Template to Write an
informal strategic
Marketing plan
ARNAUD SEGLA
Arnaud Segla
Template to Write
An Informal Strategic Marketing Plan
ISBN KDP: 9781791577704
Legal deposit
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2018 Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, 2018
Book design:ASSOUKA
Cover illustration: © Yuri Arcurs
Translation: Liorldoron
admin@thewisemencouncil.com.
“Each Human is important to the eyes of God”
Note to the attention of the reader
This note allows the reader to become acquainted with the particularity of the informal strategic Marketing plan and to understand with what spirit it should be read. Italicized texts are comments that help in writing and should be removed after your work just as the text between hooks must be replaced by the relevant information requested.
The following strategic Marketing plan is an informal plan. It proposes presenting the information of an informal Marketing strategy in the most professional way possible, all while respecting the inherent simplicity of the informal sector. It is used to clear up the key elements of the business’ communication, but especially to guide an entrepreneur that takes into account this type of activity. The technical level is therefore lesser without leaving silent the inevitable parts of the presentation of a plan, and especially the pertinence of acquired information at operational purposes.
For entrepreneurs in the « formal » sector, it however constitutes a structure of writing such as inspiring with conditions to push the reflection to a satisfactory level of technical justification. Notably, by developing the elements of Mix Marketing. It is suggested to develop a price list and a general policy of the business in the margin of the strategic marketing plan.
Users are invited to make proof of simplicity by enforcing the information that is informal in the presentation that aims to give the orientations for a promotional campaign (online or traditional), where the goal is to meet performance and innovation (ie Quality and Adaptation) objectives. It is therefore written in the DNA of the developed model by our Think Tank.
Finally, this informal strategic marketing plan is the ideal tool for any informal or ethnic entrepreneurs desiring to start the transition towards a market economy through the exercise of rationalization and Formalization of the profession, all while keeping the informal philosophy characterized by Faith in one destiny…
Table of contents
Note to the attention of the reader 4
Table of contents 6
INTRODUCTIVE SUMMARY 8
WHO ARE WE 10
Mission 10
Vision 10
Values 11
GOAL AND RESULTS 12
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES 13
Profile 13
Assets 13
CURRENT SITUATION 14
Strengths 14
Points of Attention 14
Opportunities 15
Threats 15
TARGET CLIENTELE 16
MARKET SEGMENTATION 17
MARKETING STRATEGY 18
Budget 18
Sales Objectives 18
Profit Objectives 19
Advertising Objectives 19
Message 20
Slogan 20
Growth Engine 21
Example Guide: 21
MIX MARKETING 22
Product Policy 22
Price Policy 22
Point of Sale Policy 24
Promotion – Advertising Policy 24
PROJECT ENVIRONMENT 25
Actors 25
Structures 25
Political and Legal 25
Ethnocultural Conditions 25
Socioeconomic Trends 25
NOMINAL ANNUAL ACTION PLAN 26
DIRECTORY OF MEDIA CONTACTS 27
COMMERCIAL HOOKS 29
COMMUNICATION LIGNE 30
Within our Collection 31
Economic Development Series 31
Ethnic Identity Series 34
Sustainable Development Series 35
INTRODUCTIVE SUMMARY
The introductive summary is a summary presenting the profile of the business, the context in which the project writes itself into, the goals and the objectives, the key message, the offer of the service, and if possible, a client’s testimonial. It therefore consists of one text to present a service offer and a quick preview of what underlies the marketing strategy. It serves as the official introduction to the business.
Example Guide:
Since 2009 I offer consulting services for ethnic and informal entrepreneurship projects within the economic and identity development for migrant workforces. I associated myself with every helping stakeholder to realize my vision with the business The Wisemen Council.
After the advent of globalization, migration for economic reasons between and within states have increased strengthening ethnic and informal entrepreneurship phenomenon. This raised the question of the installation, integration and the success of these adventurers in search of an El Dorado. We believe that entrepreneurship is a solution for the reclaiming of economic power of the popular classes by creating wealth and value.
Our goal is to improve the performance of ethnic and informal structures and the quality of their outputs. To do this, we define better strategies and projects to improve the competitiveness of our partners and the knowledge of our partners’ customers. We definitely involve our skills to serve the community. This is the meaning of the message: “Each Human is important to the eyes of God.”
Our target clientele is usually divided into 3 major groups:
• entrepreneurs and business incubators;
• universities and entrepreneurial training organizations;
• associations and organizations with a mandate to support entrepreneurs (community projects or development of entrepreneurship);
We invite you to discover our services in order to consider with us a beneficial partnership by leveraging our mutual resources to provide an efficient and quality solution for you and your customers.
