve as an outline for yourself and the meeting attendees.

Step 3
Write a list of questions or discussion topics that enables you to gain feedback from the stakeholders.
Determine what type of information you want to learn from them beforehand. An example of
information you might seek is feedback on your current products or services, as well as suggestions
for how to improve them going forward.

Step 4
Assemble documents you plan to pass out to stakeholders at the meeting. Provide handouts for
relevant information, such as the past year's financial information for shareholders or investors.

Step 5
Schedule the meeting for a time and location that works for the majority of the stakeholders involved.
Choose a location with enough space to comfortably hold the number of people and facilitate the type
of activities you plan to do.

Step 6
Use visual aids for interest (e.g., posters, diagrams, etc.). Post a large agenda up front to which
members can refer.

Step 7
Vary meeting places if possible to accommodate different members. Be sure everyone knows where
and when the next meeting will be held.

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The following are common problems when attempting to schedule meetings:
a) A date and time is announced, only to discover that some important participants can't attend,
and then another date has to be found.

b) Participants are polled about their availability for a meeting, but are given so few choices that
no common date can be found.

c) A meeting is confirmed, but then needs to be changed.

d) A meeting location is specified in one message, then changed in another, and those who miss
the second message end up at the wrong room.

e) So many messages fly around about a proposed meeting that there's general confusion about
when and where a meeting is.

f) Someone tries to use an intranet-based scheduling which is fine for work teams, but can't
invite outside participants.

g) A work team decides to use a common scheduling system, posting and updating their
schedules on an intranet, only to find that after the initial enthusiasm, people get lazy about
updating their schedules, or resent having to show their availability to everyone else-and
eventually less and less time becomes available to meet.

h) Someone goes through all the trouble of scheduling a meeting then finds out the location they
were planning on using is already booked.

i) No one sends a reminder about a meeting, and sure enough, several people forget and don't
show up.

j) You get invited to a meeting but the organizer forgets to say where it is, how long it will last, or
even what it's about!

k) People get so frustrated trying to set up meetings that they just stop doing it, or won't take the
responsibility. It's rare to see anyone volunteering gleefully to set-up a meeting these days.

What are some of the results of this?

 lots of time wasted
 inefficiency
 money down the drain

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1.1.2 DURING THE MEETING
a) Greet members and make them feel welcome, even late members when appropriate.

b) If possible, serve light refreshments; they are good icebreakers and make your members feel
special and comfortable.

c) Start on time. End on time.

d) Review the agenda and set priorities for the meeting.

e) Stick to the agenda

f) Encourage group discussion to get all points of view and ideas. You will have better quality
decisions as well as highly motivated members; they will feel that attending meetings is worth
their while.

g) Encourage feedback. Ideas, activities and commitment to the organisation improve when
members see their impact on the decision making process.

h) Keep conversation focused on the topic. Feel free to ask for only constructive and non-
repetitive comments. Tactfully end discussions when they are getting nowhere or becoming
destructive or unproductive.

i) Keep minutes of the meeting for future reference in case a question or problem arises.

j) As a leader, be a role model by listening, showing interest, appreciation and confidence in

members. Admit mistakes.

k) Summarise agreements reached and end the meeting on a unifying or positive note. For
example, have members volunteer thoughts of things they feel have been good or successful
or reiterate the organisation's mission.

l) Set a date, time and place for the next meeting.

1.1.3 AFTER THE MEETING

a) Write up and distribute minutes within 3 or 4 days. Quick action reinforces importance of
meeting and reduces errors of memory. Encourage the participants to contact you with any
questions or concerns after the conclusion of the meeting.

b) Discuss any problems during the meeting with other relevant stakeholders; come up with ways
improvements can be made.

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 c) Follow-up on delegation decisions. See that all members understand and carry-out their
responsibilities.

d) Give recognition and appreciation to excellent and timely progress.

e) Put unfinished business on the agenda for the next meeting.

f) Conduct a periodic evaluation of the meetings. Note any areas that can be analysed and
improved for more productive meetings. See a sample meeting evaluation.

g) And remember, effective meetings will keep them coming back!

What is a stakeholder?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Explain the importance of communicating with all stakeholders effectively.

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Discuss the process of scheduling stakeholder meetings.

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

1.1.4 HOW TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION DURING MEETINGS

Many people who attend meetings just want to listen to what is going on and not participate. They
don’t want to be encouraged to participate in the meeting. They want to be informed or entertained.
Often this shyness stems from fear of not measuring up. Here are some tips on what a facilitator can
do to encourage participation:

Provide preparation guidelines before the stakeholder meeting

In your meeting invitation; include some guidelines of what to review and study in preparation of the
meeting. Allowing your stakeholders to prepare beforehand will give them confidence to add
something to the discussion. You can also include guide questions with the meeting invitation.

Encourage participation from everyone at the start of the meeting

Right from the start of the meeting, you should make it clear to your stakeholders that participation is
not just welcome but an integral part of the decision making process. This is often all that is required
to get all the stakeholders to participate. The participation of the stakeholders is likely to lead to lively
discussions regarding the topic of the meeting.

Acknowledge each team member’s contribution

Show that you have heard and understood a contribution by acknowledging a response in verbal and
non-verbal ways. Verbal ways of acknowledging contributions include praising, clarifying or requesting
more information. You can praise a contribution by using words such as “I am glad you brought that
up” or “That is a good point”. To acknowledge a contribution by clarifying you would use words as
“You suggested that” and “Is this correct”. “Tell us more” and “Please go on” are examples of ways
you can acknowledge a response by requesting more information. Making eye contact, nodding and
leaning forward are all non-verbal ways to acknowledge a contribution by a stakeholder.

Do not discount contributions

Be aware how you respond to a contribution so that it is not interpreted as devaluing the contribution.
Never ignore a contribution made by one of your stakeholders. Examples of responses that discount a
contribution are “That was already said”, “That is irrelevant”, “Is that it? Is there anything else?”

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Ask directly for contributions
An effective way of encouraging participation in team meetings is to ask everyone directly for their
opinion on the topic that is being discussed. Some examples of how you can do this are “Can I get
everyone’s opinion” or “Lets share all our ideas.”

Build on the contributions

Encourage participation in the team meeting by integrating each member’s contribution with the
contributions of the other members or the whole group. Similarities and differences can be
highlighted, and you can point out how each point relates to another. This also helps the discussion to
move along and helps individual contributions to be seen as part of the whole.

