How To Write An Executive Summary For A Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is essential when starting a new business or product. This plan guides your marketing activities, including creating brand awareness, creating competitive advantage, growing your customer base, and generating new leads.

Marketing plans can be complex because they go into detail about your overall marketing goals and supporting activities. This is why it is important to write the main summary of your marketing plan.

What is the main summary of a marketing plan?

As the name suggests, an executive summary shows the high level of your marketing plan. Its main purpose is to reduce the complex problems and projects of a large marketing plan to the essentials and show you your short and long term goals. In a page or two, outline the key findings of your marketing research and provide an overview of your brand goals, marketing objectives and related activities.

Abstract : The executive summary of the marketing plan is usually a page or two that provides an overview of the marketing plan.

How to write an executive summary of a marketing plan

The executive summary should include the key components of your marketing plan, as well as information about the company, brand, products or services, market, and general direction. While the marketing plan is often written in sections divided into subheadings, the executive summary is often written as a series of paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on a section of the marketing plan.

Here's how to write an executive summary and what information to include in each paragraph:

1. Write an introduction.

The executive summary should begin with an introduction that briefly explains what the reader can expect. This provides some useful context and makes the following points easier to understand. Explain in detail the project, the purpose of your marketing plan and the main benefits it offers to customers. Keep your presentation simple, concise and to the point.

Example : This plan is for XYZ Company, which sells tools to the IT industry. We have created a new tool for the healthcare industry that shows we have a unique opportunity to expand our marketing plans into new markets.

2. Describe your company and team.

Briefly describe your business, including history, structure, customer base and sales figures. List the key people involved in the business, their roles and responsibilities, their individual skills and experience, and their responsibilities in achieving marketing objectives. Include relevant third-party service providers (such as accountants, marketing professionals, and suppliers), your company name and location, and your contact information.

Example : Company XYZ has been around since 2010 and is headquartered in Anaheim, California. We sell equipment to the IT industry designed to increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.

3. Explain market conditions and trends.

Explain the market and industry sectors in which you sell your products and services and the key trends affecting them. List the factors affecting the market, the innovations taking place, and the major player or players.

Example : There are many large companies and small specialized companies that sell similar tools to the IT industry. Innovations in this market can be disruptive, but only when they offer significant benefits in terms of cost savings or efficiency.

4. A description of the products or services to be marketed.

Describe your products or services and explain their key features and benefits. Explain your unique selling proposition (USP) to show how your products or services are different or better than your competitors' offerings.

Example : We created a new tool for the healthcare industry that is not currently on the market. This new product offers healthcare companies greater efficiency and cost savings not available with existing products. Similar products exist in other industries, but there are currently no tools designed for the healthcare industry.

5. Define customer base and relevant marketing activities.

Explain the key aspects of your target audience and how to identify those customers. Briefly explain where you found your target customers and how you will reach them. Outline your promotional strategy, including key goals and relevant timelines. Explain your marketing priorities and how they relate to specific business activities (eg entering new markets or developing new products). Explain the methods you use to distribute your products or services.

Example : Our target market is large healthcare companies including hospitals, clinics and healthcare equipment manufacturers. We are planning to develop a marketing campaign through direct selling and social media marketing. [ Learn more about how to design an email marketing campaign that you can include in your marketing plan/executive summary .]

6. Define financial plans and forecasts.

Clearly describe key financial information related to short-term and long-term marketing activities. Provide line-by-line budget details to determine the success of individual activities and related measures.

Example : Our annual marketing budget is $100,000, which is divided into the following marketing activities.

7. Summarize your overall goals and related strategies.

Briefly describe the goals of the project and the strategies used to achieve those goals. Conclude with a few sentences that encourage the reader to review your marketing plan.

Example : We have established a marketing plan that will help us quickly catch up with the main players in the healthcare industry and become a leading supplier of equipment in this market. We use our sales experience in the IT sector to prove the benefits of our products.

Additional tips for writing an executive summary

These tips will help you create an effective executive summary of your marketing plan:

Write a final executive summary.

An executive summary is a brief description of your marketing plan. Write a complete marketing plan before you finalize that plan. Once you have all the information from your marketing plan, you can decide what is good enough to include in your executive summary.

Anyone reading the executive summary should have a thorough understanding of your marketing objectives. Tell your story. Explain what your company does and why you choose to do what you do. Talk about what's important to you, the people who will help you achieve your goals, and what you want to achieve with your marketing.

Bottom line : Telling your brand story engages readers and encourages them to read your entire marketing plan.

Take Notes.

Pay attention to everything when creating your marketing plan. These can include interesting statistics, memorable moments, key findings about your competitors, driving stories, promotional ideas and highlights. Find out what your favorite brands are up to, notice something interesting you read in a blog or article, or mention an interesting tool or technology you can apply to your business. These attractive executive summary ideas can be your inspiration.

Do your research.

Your executive summary should include key facts and findings, including market analysis and competitive analysis, as well as budget and financial considerations. Your comprehensive marketing plan will provide more detail, but the executive summary should contain important research information to keep the reader interested in your marketing plan.

Check your language.

An executive summary is a professional document, so it should be written in a professional style. However, the language should reflect who you are as a person and as a company.

Your executive summary tells your story. What is your style What is the style of your audience? The tone of this document should match your marketing materials and corporate voice.

Avoid clichés and exaggerations as they are inaccurate and can rub your readers the wrong way. Clichés often don't match the reality of your situation because they can overstate what you can actually offer. Is your company the best in class among all competitors? What defines "best"? Make sure your claims are specific and measurable.

Don't forget to trade.

Remember, the purpose of the executive summary is to market your business. The summary should summarize what is written in the marketing plan in a way that compels the reader to follow. Include the most important and interesting information and a brief explanation of the main instructions that will be of interest to the reader. [ Learn more about effective offline marketing strategies you can incorporate into your marketing plan .]

Connect today.

Your marketing plan should change over time, and so should your executive summary. Include significant changes in your products, services or technologies, or in your market and competition. For example, COVID-19 has forced many companies to change their marketing strategies and business practices. Your executive summary should reflect the changes your company has made to its marketing plan to address changes in the marketplace.

Tip : Treat your executive summary as a living document that can be edited just like your marketing plan. Write with the expectation that your business will change over time to reflect major changes in the market.

The importance of the executive summary in the marketing plan

A marketing plan has several benefits:

• This helps you understand the needs of your target audience.
• This allows you to market your products to meet the specific needs of your customers.
• This will determine the content you need to produce to support your marketing efforts.
• It defines your competitive advantage and your unique selling points.

A marketing plan is your guide to marketing your business effectively. The executive summary highlights the goals, actions, and most important research findings of your marketing plan. It's designed to grab your readers' attention and help them quickly understand where your business is going and how you plan to get there.

Additional reporting by Sean Beck

How to write an executive summary