These days it seems there's no time to take your foot off the accelerator—even for a few minutes—to consider the big picture: your marketing plan. But while economic uncertainty makes planning challenging, a marketing plan can also offer new opportunities to reshape your strategy and redefine the work that gets done.

As part of the Gartner Group's "Marketing Essentials" series, Laura McLellan has published "Marketing Activity Cycle for High-Tech and Telecom Providers." The research provides a comprehensive framework for high-tech marketing teams to evaluate their activities against the norm.

Gartner's Activity Cycle comprises five broadly defined marketing phases:

1. Examine: assess market trends and dynamics; research competitors' strategies and capabilities; evaluate customer needs and buying trends.
2. Plan: define marketing strategy; recommend methods and resources as well as tactical plans to pursue strategy.
3. Execute: support product development; drive and manage product promotion, including developing value proposition and generating awareness and demand; manage sales readiness and customer experience.
4. Communicate: manage brand, customer relationships and customer communication at all levels; implement marketing communications, including outbound marketing activities.
5. Evaluate: with established performance measures, monitor feedback and results; measure success and take remedial action.

The Po!nt: Measure your own practices against each phase of the Activity Cycle to ensure that you are not neglecting crucial areas.

Source: Gartner for Business Leaders. Read full article here.

FIRE UP Your Digital Marketing Strategy this fall!

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