“Making informal economy a quality alternative to the liberal system”
WHO ARE WE
In this part, the promoter gives three key elements, which are the mission, the vision and the values, the human dimension of the project, and especially its engagement towards the community (at a time, peers and the public).
Mission
The mission statement consists of giving the « why » or the justification with regards to the market of your informal business project. It is what you destine your business to be. In one sentence, you should be able to give the key elements of your project to remember: what you offer, where you offer it and according to what modality. It is possible to have a two-part mission.
Guide
The business [name] offers [product or service] to a clientele of [profile of the clientele] in the [localize the place(s) of the offer] region starting from [specify the how or a durable resource].
Vision
The vision is the occasion to share the ideal situation that you want for the market to the world and to make appear how your project will contribute to it. It is stated in one short paragraph that puts into play as many of the timeless elements as possible, justifying a long term action of your business. It must be able to federate your team and the stakeholders, and especially to be able to mobilize them. Stating one’s mission resembles doing a profession of faith, but the engagement of your business in the field is yours.
Example Guide:
The performance of [give the profile of the clients] as well as the quality of their [presentations] we hold dear. Because we believe that they deserve to flourish by [their career] in order to build a more just world. This is why we engage ourselves every day in [action] so that together, we can attain our objective of [impact] durably and viably.
Values
Value, by definition, is the measure of importance, of interest of a being, of a thing, of an idea, following the estimate that we can make or the esteem that it brings to it. Here, it means to give key words that you morally invest in and those which your business is associated with.
Example Guide:
Power, peace, quality, respect of deadlines, etc.
GOAL AND RESULTS
In this part, it’s about remembering the goal, the objectives and the expected results for your business project. For those familiar with the exercise of the logical framework matrix, it will be easy for them to fill out this part in one paragraph. To stay in the simplicity of the informal, throughout the goal you must describe what you want to concretely achieve with your project. If you are also familiar with notion of “utility” you can give it here. Finally, the expected result puts into light the impact that you want to have over your target clientele.
Example Guide:
Our goal is to [state the main goal] thanks to [give the main means] to contribute to the improvement of the market offer. We therefore wish to [give the objectives]. The expected result is to [give the main result] with an impact to [give the impact] for [give the target clientele].
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
In this part, we present to the collaborators or to the subcontractors of our project our identity in line with the type of the product or service that we put on the market.
Profile
The profile is the official presentation of your business. It is one paragraph that describes the “About Us” part of your website. For a consultant, it can serve as a summary of its biography. The question that we must respond to is, “What must we retain of you?”
Guide
[Name of the business or of the consultant] is [to characterize itself] specialized in [give the activity sector]. Our main activities are [give a register of the scope of intervention] in [specify the geographic zone or the market segment] for the [give the target clientele].
Assets
Here, we wish to know your competitive edge; that is, what, in the perception of the clientele or of the market, favorably distinguishes you in the case of consumption choices. You can also state a technical aspect that shelters you from the competition like a patent or an exclusive work recipe. At large, we want to know what makes you unique.
Example Guide:
We are leaders in the domain of [give the domain of expertise] thanks to the development of a complete array of [give the service or product offer]. This array is perceived as one of the most [give the major asset or distinctive attribute] on the market.
CURRENT SITUATION
In this part, you must do an in-depth SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of your project. Do not settle on making a synthetic table. It is asked of you to argue your answers to permit collaborators or marketing subcontractors to soak in the issues and the context of your project. A strength is an internal advantage to the business, vis-à-vis the market (and to other actors). A point of attention or weakness is an internal inconvenience to the business, vis-à-vis the market (and to other actors). An opportunity is an achievable potential external gain by your business in the market. A threat is a potential external loss that could lead to having an impact on your business in the market. By euphemism and positivism we replace here the “weaknesses” by “point of attention”
Strengths
List three or four strengths of your project and for each one, argue them to present to the reader why this constitutes a strength and how it exercises itself on the market.
Example Guide:
[Strength 1] diverse and transversal team
Our main strength comes from the diversity of our team. We offer a transversality in the profiles thanks to the expertise in their domains of members participating in our economic activity. This allows us to respond adequately to the diverse needs of our clients with quality.
Points of Attention
List three or four points of attention (weaknesses) of your project, and for each one argue to present to the reader why this constitutes a weakness and how it has endured on the market.
Example Guide:
[Point of attention 1] Actualize the priorities
Select first the clients having reached a large maturity towards the product to assure them quick support instead of losing efficiency in it and in the optimization of resources.
