Marketing planning

Efficient (providing specific results) as well as effective
(i.e. following the rules of rational expenditures)
place marketing necessitates good marketing planning.


Place marketing plays an important role in the process of supporting the socio-economic development of places. The function of actions in the field of place marketing is the identification and mobilisation of the most important resources (e.g. cities, regions and other territorial units). By using various methods, concepts and marketing tools, one seeks to achieve the objectives of the development of a given place. The most important objective is always to improve residents’ quality of life. Therefore, the main goal of place marketing is NOT only promotion. Promotional techniques, in addition to creating and managing a territorial product, brand activities, in the field of customer loyalty, etc., are only one of many tools in place marketing. If used correctly, it may result in the formation of a strong place brand, according to the vision of its development.

Effective (providing adequate results) and at the same time efficient marketing (implemented by spending money in the right places) a place requires proper marketing planning. Only as part of a comprehensive marketing plan it is possible to build strong place branding. This plan has to coordinate not only the use of promotional tools, but also the budgets and the work of various entities – local stakeholders.

Methods of operation

Experts at the European Place Marketing Institute BEST PLACE have interdisciplinary experience, combine marketing knowledge (including branding, promotion, brand management), with planning of territorial development and regional economics. Place marketing plans should have a distinctive quality. This distinguishing feature relates both to the innovativeness and efficiency of the marketing tools, and also their coordination with maintaining consistency with the development of strategy of a given place.

Key assumptions

One of the key assumptions of the marketing programmes created by the BEST PLACE Institute is about giving a lot of opportunities to various stakeholders (e.g. municipalities, NGOs, local entrepreneurs) to achieve their own goals while strengthening the place brand (based on uniform principles and criteria of place promotion – on a local, regional, national, and sometimes international level).

When working on marketing programmes, the BEST PLACE Institute uses knowledge about modern trends in marketing, including place marketing such as:

  • Directing the focus toward the place brand – a consistent and comprehensive take on the concept of place marketing is centred around the idea and brand strength
  • Studying the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing activities – measurement concerns both individual promotional projects, as well as more complex activities related to brand management, including the effectiveness of its management
  • Using the most modern types of communication – the impact on the market with such marketing tools as geographic location (recommending events in a given geographical area, recommending and evaluating specific locations, navigation, mobile advertising, games geolocation); augmented reality (information about objects, “moving through time” thanks to modern digital technology), QR codes, city/region placement
  • The symbiosis of place brand with commercial brands, according to the principle of co-branding – establishing the cooperation of local self-government with local companies – owners of commercial brands for joint promotion and building a consistent image of the place
  • Coordinating all activities in local self-government units aimed at achieving the objectives of the marketing/brand territorial unit – the synergy of actions of many individuals (both within official structures and outside them)

Areas of specialisation

  • Auditing marketing activities of local self-government units, resulting in recommendations in terms of the objectives, directions and methods of operation, in the context of the growth of their usefulness, effectiveness and efficiency
  • Creating marketing plans (strategic and operational) – in cooperation with local self-government units and identified partners (consultation method, workshop method); the plans comprise:
    • defining objectives (the objective tree) in relation to the main guidelines (e.g. strategy of place development, place branding strategy)
    • defining the structure of marketing ventures (determining the total budget, assigning tasks, projects, budget framework, including their level of prioritisation and determining project coordinators)
    • characteristics of marketing projects, identifying the material scope, the budget framework and the assignment of these projects for a particular purpose (and brand identity components, if the plan is in line with the place branding – a connection with the target groups, values and brand personality traits)
    • determining the methods of implementation of projects and their verification (monitoring, control, evaluation)
    • individually designed consulting projects and training projects for local self-government units and institutions performing tasks in marketing places (offices investor service, science and technology parks, tourist organisations and others) in the field of marketing planning

 

 

Experience

  • Consulting project for the Warmian-Masurian Regional Government, in connection with participation in the international contest “The New7Wonders of Nature” and the campaign “Masuria – A Wonder of Nature”
  • Marketing planning training and marketing competence training, among others for the Warmian-Masurian Regional Government, Elbląg City Hall, Ciechanów City Hall, Bartoszyce City Hall and others
  • Development of the “Framework plan for promotional activities for 2013 – 2014” for the City Office of the Capital City of Warsaw
  • Development of a “mini-audit for the economic promotion of the Region of Silesia”
  • Development of two strategic programmes: “Territorial Marketing” and “Heritage and leisure industries” for Kraków Regional Government
  • Development of the principles of the marketing programmes for 2012 – 2016 for ICHOT Porta Posnania in Poznań
  • Development of the main areas of promotion and recommendation of strategic directions to promote Główno City Hall
  • Creating a “Programme for development and promotion of the product offer of Gdańsk and the surrounding region for 2014-2020”