Some ways to build on contributions include:

 Help the stakeholders to see that their concerns are shared with questions such as “Who else
has felt this way?”
 Make verbal connections to what individual stakeholders say and feel with statements such
as “John thinks there should be another meeting. This seems similar to what Jane was saying
a while ago.”
 Involve the whole team in the discussion by using redirecting questions such as “What is your
thinking about that?” or “How do you feel about Mike’s idea?”

Encourage brainstorming
Another way to encourage participation is to request to hear all ideas no matter how silly they might
think they are. By lowering the expectations and making it okay to offer a silly idea, people will have
feel freer to speak up.

Intentionally keeping silent in the meeting

You can encourage participation in the meeting by intentionally keeping quiet and waiting for some
response from the stakeholders. If the group is eager to participate you will not have to wait long for a
lively discussion to start.

Thank your team for their participation

Always affirm your team for their participation. Making a point of thanking each member for their
contribution will encourage greater involvement in succeeding meetings.

Outline ways that can be used by a facilitator/ leader to secure quality input and participation from all
stakeholders during a meeting.

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1.2 COMMUNICATING EVALUATION FEEDBACK (AC 2)

When we talk about providing feedback from your evaluation, we mean presenting the data on
accomplishments that you are getting from your evaluation to those involved in the initiative- line staff
and managers, as well as administrators and board members. Depending on the methods of the
evaluation and the type of data involved, some of it may be presented in the form of tables and
graphs, some as narrative, and some perhaps as portfolios or even audio or videotape.

Feedback is a two-way street. Internal and external stakeholders can benefit from learning what
seems to be working well and what doesn’t, and from understanding what needs to be changed to
improve results. At the same time, administrators and board members need to understand where the
weaknesses in the organisation are that keep staff and from being as effective as possible.

 Is there enough support?

 Are there enough supplies?
 Is funding adequate to get the work done?
 Is the organisational climate one of mutual respect that’s conducive to staff doing their best,
and to participants feeling welcomed and supported?

These are questions that staff and participants can answer at the same time that the organisation
grapples with monitoring results. To be really useful, feedback has to travel in both directions.
Providing feedback should be done on an ongoing basis so that all can be kept up-to-date on what
they are doing well and what can stand improvement. It can also be done at the end of an evaluation
(although not exclusively so).

When providing feedback, begin with an overall statement summing up how the initiative/marketing
plan is doing. It's important to present the feedback as a good thing, even if the feedback isn't all that
positive-after all, you are giving them information that will help them do a better job. Provide a shared
vision of the initiative as a catalyst for change: "We can make a difference and we will make a
difference, and here's how we can do it!" Communicating your optimism that the stakeholders will
ultimately succeed in having an impact is very important. In other words, start off with the good news,
and then present any bad news in a way that encourages everyone to work hard to change it.

Present the information

Here are some tips on how to do this:
 Begin with positive information

 Start by asking the stakeholders how they would interpret the data - if your interpretation is
different, or if there are differing ideas among the stakeholders, discuss why that might be so,
and how to resolve the differences.

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  Give a more detailed example from accomplishments that have happened recently – within the
last few months, if possible

 Point out what is positive about the data

 Discuss with the stakeholders any trends in the data, and what those trends mean

 Discuss any suggested re-direction of efforts

 Review examples listed on the graph or in the qualitative information

 Affirm the initiative by noting evidence of progress

 Discuss any comments or questions group members may still have

If the measure doesn't show recent growth:

 Have the group discuss, using the data, why they think this might be so

 Point out any previous times that growth occurred to keep folks from getting discouraged.

 Ask the group for ideas about how to adjust the marketing plan/ work in order to address the
issue, if it needs to be addressed

 Ask if there were additional activities that were not recorded. List items that have been
recorded over the life of the initiative. You may find things that didn't get recorded, and this
could make a big difference in the results.

In groups role-play how to:

I. Communicate meeting evaluation feedback to stakeholders.
II. Communicate stakeholder evaluation feedback with respective stakeholders.

Note:
 One person should be the facilitator/ Chair while others are stakeholders.
 Your feedback should be both positive and negative.
 Switch roles

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1.3 MARKETING ACTIVITIES (AC 3)

Any activities that a business or organisation undertakes to build brand awareness are known as
marketing activities. Even in a time period in which it is easier to create robust marketing materials
than ever, the irony is that the larger number of resources means that the competition is only getting
stiffer every day. Engaging in marketing activities on a daily basis is vital for ensuring the growth and
success of any company.

Marketing isn't as simple as paid advertising on television or in newspapers. Marketing is any

technique used to make the public aware of a company and what it has to offer over its competitors.
The variations of marketing activities are vast and encompass almost every kind of media and
company-initiated outreach.

Today's customers are spoilt for choice. Marketing uses communication and advertising tactics to
persuade customers that your brand, including your products and services, are exactly what they
need. Even though you are marketing your brand, every aspect of your marketing strategy should
focus on satisfying the current and future needs of your customers. Your approach to marketing will
inform your sales techniques, so communication and collaboration within your team is critical, and
everyone in your organisation should have some ownership of your marketing campaigns.

Marketing is a crucial aspect of your business and requires research, time, planning, and appropriate
budget allocations.

All relevant stakeholders should be advised about marketing activities. This include:
 Ad campaign
 Sales promotion
 Sales projects
 Research
 PR campaign
 Sponsorship
 Product launch
 Product test

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a) Briefly discuss the following marketing activities with examples:
 Ad campaign
 Sales promotion
 Sales projects
 Research
 PR campaign
 Sponsorship
 Product launch
 Product test

b) Give examples of stakeholders you are going to inform about the above marketing activities.
Explain.

1.3.1 SALES PROMOTION

Sales promotion is the process of persuading a potential customer to buy the product. It is
designed to be used as a short-term tactic to boost sales- it is rarely suitable as a method of building
long-term customer loyalty. Some sales promotions are aimed at consumers; others are targeted at
intermediaries and at the firm's sales force.

When undertaking a sales promotion, there are several factors that a business must take into
account:
 What does the promotion cost- will the resulting sales boost justify the investment?
 Is the sales promotion consistent with the brand image? A promotion that heavily discounts a
product with a premium price might do some long-term damage to a brand
 Will the sales promotion attract customers who will continue to buy the product once the
promotion ends, or will it simply attract those customers who are always on the look-out for a
bargain?

There are many methods of sales promotion, including:

 Money off coupons: customers receive coupons, or cut coupons out of newspapers or a
products packaging that enables them to buy the product next time at a reduced price

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  Competitions: buying the product will allow the customer to take part in a chance to win a
prize

 Discount vouchers: a voucher (like a money off coupon)

 Free gifts: a free product when buy another product

 Point of sale materials: e.g. posters, display stands- ways of presenting the product in its
best way or show the customer that the product is there.

