What are the barriers to implementing a marketing plan and what can be done to overcome them?

According to McDonald marketing planning is "a logical sequence of events leading to the setting of marketing objectives and a formulation of plans for achieving them." (McDonald 2002 p56) The complexity of marketing planning means that when organizations embark on it, they should expect to encounter a number of organizational, attitudinal, process and cognitive problems (McDonald 2002). This essay is an attempt to outline some of those problems, however it is beyond this essay to clarify all …

…and discourage managers thinking strategically. Organisations should create a culture, which embraces marketing, it is, and should be a state of mind, with all departments involved. Organisations should develop the strategic long-term plan first and then create the short-term operational plans. The marketing planning process should be structured and planned extensively, with objectives listed in importance. Marketing planning and implementation face many barriers however following structured and planned models can avert and foresee potential problems.