Opportunities
List 3 or 4 opportunities of your market and for each one, argue to present to the reader why this constitutes an opportunity and how this was reachable by your business.
Example Guide:
[Opportunity 1] The job of entrepreneur is in vogue
Facing the loss of confidence in the job market turns towards entrepreneurship to acquire one’s financial independence or to assure their social mobility. This is a trend present as much as it is in the ethnicity compared to the informal in the target regions of our project.
Threats
List three or four threats of your market and for each one, argue to present to the reader why this constitutes a threat and how it exercises itself on your business.
Example Guide:
[Threat 1] Weak entry barrier
Many entrepreneurs launch themselves in their field with tacit knowledges. This is a global trend but more sensitive in the ethnic communities of big cities and the popular classes of the informal sector in Africa.
TARGET CLIENTELE
In this part, we want to have the profile of your clientele. What characterizes them in order to know what to do to efficiently join them. The goal is to adapt marketing tools to the client’s type to easily mobilize them and to trigger the act of consumption (conversion). There are two ways to proceed:
• Segment the clients; that is, make homogeneous lots of clients and characterize them, then say how to joint hem by specifying what they are sensitive to.
• Establish client profiles that are still called « buyer persona » using an ID form (by attributes) that is synthetic enough. It is in fact the most loyal composite portrait possible.
Example Guide:
[By segmentation]
• Active middle-class youth interested in events [Describe]
• Students interested in entertainment [Describe]
[By storytelling]
• You can tell a story that describes your target audience and lets the reader understand what you’re doing about them.
MARKET SEGMENTATION
In this part, just like with the client segments, we will make homogeneous lots of the market in which we want to position ourselves. Sometimes, the client and market segments coincide. We will have at heart, ideally, to make non-secant lots, then to describe them just like with the clients. In the description, it is convenient to indicate the discriminant of the segment (the precise characteristic around what brings together the elements of the market) that can be a type of client or a type of product or service, or even a means of distribution. Thereafter, the rest of the market will be segmented by this element.
Example Guide:
A woodworker can see the furniture market by the type of job it does there. This will become our discriminant.
We will therefore have the following segments:
• Living room furniture
• Office furniture
• Terrasse and garden furniture
• Bathroom furniture
• Etc.
With each one of these segments, a marketing strategy must ideally be adopted to give the clientele an appropriate communication as we will see thereafter.
MARKETING STRATEGY
In this part, and after the analysis of both the business, clients and the market, we will elaborate an approach to promote our service or our product. It’s about constructing a model that the collaborator or marketing subcontractor will follow. Note that in our approach, we choose to not detect the need in the market but to honor the project brought by the economic actor, which gives them back the task to find the public capable of welcoming the utility of its project and to optimise sales to be viable and durable.
Budget
You must identify the budget allocated to the communication and promotional campaigns that are online or with the traditional media. You can either attribute an amount to a determined campaign number concerning each segment throughout the year. Or, you can operate per profit center (according to the size of your business) that will use the amount that will come back to them to promote their activities. By knowing the mean cost of a promotional campaign and the number that you want to get, you can determine the total budget by function of year or period.
Sales Objectives
In order to guide the Marketing effort, it is important to establish the sales objectives that will be pursued in the business cycle or the business project phase. Thus, for each type of work, give the detail of the composition of the income by pessimistic (minimum), nominal (Nominal) and optimistic (Maximum) simulation.
Example Guide:
Revenues structure (simulation of nominal annual revenues)
Minimum ($30,25k) Nominal (Amount) Maximum (Amount)
Work 1 $20 x 150h
Work 2 5 mois x $390 x 3pers
Work 3 $20,000
Work 4 15 jours x $50/h x 7h
Work 5 $20/h x 70h
Profit Objectives
Indicate in a sentence the policy chosen to achieve the desired profit for the economic cycle or the project phase. Either we set a fixed or incremental nominal margin (depending on the type of product or service) or we align with market prices and we focus on reducing costs internally to respect the desired margin. Indicate the percentage of profit pursued.
Advertising Objectives
Before engaging in promotional spending, it is right to identify the results and impact that we want to obtain in order to judge the performance of each one of them and to better lead the following. These objectives are either quantitative or qualitative, but in all cases, it is good that they be accompanied by one or more indicators to judge its efficiency: traffic on a page, amount of purchases, number of downloads, adhesion number, appreciation of comments, etc.
The Share Wiser technique that we are experimenting and that we propose to you passes by 5 actions:
1. Creating and promoting a profile in the sale space.
2. Passing the message on a basis of credibility or popularity of the virtual profile.
3. Generating revenue stemming from the message (content or paid service).
4. Promoting the cause linked to the mission and to wait for adhesion.
5. Transferring the responsibility of operations and promotion: new profile, message and mission.
A table stating the budget and objectives is a solution to the presentation.