 Loyalty cards: where customers earn points for buying certain goods or shopping at certain
retailers- that can later be exchanged for money, goods or other offers

 Loyalty cards have recently become an important form of sales promotion. They encourage
the customer to return to the retailer by giving them discounts based on the spending from a
previous visit. Loyalty cards can offset the discounts they offer by making more sales and
persuading the customer to come back. They also provide information about the shopping
habits of customers-where do they shop, when and what do they buy? This is very valuable
marketing research and can be used in the planning process for new and existing products.

Product launch
Product launch is the debut of a product into the market. The product launch signifies the point at
which consumers first have access to a new product.

Product testing
Product testing, also called consumer testing or comparative testing,
is a process of measuring the properties or performance of products.
It seeks to ensure that consumers can understand what products will
do for them and which products are the best value. Product testing is
a strategy to increase consumer protection by checking the claims
made during marketing strategies such as advertising, which by their
nature are in the interest of the entity distributing the service and not
necessarily in the interest of the consumer.

Summary

Synopsis

In this section you communicated with internal and external stakeholders.

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 Notes

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SECTION 2: MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIP WITH
PROVIDERS

Specific Outcome
On completion of this section you will be able to maintain
relationship with providers.

Assessment Criteria
This specific outcome shall cover the following outcome notes:

 Selection criteria is understood and followed. (SO 2, AC 1)

 Methods used for evaluating providers are best suited to

the size, nature and products required. (SO 2, AC 2)

 Providers are communicated with on a regular basis.

(SO 2, AC 3)

 Provider reports and input are reviewed within agreed time

frames. (SO 2, AC 4)

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2. INTRODUCTION

An organisation works with various providers in order to executive its day to day operations. Such
providers may include:
 product suppliers
 service suppliers
 equipment suppliers
 material suppliers
 space providers, and
 consultants.

It is very important to maintain health relationships with these providers; the success of an
organisation depends on this.

2.1 SELECTION CRITERIA FOR PROVIDERS (AC 1, AC 2)

Provider selection criteria for a particular product or service category should be defined by a “cross-
functional” team of representatives from different sectors of your organisation.

In a manufacturing company, for example, members of the team typically would include
representatives from purchasing, quality, engineering and production. Team members should include
personnel with technical/applications knowledge of the product or service to be purchased, as well as
members of the department that uses the purchased item.

2.1.1 SELECTING THE RIGHT PROVIDER FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The right providers provide the most suitable goods or services at the most suitable prices and in the
right time frames for your specific business needs. By implementing specific providers’ selection
criteria, it’s possible to identify companies and individuals that will work with you to meet the demands
of your customers.

Step 1: Set your criteria

The first step in the provider selection process is to create provider selection criteria. Create a list of
the provider’s selection criteria that companies need to fulfill to be able to provide you with the items
you need.

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This criterion contains all the important elements you require in a supplier. It has long been
stated, “That which does not get measured, does not get done”.

Your criteria should be quantifiable and include:

 Provider characteristics
 The important strategic alignment factors you value.
 Applicable business policies.
 Any constraints- management directives, government regulations, contracts already in place,
and current relationships and commitments.

At this step, make sure you are prioritising your needs. All of the above may be important but some
are more important than others.

Step 2: Identify Suitable Providers

Once you have the selection criteria in place, you must create the pool from which you will select a
provider. During this part of the process you will want to consider:
 Current providers- Starting with providers you have
experience with and established relationships is
generally a good idea.

 Past providers- Depending upon the reasons why

they are ‘past’ and not ‘current.’

 Competitors -You may be in a position to buy from a

competitor if it is ethical and low-risk.

 Industry groups- many of which are non-profit and

maintain data bases of member companies.

 Recommendations and prior business relationships-

perhaps created while working at other companies.

 Internet- which offers myriad opportunities to find,

research, and contact potential providers.

Step 3: Ranking

Next, gather information from the identified suitable providers- perhaps in the form of a Request for
Quote (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP). Tabulate the information you collect and use the criteria
to rank the potential providers.

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Depending upon the complexity and/or criticality of the product
or service, you may:
 Select the highest ranking provider- Recognise that while
you are not required to pick the top scorer, moving too far
down the list is a red flag, indicating the process was
flawed.
 Choose more than one for further qualification- May
include interviews, site visits, etc.

If all that work did not identify a clear winner, you may need to
review your criteria and/or expand your search.

Step 4: Negotiate

After you have narrowed the list to a manageable number of best options, possibly even one, let the
negotiations begin! Depending on the critical good or service, you may negotiate with just the top
provider on your scorecard, even if others remain on the list of potentials. These others, of course, are
not told they are not number one until after you have completed negotiations and agreements are
completed.

Step 5: Create Contract and Activate Purchasing System

Once an agreement has been reached, a contract is signed. Again, depending upon complexity,
lawyers may be involved. For simpler transactions, the Purchase Order is the contract. The last step
is to activate your procurement system. This should be a standard operating procedure… following
what you have done previously.

Even the most reliable provider can occasionally slip up. Make sure they have a direct contact point at
your company and conduct regular performance reviews. This will help you keep tabs on their work
and make sure they’re fulfilling their end of the agreement. These reviews will also help you when it
comes time to talk about contract renewal, so you know where you stand.

2.1.2 SUPPLIER SELECTION CRITERIA

Selecting a supplier is a quantitative and qualitative process. A supplier should offer more than just
"parts that meet spec." Selecting the supplier that provides the best design and manufacturing
expertise can make your product more competitive and cost effective.

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The following 12 design criteria will help you identify a supplier who will meet your needs.

