The Building an Effective Marketing Plan Certificate Program will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to create a world-class marketing plan that moves a business forward and impacts revenue growth. This course will be highly interactive. You should expect to get to know your fellow classmates very well. Maybe you will start a company together?!

In this program, you will learn how each element fits into the overall plan of a business and how to develop and execute your own plans. The program content will cover everything from basic fundamentals to the latest trends, and you will develop your own marketing plan to take back to your organization. This six-week certificate program, taught by Mark Tack, can be taken as a stand-alone course, and also fulfills one of the core requirements in DePaul’s Integrated Marketing Communications Certificate Program.

Programs Associated with this Course

• Certificate in Building an Effective Marketing Plan
• Certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications

Testimonials

“I have experienced that the plan you develop in this class is a plan for your future. It is a step-by-step guide for how to have a successful plan, not just for your company, but for your life. The marketing plan I developed for this class helped me land a new job. I can’t recommend it enough.”
-   Erica Jai Lindsay

Who Should Attend

 

• Professionals who are involved in, or aspire to, lead and manage marketing within an organization
• Strategic planners interested in developing a more integrated, holistic marketing plan
• Professionals who implement and execute the strategic initiatives of their organization’s marketing plan
• Entrepreneurs and individuals interested in learning and understanding new marketing solutions, and how to effectively execute cutting-edge ideas and plans

 

Benefits

Through this program, you’ll learn to develop high-impact marketing plans by:

• Orchestrating programs that generate demand
• Crystalizing plans for building brand recognition
• Measuring marketing impact and performance
• Designing the optimal marketing team and talent
• Outlining a multi-phase roadmap for execution
• Assessing customer needs
• Analyzing market demand
• Evaluating competition
• Developing product marketing strategies
• Developing marketing promotion programs and budgets

 

Topics/Syllabus

 

Week 1 – Marketing Plan Fundamentals

• What is a marketing plan?
• Situational analysis (historical data)
• Company goals
• Target audience (segmentation and need)
• Market research and analysis
• Competitive analysis

Week 2 – Marketing Goals, Strategies and Positioning

• Marketing goals (roll-up to company goals)
• Marketing strategies
• Positioning and messaging
• Product and services direction and definition
• Product and services launches

Week 3 – Impacting Sales

• Sales channel strategy (distribution model, customer acquisition and lifetime value)
• Sales support (messaging, training, tools)
• Partner/channel strategy
• Pricing and packaging

Week 4 – Marketing Execution

• Campaigns
• Marketing channels/vehicles (PR, trade shows, social, email, website, direct mail, etc.)
• Programs
• Testing (messages, ideas, markets)
• Marketing activity timeline/calendar

Week 5 – Marketing Infrastructure

• Marketing team structure/growth/responsibilities (org chart)
• Technology (software)
• Budget allocation
• Metrics of achievement
• Assumptions, dependencies, risks

Week 6—Final Presentations

• Your final presentations and feedback
• The future of marketing for you and your business
• Scenario planning
• Ensuring your plan does NOT collect dust – ACTION PLAN

 

FAQ

Who teaches this certificate program?
Mark Tack is the instructor for this program. He has 20+ years of successful CMO and marketing leadership experience building pipeline-first marketing and demand generation engines for technology companies of all sizes. Currently, Mark is the Chief Marketing Officer at SundaySky where he drives marketing and demand generation strategy and execution globally.

Prior to joining SundaySky, Mark led marketing at top data tech companies like Acxiom, Experian and IRI, as well as high-growth SaaS leaders like Vibes and Integrate. As divisional CMO of Acxiom, a leader in data and marketing services, Mark led revenue growth to its highest level in company history and created a new industry category. At Vibes, Mark championed a wide range of innovations, from a complete rebranding to the creation of new industry categories and a fast and lean approach to product launches. During his tenure, inbound leads grew 15X and annual revenues more than doubled. 

In addition to his work as a marketing leader, Mark is an Adjunct Marketing Professor at DePaul University and author of Growth Engine, the definitive guide to pipeline-first marketing. Mark received a B.A. with Honors in Economics from the University of Iowa in 1999 and is an avid Hawkeye fan to this day. Based in the suburbs of Chicago, he enjoys baseball, fishing, and spending time with his family.

Are there course materials?
There are no books for this course. Handouts will be distributed on the first day of class. The cost of these materials is included in the course fee.

What are the requirements for the Integrated Marketing Communications Certificate?
To receive the IMC certificate, students must successfully complete three required courses and two elective courses plus one seminar. Follow the link to learn more about the IMC Certificate and review the list of courses.

Do I get DePaul credit for this class?
No, but some DePaul CPE courses have been approved for CEU credits. This is a professional education class, with different requirements than courses taken for academic credit.

How big is the class?
Class size is limited to allow for a more interactive environment in the classroom. Most classes have less than 20 students.

Will I have to write papers and take exams?
While the assignments differ for each instructor and course, you will be assigned non-graded homework, and you will receive feedback on each of your assignments. Some courses also include in-class presentations.

What is the difference between a certificate and a certification?
A certificate is earned after completion of a course or a series of courses. Certificates are usually awarded by a training provider or an educational institution. Certification typically includes an experience, an educational component and requires passing an exam. Certifications are awarded by governmental and/or professional agencies and often require recertification to remain certified.