Message
The message is the statement that relays the cause that you defend with your project that is in the right alignment of your vision.
Example Guide:
The message of The Wisemen Council is « Each Man is important in the eyes of God ». This is an exhortation to the generations of that era to preserve human heritage by passing by the correction of our attitudes to rebuild sources of legitimate pride and to live our economic efforts. It reaffirms the sacralisation of human life and the natural relationship to Earth undermined by legal or non-legal economic migrations that are powered by the distress of a knowledgeable or artisanal youth that lacks the outlets and opportunities to launch in the life of their traditional ecosystem.
Slogan
The slogan is the statement that characterizes your business and what is mentioned with your logo or the communication documents of your business. All of these elements must be declined according to the supports and segments to maintain coherence in the image of the business and to have more of a long term impact.
Example Guide:
The slogan of The Wisemen Council is “Our projects fulfill your ideas. Transcend your business!”, and that of Arnaud Segla, Consultant Manager, is « Go for business achievement! »
Growth Engine
A growth engine is a value or fact capable of mobilizing or engaging the clientele in permitting to improve sales or revenue and therefore the profit. It is a notion notably developed in the Lean start-up movement.
Example Guide:
The growth engine of The Wisemen Council is the confidence between the business and its clients that is forged by the quality of its presentations and its products. It is an intangible value characterizing the Informal philosophy that summarizes itself through faith and the associated paradigm, “faith is our strength and our motor”.
MIX MARKETING
Product Policy
State the products and services of your business project by briefly describing them. Make a list as needed.
Price Policy
Give your price list as a table.
Example Guide:
Profit unit Person in charge Target clientele Work detail Billing and pricingmethod
Profit unit 1 Name Type of client 1 Describe the work to be done Detail the billing method to the customer
Profit unit 2 Name Type of client 2 Describe the work to be done Detail the billing method to the customer
Point of Sale Policy
Describe the preferred mode of interaction with your customers. List the available points of sale or the tools used to reach them.
Promotion – Advertising Policy
Describe how you plan to administer promotional campaigns for your products and services. Specify in frequency, scope, targets, channels (digital or traditional, mixed) and expected results. You can also list the resources that will be useful to you.
PROJECT ENVIRONMENT
Actors
Provide a description of the sector actors and stakeholders that are likely to interact in the life of the project. You can write a text or make a detailed list.
Structures
Describe or list the structures present in your sector of activity or the segments in which you have positioned yourself
Political and Legal
Give the political and legal context of your business project. This can be based on an analysis, an observation or statistics collected in a research work.
Ethnocultural Conditions
Give the ethnocultural aspects of the project environment. These may be the habits of the customers or social interactions involving the ethnicity of the actors of the sector.
Socioeconomic Trends
State the different dynamics that govern the sector in which you operate. These can be social and / or economic.
NOMINAL ANNUAL ACTION PLAN
In this part, it’s about making a list of tasks to do nominally in each operational period in the framework of the marketing strategy. It is the equivalent of a backlog in Agile project management. The presentation in the table is recommended.
Example Guide:
# √ Title of the action to lead
and its detailed description Deadline Budget
Example
1. . E-book publication
– Send the manuscript of the project book after revision and translation January $75
2. . Launch of the book
– Promotional campaign in the media, online and traditional, to invite to purchase
– Putting in place gratuities and samples
February
$300
Etc.
DIRECTORY OF MEDIA CONTACTS
In this part, we gather all the contacts that we dispose of and that will be solicited to carry out our communication campaigns. It is a mini directory to be updated regularly and to continue to be developed over contacts.
Business Transmission Name of the contact Function Contact
Media 1 (Radio)
Media 2 (Radio)
Media 3 (Radio)
Media 4 (Blog)
Media 5 (Student newspaper)
Media 6 (Newspaper)
Media 7 (Community newspaper)
Media (community blog)
Media 8 (Online information site)
Media 9 (Business blog)
Etc.
COMMERCIAL HOOKS
In this part, we gather the key phrases used to address the clientele.
Example Guide:
Some public commercial hooks of The Wisemen Council:
2015-2016
“What can we do to make our business life simpler?”
2016-2017
“Live your interculturalism!”
2017-2018
“Reappropriate ourselves of our informal method in business… and let’s be performant!!!”