1. Make manufacturing easier

 Reduce the time and effort to produce a product of equal or greater performance
 Eliminate unnecessary complexity in the process
 Remove superfluous components from the product

2. Obtain higher quality

 Exceeding minimum specifications and fitness for application

3. Increase reliability
 Take into account actual operating conditions and/or operator skill

4. Lower cost
 Reduce labour
 Reduce or change material use
 Use a more cost effective production approach to achieve break-even point

5. Improve performance
 Use longer lasting components
 Make components exceed specified minimum requirements
 Fabricate component with greater accuracy
 Integrate components for better system performance

6. Increase life
 Revise part or component materials
 Examine part or component configuration
 Change component application

7. Lower maintenance
 Increase maintenance intervals
 Reduce required service levels
 Match component to the application environment

8. Lower parts count

 Integrate components into a single assembly
 Make greater use of sub-assemblies

9. Reduce size and weight

 Examine alternative materials and technologies

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 10. A more saleable product
 Less expensive
 Longer lasting
 Faster working
 More energy efficient
 Easier to service

11. Increase energy efficiency

 Reduce energy consumption
 Increase energy actually applied to work
 Better process control
 Apply more suitable materials

12. Add intelligence

 Automate as many functions to better control operating parameters
 Ease operator interface for more and varied functions

Other Selection Considerations

Your selection process should also include:

 A supplier experienced with:

o Industry standards
o The regulatory environment
o Ship-to-stock programmes
o JIT shipments

 A supplier that can provide:

o More than one product, part or service
o A long-term, mutually beneficial working relationship
o Dedication to your success

Finding the right suppliers is essential for building a successful business. Whether you are sourcing
raw materials for manufacturing, buying stock from wholesalers or looking for the best internet service
provider for your online business, you'll need to find suppliers who are reliable and meet your
particular needs. Having reliable suppliers is an important part of providing your customers with
quality products and services at competitive prices. If you cannot source the right parts or
merchandise, at the right price and at the right time, you could lose your ability to trade.

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Summary: Common supplier selection criteria:
 Previous experience and past performance with the product/service to be purchased.

 Relative level of sophistication of the quality system, including meeting regulatory

requirements or mandated quality system registration (for example, ISO 9001, QS-9000).

 Ability to meet current and potential capacity requirements, and do so on the desired delivery
schedule.

 Financial stability.

 Technical support availability and willingness to participate as a partner in developing and

optimising design and a long-term relationship.

 Total cost of dealing with the supplier (including material cost, communications methods,
inventory requirements and incoming verification required).

 The supplier's track record for business-performance improvement.

 Total cost assessment.

Methods for determining how well a potential supplier fits the criteria:
 Obtaining a publicly available financial report.

 Requesting a formal quote, which includes providing the supplier with specifications and other
requirements (for example, testing).

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  Visits to the supplier by management and/or the selection team.

 Confirmation of quality system status either by on-site assessment, a written survey or request
for a certificate of quality system registration.

 Discussions with other customers served by the supplier.

 Review of databases or industry sources for the product line and supplier.

 Evaluation (SUCH AS prototyping, lab tests, OR validation testing) of samples obtained from
the supplier.

a) Discuss the process of setting selection criteria for providers with examples.

b) Identify and describe methods that can be used to evaluate providers.

c) What are some of the things you need to put into consideration when evaluating providers?

2.2 COMMUNICATING WITH PROVIDERS (AC 3)

Once you have chosen your providers, it is important to develop a productive and professional
relationship. The following tips will help you maintain positive relationships with your providers:

 Talk regularly and honestly with your providers. Good business-to-business relationships rely
on strong, two-way communication. Where possible, you should look to make face-to-face
contact with providers or their representatives.

 Set up standardised ordering processes that both parties can easily understand and follow.

 Be fair but firm with industry sales representatives- they can easily take up a lot of your time.

 Avoid rush orders wherever possible-they can cause significant stress in your business and
put a strain on the relationship with your providers.

 Monitor the financial position of your providers- talk with industry colleagues and competitors
about the general financial stability of those businesses that provide you with goods and
services.

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  Bring any problems or concerns immediately to your provider's attention.

 Pay your accounts on time. If you cannot make your payments in time, make sure you let your
provider know before the due date.

 Avoid making unrealistic demands for products or services. Constantly changing or rushing
orders will frustrate your providers.

 Return defective goods promptly.

 Monitor and review your provider's performance and measure it against their competitors. Be
prepared to negotiate the terms of trade from time to time.

 Be sure to carefully examine the reasons for problems before cutting ties with a provider.
Introducing new products, changes in freight and updating ordering process can cause
temporary disruptions. Like everyone else, providers will have ups and downs in their
business. Loyalty may earn you understanding during your own tough times.

Explain the importance and process of communicating with providers on a regular basis.

2.3 REVIEWING PROVIDER REPORTS AND INPUT (AC 4)

Providers should be given an opportunity to provide your organisation with feedback as well. Provider
reports and input should not be simply ignored; the organisation should review this within agreed time
frames. Once you have understood the provider’s concerns or input focus to how you intend to
resolve the matter.

For example, a supplier may suggest that you employ more security personnel to check delivery
vehicles that comes to deliver on a daily basis instead of having one person attending to all suppliers.

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The psychology of the offering of a resolution cannot be understated. Recall, the goal is to resolve the
provider’s concern with the provider being fully satisfied with your organisation. Providers’ inputs and
reports should be considered at all times lest they feel less valued or important. remember, you ask
providers to address your concerns or take your input into consideration; your organisation should
always return the favour for effective and long lasting relationships.

a) What type of input can the following providers give your organisation:
 product suppliers
 service suppliers
 equipment suppliers
 material suppliers
 space providers
 consultants?

b) How can you incorporate inputs into your organisational operations?

Summary

Synopsis

In this section you maintained relationship with providers.

Notes

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34 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

SECTION 3: MANAGING AND MONITORING
MARKETING ACTIVITY PLANS

Specific Outcome
On completion of this section you will be able to manage and
monitor marketing activity plans.

Assessment Criteria

This specific outcome shall cover the following:

 Providers are briefed and given direction. (SO 3, AC 1)

 Support material delivered on time. (SO 3, AC 2)

 Problems areas are identified and corrective action taken to

overcome these. (SO 3, AC 3)

 Measurement criteria is set and monitored. (SO 3, AC 4)

 Performance progress is monitored and evaluated on a

continuous basis. (SO 3, AC 5)

35 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

3. INTRODUCTION

A marketing plan sets out how you are going to put your marketing strategy into practice. The
marketing plan ensures that everyone in the business knows what you are trying to do and what they
need to do to make it happen. In addition, a marketing plan assists you to integrate your total
marketing effort. It ensures a systematic approach to developing products and services to meet and
satisfy your customers’ needs. Marketing activity plans should be managed and monitored regularly.

The following steps are followed when preparing a marketing plan

a) Describe your market and the characteristics and size of each market segment; review key
market trends.

b) Research what customers value, such as product features, quality, service, image.

c) Compare the distribution channels for reaching customers (eg direct sales or through
retailers).

d) Profile your competitors and what they are offering.

e) Identify other key factors influencing your business environment; carry out a SWOT
analysis of your competitive position (SWOT: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats).

f) Review the effectiveness of previous marketing initiatives such as advertising campaigns or

seasonal sales.

g) Assess the profitability and sales potential of different customers and market segments, and
of different products or activities.

h) Decide who to target among both existing and potential customers; decide which products to
push and those which need updating or replacing.

i) Set specific objectives: for example, retaining existing customers, increasing order sizes,
selling new products or winning new customers.

j) Decide how you will price each product or service.

k) Decide how you will distribute and sell; plan how you can improve customer service and
satisfaction.

l) Plan how you will promote your products or services, and how you will keep in touch with
customers.

m) Identify customers' purchasing cycles to timetable marketing activities.

