Developing a marketing campaign - keywords

Marketing

The activities a business undertakes to identify and meet customer needs profitably (or to meet organizational objectives) by creating, promoting, and delivering products or services.

Aims

Broad goals a business wants to achieve (e.g., increase market share, expand internationally).

Objectives

Specific, measurable steps to achieve those aims (often SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).

Market

The group of actual and potential customers for a product or service.

Market size

The total volume or value of sales in a given market.

Market share

The proportion of the market (by value or volume) that a business or product has.

Mass market

A large, broad market aimed at many customers with similar needs.

Niche market

A smaller, more specialized segment of a market, often with specific needs.

Market segmentation

The process of dividing a market into distinct segments of customers who have similar characteristics (e.g., demographic, geographic, psychographic, behavioural) so that the business can target them more effectively.

Brand / branding

Brand: A name, sign, symbol or design that distinguishes a business’s product from competitors.

Branding: The actions taken to build and promote a brand.

Brand awareness

The extent to which consumers are familiar with a brand.

Brand loyalty

When customers repeatedly buy the same brand rather than competitors.

Brand personality

Human traits attributed to a brand (e.g., “fun”, “reliable”, “luxurious”) to help build customer connections.

Unique selling point (USP)

The factor that makes a product or service stand out from competitors — the “something different” that gives customers a reason to choose it.

Marketing mix

The combination of factors that a business controls to influence customers’ purchasing decisions. Traditionally the “4 P’s”: Product, Price, Place, Promotion. Extended versions include “7 P’s” with People, Process, Physical environment.

7P’s of marketing mix

Product: What is being sold (features, design, quality, packaging).

Price: What customers pay (pricing strategy, discounts).

Place: How, where and to whom the product is distributed.

Promotion: How the business communicates with customers and persuades them (advertising, PR, social media).

People: All human actors who interact with customers (staff, service).

Process: The procedures, mechanisms and flow of activities by which the service is delivered.

Physical environment: The environment in which the service is delivered or the product is presented.

Primary and secondary research

Primary research: Data collected first‐hand for a specific purpose (e.g., surveys, interviews, observation, focus groups).

Secondary research: Data already collected for other purposes (e.g., published reports, government statistics, internal sales data).

Quantitative vs qualitative data

Qualitative data: Descriptive, non-numerical data capturing opinions, attitudes, behaviours (e.g., interview responses, focus group comments).

Quantitative data: Numerical data that can be measured and expressed as numbers or percentages (e.g., survey tick boxes, sales figures).

Validity

Whether the research actually measures what it set out to measure.

Reliability

Whether the research can be repeated with the same results and is consistent.
These are important when analysing the strength of market research data.

SWOT analysis

A tool to analyse a business’s internal Strengths and Weaknesses, and external Opportunities and Threats. Useful for situational analysis when planning a marketing campaign.

PESTLE analysis

A tool to analyse external factors that can influence a business:

Political - government policies, political stability, trade tariffs and tax policies.

Economic - inflation, interest rates, unemployment rates, economic growth, and exchange rates.

Social - demographics, lifestyle, cultural trends, consumer attitudes, and population growth.

Technological - innovation, automation, research and development, and digital infrastructure.

Legal - employment laws, consumer rights, competition laws, and health and safety regulations.

Environmental - climate change, environmental laws, sustainability practices and ecological concerns.

Product life cycle

The stages a product goes through in the market: Research, Introduction, Growth, Maturity, Decline. Businesses use this concept to plan marketing and product strategies.

Target market

A specific group of potential customers at which the business aims its marketing efforts. It is defined by segmentation and is the focus of the marketing campaign.

Campaign budget

The amount of money allocated to a marketing campaign, covering promotional costs, media costs, staffing, materials etc. In campaign planning you must justify and monitor the budget.

Timeline / timescale

The schedule or plan showing when each part of the marketing campaign will be executed and over what duration. Helps with planning, monitoring and evaluating.

Monitoring

Checking on the campaign’s progress as it happens to ensure it stays on track (budget, reach, timing).

Evaluation

Assessing the campaign after it finishes (or at checkpoints) to see if objectives were met, what worked, what didn’t and what you would change next time.

Legal and ethical considerations

Marketing campaigns must follow legal regulations (advertising standards, consumer law, data protection) and consider ethics (truthfulness, social responsibility, sustainability) in their planning and execution.

Campaign rationale

A reasoned explanation (justification) of why a particular marketing campaign is proposed: how it links to research, the target market, the business’s aims & objectives, the chosen marketing mix, the budget and timescale.

Distribution channels

The routes through which a product or service reaches the consumer (e.g., direct online, retailers, wholesalers, mail order). The place choice is important in campaign planning.

Pricing strategies

Cost-Plus Pricing - Setting the price by adding a percentage (markup) to the total production cost.

Penetration Pricing - Setting a low price when entering a new market to attract customers quickly.

Price Skimming - Setting a high initial price for a new or unique product, then lowering it over time.

Competitive Pricing - Setting prices based on what competitors are charging for similar products.

Psychological Pricing - Setting prices that appear cheaper to customers (e.g., £9.99 instead of £10).

Premium Pricing - Setting a high price to reflect luxury, exclusivity, or superior quality.

Promotional Pricing - Temporarily lowering prices to boost short-term sales (e.g., discounts or offers).

Promotional tools

The different methods businesses use to communicate with customers: advertising, personal selling, public relations (PR), sponsorship, direct marketing, digital/online marketing, guerrilla marketing, product placement.

Guerrilla marketing

Guerrilla marketing is a low-cost, creative, and unconventional form of marketing designed to grab attention and make a strong impression on the public.

Internal marketing influences

Factors inside the business that affect its marketing activity: resources (finance, staff, technology), business culture, existing brand, business size, internal data, existing product range.

External marking influences

Factors outside the business that affect its marketing activity: competitors, market conditions, economy, legislation, culture, technology shifts, environment. (Much covered via PESTLE).