Marketing Plans for Services, Third Edition is written in a pragmatic, action-orientated style and each chapter has examples of marketing planning in practice. The authors highlight key misunderstandings about marketing and the nature of services and relationship marketing.
The marketer is taken step-by-step through the key phases of the marketing planning process and alerted to the barriers that can prevent a service organization being successful in introducing marketing planning. Practical frameworks and techniques are suggested for undertaking the marketing planning process and implementing the principles covered.

The world renowned authors also tackle key organizational aspects relating to marketing planning which can have a profound impact on its ultimate effectiveness. These include: marketing intelligence systems; market research; organization development stages; marketing orientation.

Marketing Plans for Services is for marketers in the service sector and students of marketing.

“Marketing Plans for Services is clearly the premier text in the field. From an explanation of ‘why’ services are driving all marketing activities to ‘measuring the results’, and all things in between, this new and updated text explains why and how ‘services’ are the key elements for most all 21st century organizations. Follow the masters of service marketing to marketplace success.” Professor Don Schultz, Northwestern University

Preface vii
The structure of this book and how to use it ix

List of figures xi

1 Marketing and services 1

2 The nature of services marketing 23

3 Marketing planning for services: the process 49

4 Marketing planning for services: the problems 63

5 Marketing planning Phase One: the strategic context 79

6 Marketing planning Phase Two: the situation review (Part 1) 107

7 Marketing planning Phase Two: the situation review (Part 2) 141

8 Marketing planning Phase Three: marketing strategy formulation 183

9 Marketing planning Phase Four: resource allocation, monitoring and detailed planning (Part 1: the budget, the service product plan and the communications plan) 213

10 Marketing planning Phase Four: resource allocation, monitoring and detailed planning (Part 2: price, place, people, processes and customer service) 267

11 Organizing for marketing planning 307

12 Measuring the effectiveness of marketing plans for service businesses 347

13 A step-by-step marketing planning system for service businesses 373

Examples of marketing plans 411

Glossary of marketing planning terms 469

References 477

Index 485