36 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

 n) Confirm the implications of your marketing plan for the rest of your business: production and
training requirements, for instance.

o) Prepare realistic sales forecasts and budgets.

p) Include key indicators (eg new enquiries, conversion rates, customers lost, average order
value) and a system for measuring them in your plan.

Cardinal rules
Do:
 base your plan on solid market research
 focus on target customers
 build an action plan to achieve specific objectives
 learn from experience
 measure the effectiveness of your plan

Don't:
 spread your efforts too widely
 make plans you can't fulfil
 make unrealistic assumptions and forecasts

It’s very important to have plans on how to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the following
marketing activities:
 Ad campaign
 Sales promotion
 Sales projects
 Research
 PR campaign
 Sponsorship
 Product launch
 Product test.

3.1 BRIEFING PROVIDERS (AC 1, AC 2)

Product suppliers, service suppliers, equipment supplies, material supplies, space providers,
consultants, etc require detailed information on your marketing activities and plans. This will enable
them to tailor-make their products or services to meet your needs and those of your customers.
Providers should be given “specifications” of what you really expect and want from them.

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For example, you may provide product manufacturers with information about the size, colour, shape
etc of the product you want.

Your brief should address the following:

 Who are you selling to? Why would they buy your products/services over others?

 How do you plan to enter the market?

 How do you intend to attract customers? How and why will this work?

 Where do your products/services fit in the market? Are they high-end, competitive or a low-
cost alternative to the products/services offered by your competitors? How does this compare
to your competitors?

 How will your products/services succeed in the market where others may have failed? What
gives your products/services a distinctive edge?

 How is your business unique in the market? What differentiates your product/service from
others in the market? What makes your business stand out from your competition? What
product gap or service need does it fill for your customers?

 What is the anticipated quantity of products/services your customers are likely to purchase?
For example, how much will an individual customer buy in 6 months or 12 months?

 Do you have a particular pricing strategy? Why have you chosen this strategy?

 Briefly outline your sales forecast. How much money will you need up-front for each marketing
activity? Where will you obtain these funds?

 Define who your target customers are and how they behave. You can include age, gender,
social status, education and attitudes. What are their lifestyles, activities, values, needs,
interests or opinions? Where are they located?

 Identify your key customers. (These can be large consumers of your products or individuals
whose satisfaction is key to the success of your business.) How will you target your
products/service to them? How will you deliver your product/service to them?

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  How will you maintain a good relationship with your customers? What techniques will you use?
How will you keep your customers coming back? Have you introduced customer service
standards? Do you follow any particular code of practice?

 How do you rate against your competitors? How can your business improve on what they
offer?

List each of your businesses Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities or Threats (S.W.O.T). For
example:
Strengths: (e.g. experience in the industry).
Weakness: (e.g. location of your business).
Opportunity: (e.g. new export opportunity available).
Threat: (e.g. new competitor entering the market).

Make sure that all providers understand your brief and the direction they should follow when providing
services to your organisation. Make sure that service providers have support materials to guide them
as they complete their tasks. Support material contains information regarding the product/service or
company/brand or any promotional material which helps the provider in acquiring new customers,
increasing business or completing tasks successfully. These resources are provided with the aim to
make the provider’s job process easier and effective. These are the tools are useful since they help
organisations to present themselves by delivering a consistent message.

Some common support material used are:

a) Product specifications

b) Brochures and other printed product information-they contain information on the whole product
portfolio as a printed document.

c) Visual aids used in presentations- these refer to videos or animations used during
presentations.

d) Sales scripts- They contain the sales pitch and a few other important pointers

e) Web contents-The content available on the website of company business, their products and
services. FAQs, Blogs etc

f) Product white papers- These are publications on the product and its features

g) Product data sheets- These data sheets contain detailed specifications on the product. For
Example, the data sheets of Electronic components like Integrated Circuits provide in depth
detail about specifications like operating voltage, operating temperature, power rating etc.

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Always remember, marketing is all about doing things right; getting the right product, to the right
people, at the right price, by using the right promotional techniques in order to make profit for your
organisation.

a) What are marketing activity plans?

b) Explain the importance of briefing providers when soliciting for their services.

3.2 SETTING AND MONITORING MEASUREMENT CRITERIA AND PERFORMANCE (AC 4, AC 5)

Organisations use various methods to evaluate marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) or
metrics. Marketing Performance Measurement, Marketing Performance Management, Marketing
Return on Investment (ROI), Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI), and Accountable Marketing are
all metrics that companies use to connect marketing performance to the financial performance of the
organisation. It is therefore very important to set a benchmark, standard, or yardstick against which
accomplishment, conformance, performance, and suitability of an individual, alternative, activity,
product, or plan, as well as of risk-reward ratio is measured. This should be used to monitor
performance so as to identify problem areas and implement corrective actions according.

In order for marketing KPIs to be integrated within the business and management of the enterprise,
and ensure consistency and reliability across the marketing mix, they must meet these minimum
requirements:
 Measure marketing outcomes from the consumers' points of view
 Include all marketing activities
 Be repeated over time
 Meet statistical and technical criteria required of all measurement systems

Marketing activities can be designed to inform, portray products and services attractively, and
influence purchasing behaviour. The methods for evaluating the performance of, and responses to,
these activities/plans range from simple calculations measuring return on investment, to tallying the
number of visits to a website.

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Since marketing campaigns are typically integrated across all channels (e.g., print, email, and social
media), these channels are measured together to understand the overall effect on target markets.

To ensure meaningful comparisons among activities, brands, markets, and time periods,
organisations may employ a common scale to analyse performance metrics.

Using different measurements to evaluate different communications activities, competitors, and

markets does not allow direct comparison and results in lost synergies. Companies using formalised
methodologies continually gather and monitor marketing data to understand where the marketing plan
is strong and where it needs improvement. Long-term observation also brings true insight about
unanticipated changes and "red flags" in the data.

All measurement systems should take into account accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility, bias, data
shifts, and data drifts. Measurement error must be quantified so that managers can react to changes
in conditions, but not to changes due to measurement variation.

