When doing an annual marketing plan, what frameworks and information do you use to build your plan so that you can communicate and collaborate with stakeholders?

When building an annual marketing plan, I focus on creating clarity around goals, solving open questions, and aligning stakeholders. Here’s my approach:

1. Start with the goals: I anchor the plan in company-level objectives (e.g., revenue growth, market share) and connect marketing-specific goals to those outcomes. For example, if the company is aiming for a 9% growth target, I might set objectives around acquisition campaigns, upselling, or increasing ARR per customer.

2. Define the big questions: I identify the key unknowns we need to answer to succeed. These could be customer insights, market dynamics, or competitive positioning gaps. For example, “What motivates restaurant owners to switch software during a downturn?” or “What price points drive the highest SaaS adoption?” These questions guide our research and experimentation priorities.

3. Use a prioritization framework: I rely on frameworks like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) or ICE (Impact, Confidence, Effort) to evaluate and prioritize initiatives. This ensures we focus on high-impact projects with the best ROI.

4. Organize around initiatives and projects: I group activities under strategic initiatives (e.g., monetization, customer acquisition) and break them into projects with clear timelines and owners. This makes it easier for stakeholders to see how individual tasks ladder up to broader goals.

5. Incorporate data and insights: I use historical performance data, market research, and stakeholder feedback to inform the plan. For example, if a previous campaign drove strong SQLs but low conversions, I’ll focus on messaging refinement or sales enablement.

6. Build flexibility into the plan: I account for shifting priorities by allocating resources for “wildcard” opportunities or market changes. Once, mid-year feedback from sales reshaped our focus, and having built-in flexibility kept us agile.

7. Visualize for collaboration: I create a roadmap or calendar to map out initiatives across the year, showing key milestones and decision points. This visual tool helps stakeholders understand the flow and timing of the plan.

8. Communicate and refine: I socialize the draft plan through iterative feedback sessions with key teams—sales, product, customer success—to ensure alignment. I ask questions like, “Does this address your biggest needs?” or “What’s missing that would make this more effective for you?”