Operational marketing agency, how do you move from strategy to action?
Marketing involves understanding customers’ needs and desires, and offering products and services that are superior to those of the competition in order to generate profits and a good corporate image.
To do this, it is necessary to study markets, trends and consumer behaviour, put in place an appropriate mix marketing (product, price, distribution and promotion) and integrate new technologies to interact with customers in a personalised and sustainable way.
Definition of strategic marketing
Strategic marketing is a long-term approach to defining a company’s overall strategy.
This involves determining the company’s vision, its market positioning, its objectives and the means to achieve them. This strategy is developed over a period of 3 to 5 years and serves as a guide for all the company’s marketing decisions.
Definition of operational marketing
Operational marketing, on the other hand, is a short-term approach aimed at implementing the marketing strategy defined by strategic marketing.
This involves translating the strategy into operational actions such as product design, pricing, advertising campaigns and product distribution in the marketplace. This approach focuses on deliverables of less than a year.
Strategic marketing vs operational marketing
Strategic marketing is about planning and defining long-term objectives, while operational marketing focuses on implementing short-term strategy. To be effective, both approaches need to work closely together to ensure that operational actions are aligned with the company’s overall strategy.
It is important to emphasise that the customer or target audience must be placed at the centre of all marketing decisions, whether in strategic or operational marketing.
Understanding customer needs and expectations is key to developing an effective marketing strategy that will meet market expectations and generate positive results for the business.
Operational marketing, the complete guide to setting up a plan to achieve your objectives
The key stages in drawing up an operational marketing plan
The operational marketing plan is a summary document which formalises the company’s short-term objectives by focusing on the elements of the marketing mix. It is mainly used by the marketing team, but all the internal departments of a company concerned with the marketing mix can participate. External players such as suppliers and other service providers are also involved in the process.
Here are the different stages involved in successfully achieving the objectives of the operational marketing plan:
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Review of the past year
It is important to evaluate the results of current marketing actions to decide whether they should be continued or stopped.
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Defining marketing objectives
- Overall objectives. These determine the financial targets, such as sales, market share, gross margin and profitability.
- The end customer category. This is key to defining the marketing strategy, by determining the needs and preferences of the target customers.
- Distributors. This concerns the choice of distribution channels and relations with commercial partners.
- The mix communication. This is made up of different communication tools to promote the company and its products to the target audience, working in particular on brand awareness and image.
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General principles of the operational marketing plan
- The major orientations linked to the mix marketing are decisive in the development of a company’s strategy.
- Decisions about products, distribution and communication must be consistent with the company’s strategic objectives.
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Action plan
- The action plan is drawn up using tools such as the SWOT analysis, the BCG matrix and the SMART method to determine the objectives to be achieved.
- It is important to put in place different action plans adapted to each product range, sales channel, communication target or communication technique in order to optimise the results of the marketing strategy.
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Estimated budget
Drawing up a realistic budget forecast for the coming year is crucial to ensuring effective financial management and planning the company’s expenditure.
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Control tools
Control tools must be presented in conjunction with the other players to ensure optimum synergy.
The advantages and disadvantages of implementing an operational marketing plan
The advantages of the operational marketing plan include the forecasting and planning of marketing actions over a defined period, enabling a roadmap to be drawn up for controlling the actions to be taken, control and budget forecasting, as well as effective communication and coordination between all the departments in a company.
However, there are disadvantages, such as the complexity of management, coordination between different players and the lack of simple metrics for analysing marketing operations.
Operational marketing agency, our dedicated division to meet your needs
Habefast is a communications agency with a business line dedicated to operational marketing.
We support companies in implementing and executing their communication and marketing strategies. Our team is made up of more than 25 experts in communications and marketing, graphics, design, SEO, data analysis, web development, etc., who work together to offer our customers customised solutions tailored to their needs and budget.
We specialise in the implementation of operational marketing strategies that enable companies to achieve their objectives. We support our customers at every stage in the implementation of their marketing strategy: from defining objectives to final execution, including the creation of high-impact visuals.
Our operational marketing services include :
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Data analysis and segmentation strategies
Data analysis can help to understand consumer trends and preferences, which in turn can help to develop effective segmentation strategies. These strategies can then be used to target specific consumer groups with personalised messages and offers.
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Competitive analysis
A competitive analysis helps you to understand your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, which can help you to develop more effective marketing strategies. This analysis will identify opportunities to differentiate yourself from the competition.
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Management of social networks
Social networks are a highly effective way of connecting with customers and building brand awareness. Managing social networks involves: creating engaging content, planning, publishing, interacting with followers and measuring results.
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Global communication campaigns
We create and implement comprehensive communication campaigns that combine traditional and digital strategies to reach a wide audience and maximise the impact of your message.
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Media plan management
We optimise the distribution of your advertising campaigns by selecting the best advertising channels and media according to your target audience, your budget and your marketing objectives.
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Optimising your website for SEO
Thanks to our Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques, we improve your website’s visibility on search engines to increase traffic and conversion rates.
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Content marketing
Creating quality content, such as blogs, articles, videos and infographics, can help boost brand awareness and attract new customers.
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Visual support
The creation of visuals for logos, websites, product videos, brochures, flyers and merchandising materials. We work closely with our clients to create innovative designs that reflect their brand and values, while attracting the attention of their target audience.
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Email marketing
Email marketing can be a highly effective tactic for engaging existing customers and building customer loyalty. Implementing a personalised email marketing strategy, using tools such as automation and segmentation, can help maximise the impact of this tactic.
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<inbound communication strategy
En utilisant des canaux tels que la presse, les réseaux sociaux, et les blogs pour toucher une audience ciblée. Nous pouvons vous aider à développer une stratégie de contenu efficace qui suscite l’intérêt de votre public cible, générer des leads et renforcer la notoriété de votre marque.
Using channels such as the press, social networks and blogs to reach a targeted audience. We can help you develop an effective content strategy that engages your target audience, generates leads and builds brand awareness.
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Acquisition campaigns
Through different advertising platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and influencer marketing. We can help you develop and implement an effective advertising strategy that will enable you to reach your target audience, increase your brand awareness and generate qualified leads.
We are committed to working closely with our customers to understand their needs and provide them with practical, creative and effective solutions that enable them to achieve their growth and development objectives.