For example, if sales target for the month is 100 products (measurement criteria), if a consultant sales
80 products this means he/she didn’t meet the criteria.

It is however important to monitor sales over a period of time and use the information to improve this
marketing activity. It might be that the customer’s taste has changed, among other things.

As a class;
I. Set measurement criteria for marketing activities.

II. Outline how an organisation can monitor and evaluate performance progress of marketing
activity plans.

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3.3 IDENTIFYING AND CORRECTING PROBLEM AREAS (AC 3)

The marketing arena is forever evolving, expanding and developing. When managing and monitoring
marketing activity plans you may identify problems areas. These need to be addressed as soon as
possible to ensure that the marketing activity plans are implemented successfully within the agreed
timeframe.

Give examples of problem you may identify when managing and monitoring marketing activity
plans
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What corrective actions can you implement in order to overcome these problems?
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Problem areas may include:

 The planning stage
 The implementation stage

Other problems may be encountered as a result of,

 Current economic conditions
 Failure to comply with current laws and legislation
 Advances in technology
 The communication plan/ ineffective communication
 User involvement
 Executive management support
 Clear statement of requirements
 Planning/ lack of thorough planning
 Products/ services failing to meet quality requirements
 Unsatisfied stakeholders
 Failure to meet marketing activity's objectives/requirements
 Incomplete requirements and specifications

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  Changing requirements and specifications
 Lack of executive support
 Technical incompetence
 Incomplete requirements
 Lack of user involvement
 Lack of resources
 Unrealistic expectations
 Lack of planning
 Lack of IT management
 Technical illiteracy

Just think about how fast the computer industry (hardware and software) generates new processors
or operating systems; and it is easy to imagine how advances in technology can serve as a predictor
of project success. Your product deliverable could be outdated before you complete the project!

Ways to overcome this is to plan and implement marketing activity plans effectively, taking note of the
following;
 User involvement
 Executive management support
 Clear statement of requirements
 Proper planning
 Realistic expectations
 Meeting quality requirements
 Communicate with internal and external stakeholders
 Have satisfied stakeholders
 Meet the project's objectives/requirements
 Meet an agreed budget
 Deliver on time
 Provide complete brief and directions
 Complete requirements and specifications

 Obtain and use feedback from stakeholders

 Use benchmarks and learn from other companies in the same industry. How are other successful
companies doing it?

44 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

Summary

Synopsis

In this section you managed and monitored marketing activity plans.

Notes

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46 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

SECTION 4: EVALUATING COMPLETED
MARKETING ACTIVITIES

Specific Outcome
On completion of this section you will be able to evaluate completed
marketing activities.

Assessment Criteria

This specific outcome shall cover the following:

 Outcomes of implemented activities are evaluated at pre-

determined intervals against documented plan. (SO 4, AC 1)

 Non-conformance is recorded in an accurate and complete

way and indicates the effect on success. (SO 4, AC 2)

 Changes and improvements are documented, agreed and

communicated within planned time frames. (SO 4, AC 3)

 Measures and evaluation criteria provide sufficient and timely

information. (SO 4, AC 4)

 Evaluation approaches assess strength and limitations of

activities to provide for improvement. (SO 4, AC 5)

47 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

4. INTRODUCTION

Now that you have implemented ad campaign, sales promotion, sales projects, research, PR
campaign, sponsorship, product launch, product test, etc the next step is to evaluate these activities.
It is very crucial that you keep an eye on the results of your marketing plans and activities because of
marketing’s day-to-day importance in your business operations. Using a variety of simple review
methods, you can monitor, analyse and evaluate the steps you took to sell your product or service
and determine which are working and which need to be reconsidered.

Example

Evaluating promotional activities: A Red Bull case study

For promotions to remain effective, Red Bull has to analyse the impact of different campaigns. Word-
of-mouth promotions can be more difficult to measure than some traditional methods of promotion.
Although healthy sales are an important measure, Red Bull uses other measures to evaluate the
effectiveness of its activities. For example:
 Setting targets for sales returns from the smaller promotional activities.

 Evaluating the amount of editorial coverage its activities receive in the media.

 Measuring the number of blogs related to Red Bull’s products and the frequency of comment
on these blogs.

 Evaluating the online influence of Red Bull activities in the social media. For example, on
Twitter there are around 260,000 followers of Red Bull activities. On Facebook, more than
21,000,000 consumers ‘like’ Red Bull.

 Conducting an annual brand health-check with consumers to ensure that they like the brand.

Measuring the outcomes of Red Bull promotions is not just about

return on investment. These figures do not create the whole picture.
This is because it can be difficult to value word-of-mouth promotions
on paper. Sales returns do not take into account other factors such
as longer-term brand loyalty.

As a specific example, the Red Bull Wings Team has proved to be a very important part of the
marketing strategy. When Red Bull has launched products in countries without this programme as
part of its promotional mix, they have not been received as well by consumers.

48 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

4.1 EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES OF IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES (AC 1- AC 5)

Evaluating marketing activities guides future initiatives and helps a company achieve its goals. From
your marketing activity plans and brief, you should obtain information on what you wanted to achieve
by implementing a specific marketing activity (outcomes).

What outcomes were you expecting during the implementation of;

 ad campaign
 sales promotion
 sales projects
 research
 PR campaign
 Sponsorship
 product launch
 product test?

Were these outcomes met?

It is very important to compare the expected outcomes with the actual at pre-determined intervals in
order to identify success areas as well as problem areas. Your findings should include the strengths
and weaknesses of the marketing activities in order to provide for improvement.

A. Direct Response
One of the oldest methods of evaluating whether or not a marketing activity, such as a promotion, is
working for you is to track the direct response.

For example, if you run an ad with a coupon, track the number of coupons that came in to see if you
received a worthwhile return on your investment.

Remember that not everyone who sees a coupon will use it, but they might still come to your store
based on seeing the ad. Modern coupons consist of code numbers customers use when they place
online orders. Have your staff ask customers how they heard of you when they take phone orders or
check people out at the counter, and ask customers placing online orders to check a box or fill in a
field telling you where they heard about you.

49 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

B. Website Statistics
One of the latest forms of evaluating marketing initiatives is the use of website traffic statistics. Your
company website should include a traffic statistics package that lets you see your traffic during a
specific time period, telling you where traffic came from, which pages got the most views, what
keywords people used to find you and how much time they spent on each page. One of the key
differences between a Facebook business page and a personal page is the detailed traffic stats the
business page provides. Talk to your information technology person about how to access your
website and social media site statistics on a daily basis. Use website statistics to track your traffic
during specific promotions or advertising campaigns to evaluate their effects on your business.