COMMUNICATION LIGNE
In this part we describe the materials and the way (background and form) underlying the production of supports to support the communication around the business project. For example you can say the type of photo you use, if there is a family of images that suits you (animals, nature, urban), tones (sepia, aged, lively), ideas conveyed etc. This is to allow any team to realize your visuals to know on which basis to work to respect your identity. Please insert some sample to illustrate.
Within our Collection
The Wisemen Council has committed to publishing digital books in three editorial lines namely “Economic Development”, “Ethnic Identity” and “Sustainable Development”. Our goal is to accompany the effort of reappropriation of the economic future and the renewal of the Black civilization in a logic of valorization and sharing with the other cultures of its philosophy and its informal Attitude. Our collection is part of the empirical research project of its Think Tank, the Ka Method, as well as its consulting activities in Project Strategy.
Published so far:
Economic Development Series
AnalysisCategory
Un aperçu des défis au sein de la communauté des entrepreneurs ethniques, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2015, ISBN: 978-2-9815262-0-5.
An overview of the challenges within the ethnic entrepreneur community, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2015, ISBN: 978-2-9815262-1-2.
L’entrepreneur informel entre efforts et peu de richesse, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9815262-6-7.
The informal entrepreneur between efforts and little wealth, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9815262-7-4.
Guides Category
Une entrepriseethniqueen 40 heures, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2014, ISBN 978-2-9813457-6-9.
Business in the box, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2014, ISBN 978-2-9813457-7-6.
L’art de s’intégrer par l’entrepreneuriat, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2014, ISBN 978-2-9813457-8-3.
Successful Citizens through entrepreneurship, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2014, ISBN 978-2-9813457-9-0.
Stratégie de projetsethniques, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN 978-2-9815262-2-9.
Ethnic Project strategy, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN 978-2-9815262-3-6.
Réussir par la voie Informelle, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN 978-2-9815262-4-3.
Succeeding through the informal way, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN 978-2-9815262-5-0.
Manuals Category
Attitude, Correction, Simplicité et Modération, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2017, ISBN 978-2-9816289-8-5.
Precise Category
Comment fonder mon entrepriseInformelle, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9815262-8-1.
How to settle my informal enterprise, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9815262-9-8.
Comment présenter mon projet informel à des personnes a ressources, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9816289-6-1.
How to present my informal project to people of resources, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9816289-7-8.
Comment créer mon entreprise ethnique, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9816289-0-9.
How do I create my ethnic business, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9816289-3-0.
Comment lancer mon entrepriseethnique, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9816289-2-3.
How to launch my ethnic business, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9816289-1-6.
Comment faire durer mon entreprise ethnique, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9816289-4-7.
How to make my ethnic business last, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2016, ISBN: 978-2-9816289-5-4.
Tools Category
Gabarit pour rédiger un plan d’affaires informel, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2018, ISBN : 978-2-9816289-9-2.
Template to write an informal business plan, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2018, ISBN : 978-2-924872-00-0.
Gabarit pour rédiger un plan de stratégie Marketing informel, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2018, ISBN : 978-2-924872-01-7.
Template to write an informal strategic Marketing plan, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2018, ISBN :978-2-924872-02-4.
Ethnic Identity Series
Quotes Category
Les Anges dans l’esprit, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2014, ISBN 978-2-9813457-5-2.
Short Stories Category
Le Point, quatre saisons pour reconstruire (première édition), Arnaud Segla, Les Éditions Grenier, 2011, ISBN 978-2-923470-45-0.
Le Point, quatre saisons pour reconstruire (édition révisée), Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2013, ISBN 978-2-9813457-0-7.
Au nom de l’a-guère, le jour du réveil, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2015, ISBN 978-2-9813457-4-5.
Novel Category
The Black Kingdom, la voie des dieux, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2013, ISBN 978-2-9813457-1-4.
Sustainable Development Series
Ka Method Category
Introduction à la Méthode Ka, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2013, ISBN 978-2-9813457-2-1.
Introduction to the Ka Method, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2013, ISBN 978-2-9813457-3-8.
Charte de projet de la Méthode Ka, Arnaud Segla, The Wisemen Council, 2012, –
These books are available to date on Amazon.
Photo: Awa Lake Diop
Arnaud Segla M. Sc., M. Sc. Admin., CAPM. Consultant Manager and coach in social ethnic, informal and numeric entrepreneurship projects. I organize and animate learning activities and accompany many entrepreneurs in the attaining of the objectives of their business project.
Since 2009 I offer consulting services for ethnic and informal entrepreneurship projects within the economic and identity development for migrant workforces. I associated myself with every helping stakeholder to realize my vision with the business The Wisemen Council.
“Making informal economy a quality alternative to the liberal System”