Strategic marketing planning absolutely vital today: Emeritus Prof. Malcolm McDonald

Emeritus Prof. Malcolm McDonald

Prudent marketing will play a vital role in the post-COVID-19 era and this has to be understood by organisations, whether State or private. Resources will be initially limited and at times hardly sufficient for what needs to be done. 

In these circumstances perhaps organisations should focus more importantly on marketing planning, the pivotal aspect of marketing which is easily ignored in pursuing hurriedly thought of marketing activity, such as marketing communications.

“More resources and access to better resources will come from better marketing planning, where available resources will be utilised to extract the best value and ensure most productive marketing in practise. Marketing planning is not centric to marketing practitioners only, it is also relevant and beneficial to those in all aspects of commerce, entrepreneurs and even start-ups,” stated Eardley Perera who is working with The Malcolm McDonald Academy of the UK, headed by world renowned authority on marketing planning, Emeritus Professor Malcolm McDonald of Cranfield University fame, to rekindle and refine the marketing planning capabilities in organisations in Sri Lanka. 

“It is now well over four months since the UK lockdown was enforced and during this time, through countless Zoom webinars that I have run for international audiences, I have learned that strategic marketing planning has become even more crucial than it ever was. Far too many organisations are running around like headless chickens, damaging their businesses in the process, some of them to the point of extinction. At times like this, we all need to be ruthless in our determination to preserve the heart of the business – key products, key markets, key segments and key customers. But without a strategic plan, a north star to gather round, business resembles a human being without a brain, in other words, just a pointless collection of activities,” stated Professor McDonald.

Sri Lanka is fortunate that the academy has tailor-made an integrated Marketing Planning for Value program consisting of two core courses and six supplementary modules for managers in Sri Lanka; with the hope to vitalise national commerce and industry. Many MNCs consciously focus on marketing planning to succeed. 

“Malcolm and I have spent the last 30 years helping companies around the world to get robust plans in place to grow sales, profits and shareholder value.  The principles that we use are timeless and this I am delighted to say that this program is specifically designed for Sri Lanka businesses who need to plot a way out of the current COVID crisis. It is designed to help them produce a market-driven strategy and plan that will work in the current uncertain environment, both domestically and internationally.  Moreover, because it is online, participants can study at home and around their work commitments. They can find and enrol in the program at www.malcolmmcdonald.academy,” says Ed Bradford, a Director of The Malcolm McDonald Academy. 

“Without market-access strategies no business could succeed and sustain and, marketing planning is an absolute necessity in developing these strategies. With Sri Lanka looking in to international market opportunities to scale up, increase national wealth and survive/sustain; organisations will need to invest in developing good internal marketing planning skills and capabilities to face global challenges,” Perera added.

This program will be available to Sri Lankan participants from end September. It includes two free books that will be relevant and will be supplemented subsequently with exclusive interactive webinars with Professor McDonald and his team, for enrolled participants.