Metrics to assess return on website investments include:

 Total number of unique visitors to the website-this measurement captures individual visits
rather than the multiple ‘hits’ as each visitor browses the website. The cost of website
development divided by the number of unique visitors will provide a cost per unique visitor
metric.

 Number of visitors to the website that arrive via various search engines or other referral
sites (rather than going directly to the website) - this demonstrates the importance of a search
engine optimisation and a referral strategy. The cost of the search engine optimisation
strategy divided by the number of visitors arriving by this method will provide a cost per
arriving visitor metric.

 Length of visit to the site - this indicates the ability of the website to hold interest and provide
relevant and interesting (‘sticky’) information. However, if a visitor arrives on a single page that
quickly provides the information that is sought, a short length of visit would indicate the content
does a good job of matching a visitor's needs.

 Natural search engine results- this is the number of times the product appears on the first
page of search engine results for a variety of key word searches. This provides a metric for
assessing the strength of the URL and the effectiveness of content. The strategic choice of
words, links and the composition of content is a key driver of natural search engine placement.

 Paid search engine results -this calculates the cost of key word buys divided by the number
of visitors driven to the site by click-throughs on these words.

 Total number of unique visitors to a landing page related for a specific promotion - this
monitors the effectiveness of the promotion to drive interest and information gathering via the
website.

 Number of quotes requested for specific product, activities or service (if the website
permits quotes).

50 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

  Number of products/services sold

 The ratio of quotes to purchases provides a measure of the website's ability to close the sale.

C. Surveys and Focus Groups

Conducting customer surveys and target audience focus groups lets you get specific answers to
questions you have about your marketing as well as qualitative information such as consumer
preferences, feelings about your activities for example, promotions and customer impressions of your
competitions. People might not take the time to answer long questionnaires over the phone or
Internet, so consider serving different surveys to your group.

For example, ask half of your customers only 10 questions and the other half 10 different questions to
get a helpful sample of 20 questions.

Use focus groups to ask open-ended questions that let participants volunteer ideas you might not
have considered.

D. Sales Reports
The more detailed your sales reports, the more information you can generate about your marketing
efforts. Marketing includes:
 creating and promoting your unique selling benefit
 developing your product or service to deliver this benefit
 setting the right prices to attract your target customer
 selling in the most effective places, and
 supporting these efforts with communications.

Your sales reports should provide you with information about which locations account for what
percentage of your sales, which products provide your biggest volumes and profits and how each
sales rep is performing.

E. Media Relations
Editorial coverage, in publications that can influence target market purchasing decisions, is
considered one of the most cost effective destination marketing tools.

Measurement tools for media relations efforts include:

 Advertising equivalency

51 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

  Total audience reached (as reported by the publication)
 Number of stories pitched
 Number of journalists hosted
 Number of articles published

Spikes in web activity can be correlated to media coverage and provide an additional measure of the
return from media activity.

F. Social Media
Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are an easy way for people to connect and share
ideas and opinions. These sources are often felt to be more credible than paid advertising and
continue to grow in importance as “decision influencers”. Engaging in social media to promote a
product/service requires a commitment to be part of the conversation and to share relevant comments
or content that adds to the discussion, rather than for promotional use only. Careful consideration of
business objectives should precede the use of social networks, to determine how these channels can
help achieve goals. Engaging in social media typically requires an investment of staff time rather than
additional cash resources.

Metrics to assess the return on marketing investment in social media include:

 Facebook Fan Page- number of people that “like” your page; number of people that remove
themselves as fans from your page; fan engagement- number of people “talking” on your fan
page “wall”.

 Twitter- number of “followers” and trends in followers over time (increasing, declining, stable);
number of people directly responding to “tweets; number of ‘”re-tweets”.

 YouTube- beyond the standard number of views and comments a video receives, the Insight
Analytics provided by YouTube give valuable feedback on the viewers, their interactions and
interest in a video. This analysis can help to identify the types of videos and storylines that
best meet business objectives.

Most of these metrics can be divided by the estimated staff cost of engaging in social media to
measure cost per result. The return on investment is ultimately measured against the business
objectives e.g. increase awareness and drive additional traffic to the website through links on Twitter
or Facebook; encourage customers to discuss their experience with your business with their online
friends, etc.

G. Consumer Shows
There are a number of consumer shows in various geographic target markets that may be included in
a product/service marketing mix.

52 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

The cost of these shows includes the one-time cost of booth design and construction, any
modifications to the booth to ensure messaging is relevant to the specific show attendees, show
participation fees, electrical hook ups as required and the cost of staff time and travel.

The return on investment in a consumer show should consider the following metrics:
 Number of show attendees as reported by the consumer show management (you should also
consider these numbers before deciding to participate in a show).

 Number of show attendees stopping at your booth (staff at the booth must keep track of the
number of visitors; a promotional giveaway can also be used to monitor booth attendance).

 Number of flat sheet offers distributed (a package promotion targeting show attendees can be
publicised with a flat sheet takeaway from the booth).

 Number of flat sheet offers redeemed, after the show, as reported through web statistics, call
centre results or fulfillment through accommodation providers.

 Number of prize entries and the associated growth in the product/service’s direct marketing
database

H. Direct Marketing
Direct e-marketing campaigns can be a cost-effective marketing tool. (Direct mail, while less common,
may also be appropriate.) Once a database of email addresses has been accumulated, specific
promotional offers can be distributed. It is important to have the consumer's permission before adding
their contact information to any database. Ideally, information about the potential visitors’ interests has
also been collected in order to refine the offer.

Tools for measuring the success of direct marketing activities include:

 Number of campaigns executed.
 Number of promotional offers fulfilled (via the website, call centre or directly with
accommodation providers).
 Number of “bounce backs” (invalid email addresses).
 Number of opt-out requests terminating permission to contact the consumer.

When evaluate completed marketing activities, it is very important to record non-conformances

accurately and completely in order to recommend appropriate measures for implemented.

53 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

A non-conformance means that something went wrong- a problem has occurred and needs to be
addressed.

Corrective actions are reactive- something has gone wrong and these are the actions taken to deal
with the problem.

Non-conformances are addressed with corrective actions. You may find a non-conformance in a
service, a product, a process, from a supplier, or in the system itself. It occurs when something does
not meet the specifications or requirements in some way. Those requirements might be defined by the
organisational plans, customer, a regulatory body, or in the internal procedures of the company.

A non-conformance could be identified through:

 Evaluations
 customer complaints
 internal audits
 external audits
 incoming material inspection, or
 simply during normal testing and inspection activities.

Your non-conformance procedure will address how you deal with the problem:
 how to decide on what immediate actions will be taken to correct the problem, and who is
responsible for the decision. These immediate actions can be seen as “damage control” and
need to:
 stop further non-conformance
 assess the effects of the problem- how much, how bad (e.g. scrap / rework),
 contain the effects- e.g. quarantine defective items
 notify affected customers, if necessary

 how reworked items should be checked (if different from normal inspection)
 how and where a non-conformance should be recorded
 what steps should be taken to identify any defective product released to a customer
 what, if any, concessions/discounts will be given to the customer
 how a decision will be made on whether further corrective action is necessary

A non-conformance report documents the details of a non-conformance identified during the

evaluation of completed marketing activities.

54 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

The objective of the report is to make an unambiguous, defensible, clear and concise definition of the
problem so that corrective action can and will be initiated by management.

Non-conformance Report Content

The elements of an effective statement of non-conformance are:

Observation A statement of the non-compliance

Attribution The standard, plan, procedure, work instruction, policy, documented social norm or
organisational ethic violated by the target of the non-compliance

Location Where the non-compliance was identified. For example, specific marketing activity,
department and geographical location

Objective Physical evidence of non-compliance. For example, the absence of a required record
Evidence or incomplete information on an existing record. Note that this element is particularly
important as lack of physical evidence will often mean that the non-conformance is not
accepted by management and no action is taken. For example, an auditor's
considered opinion that a design process is inadequate is open to dispute by
designers performing the work. However, objective evidence that a design description
does not comply with the company's definition of best practice as documented in
design standards is likely to trigger corrective action by management.

The evaluation should be able to:

Determine whether the purpose/objectives/outcomes of the marketing activities were achieved
 Is the marketing activity appropriate for the organisation?
 To what extent does the marketing activity contribute meaningfully to the overall aims of the
organisation?

Determine the satisfaction of stakeholders

 Were the parties’ expectations met?
 What are the effects on the parties?
 If key individuals aren't satisfied, how should this be addressed?

Identify lessons learned

 What went wrong, why did these things go wrong, and how could these problems be avoided
next time? (weaknesses)

 What went well, and needs to be learned from? (strengths)

Report findings and recommendations

 What have you learned from this initiative?

55 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

  What lessons have you learned that need to be carried forward to marketing activity plans
implementation?

The following template can be used to gather information during the evaluation process.

Date:

Marketing activity details:

Strengths of activity

Weaknesses of activity

56 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

The extent to which the outcomes of the marketing activity contributes meaningfully to the
overall objectives of the organisation

Recommendations for improvement

57 | P a g e U S 1 0 0 4 0 Implement marketing activity plans to meet agreed deadlines

Other comments

4.1.1 CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS

While all changes do not lead to improvement, all improvement requires

change. The ability to develop, test, and implement changes is essential
for any individual, group, or organisation that wants to continuously
improve. Selecting, testing, and implementing changes is a core
element of the Model for Improvement, a simple yet powerful tool for
accelerating improvement.

After generating ideas for changes your team might try, use rapid Plan-
Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to test a change or group of changes on a
small scale to see if they result in improvement. If they do, expand the
tests and gradually incorporate larger and larger samples until you are
confident that the changes should be adopted more widely.

Of course, measurement is a key component of testing and

implementing changes. Establishing key measures will help your team
determine if the changes you are implementing are leading to
improvement.

It is also very important to implement corrective actions to address problems non-conformances.

Corrective actions are reactive- something has gone wrong and these are the actions taken to deal
with the problem. Non-conformances are resolved through corrective actions. This will include the
immediate corrective actions you take to keep your customer happy, e.g. you sent the wrong part and
will immediately replace it with the correct part.

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However, “dealing with it” for ISO 9001 means that you eliminate the problem AND make sure it will
not happen again, so the corrective actions you take will also include the longer term actions you take
to make sure the problem will not occur again.

The problem might be identified in processes, materials, suppliers, the product, the service, the
workplace, or the management system itself. You might find opportunities for corrective actions
through:
 conducting workplace inspections
 testing, inspecting, and monitoring of products
 consulting with staff
 customer feedback
 audits
 hazard reporting
 dealing with any non-conforming product
 investigating complaints
 reviewing system failures
 reviewing regulatory requirements

ISO 9001 standard requires that you have a documented procedure for Corrective Action and you
must also maintain records of corrective actions and their results. The Corrective Action procedure
will include the steps taken to:
 review and document the problem

 contain or temporarily fix the problem. e.g. remove the defective product from production and
quarantine it in a designated area for later investigation

 Investigate the cause of the problem – how did it happen, why did it happen, could it happen
again?

 Propose an appropriate solution that will prevent the problem happening again. This will often
mean a change to the process.

 You need to report on what actions were actually taken.

 After an appropriate period of time, you will need to assess whether the actions taken were
successful in preventing recurrence. Document the evidence to support your decision.

 Once you are satisfied the problem is not recurring, you can close the issue.

The documentation for a corrective action provides evidence that the problem was recognised,
corrected, and proper controls implemented to make sure that it does not happen again.

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In groups,
I. Develop a poster to outline the process of evaluating completed marketing activities.

II. Present your poster to the rest of the class.

Summary

Synopsis

In this section you evaluated completed marketing activities.

Notes

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REFERENCE LIST

Baeyaert P. 2005. “Developing an External Communications Strategy". Presentation at

Communicating European Research, November 14, 2005.

IDRC: Developing a Communications Strategy. Putting information to work for research projects.

Deloitte Consulting (2006) Managing Marketing Effectiveness: Customer & Market Trends Are
Changing the Rules

Hatch, D (2007), Measuring Marketing Performance: The BI Roadmap to Information Nirvana,

Aberdeen

Hunsaker, Lynn (2009), Driving Sustained Improvements: 4 Metrics Tips, CustomerThink

Hunsaker, Lynn (2015), Metrics for Marketing Management

Morris, L., Fitz, C., & Freeman, M. (1987). How to communicate evaluation findings. Newbury Park,
CA: Sage Publications.

Research Matters: The RM Knowledge Translation Toolkit: A Resource for Researchers. Chapter 6:
Designing a Communications Strategy.

KPMG: Stakeholder communications

https://www.kpmg.com/SG/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Advisory
-RC-Stakeholder-Communications-Toolkit.pdf
(Date Assessed 18 April 2016)

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63 | P a g e US 10040 At the end of this training session you will be able to implement marketing activity plans to
meet agreed deadlines