What is a marketing plan & how to write one [+ examples]

I’ve helped build marketing plans at startups where the entire “team” was just me and a Google Doc. Other times, I worked side-by-side with CMOs and VPs of marketing to launch new products, shift positioning, or scale growth. No matter the stage, the goal was the same: make a plan that actually gets used, not one that collects dust.

A good marketing plan isn’t about filling out a template. It’s about aligning your strategy with your resources, your goals, and your reality. In this guide, I’ll walk you step by step through exactly how to do that, plus share examples of what strong plans look like in the wild.

By the end, you’ll be ready to begin implementing your own marketing strategies — to take them from ideas to action. So, grab your free marketing plan template and let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• What is a marketing plan?
• Marketing Plan vs. Business Plan
• What’s included in a marketing plan?
• How to Write a Marketing Plan
• Types of Marketing Plans
• Sample Marketing Plan
• Marketing Plan FAQs
• Marketing Plan Examples

At its core, a marketing plan helps you:

• Align your team around shared priorities.
• Focus on the tactics that move the needle.
• Set goals and track performance.
• Make smarter decisions about where to invest your time and budget.

A good plan doesn’t have to be long. But it should be clear, actionable, and tied to real outcomes — not just activity.

Marketing Plan vs. Business Plan

A business plan covers your entire company — from your mission and market opportunity to your financials, hiring roadmap, and product strategy. A marketing plan is just one piece of that larger puzzle.

While a business plan lays out what your business is and where it’s going, a marketing plan focuses on how you’ll reach and convert your ideal customers along the way.

Pro tip: If you’re wondering where to start with executing a marketing plan, check out HubSpot’s Marketing Hub.

Marketing Plan vs. Marketing Strategy

A marketing strategy defines the “why” behind your efforts — the long-term vision and positioning that guide your team. Your marketing plan breaks that strategy down into clear, measurable actions.

Think of it this way:

• Strategy = Increase visibility among small business owners through content and partnerships.
• Plan = Launch a weekly blog, run a co-branded webinar series, and test LinkedIn ads targeting founders.

The strategy gives you direction. The plan turns that direction into motion.

For example: When I was working with a B2B startup looking to grow top-of-funnel traffic, the strategy was to position the brand as a go-to resource for sales teams. The marketing plan outlined how we’d get there: through SEO-focused blog content, a lead magnet campaign, and paid LinkedIn ads targeting sales leaders at mid-market companies. The plan mapped out the timing, content, budget, and KPIs — so everyone knew exactly what we were doing and why.

What’s included in a marketing plan?

Most marketing plans follow a similar structure — and for good reason. These core components help you turn strategy into focused execution. I’ve used this exact framework across different companies, from scrappy startups launching their first product to more mature teams scaling content or entering new markets.

Here’s what to include (and how I’ve seen each piece actually move the needle).

Executive Summary

This is the TL;DR of your entire plan — and the first thing stakeholders will look at. I’ve learned to keep this short, confident, and results-oriented. When I worked on a go-to-market plan at an early-stage SaaS company, this section helped align leadership around the “why” before we got into the “how.”

Focus on what you‘re trying to achieve, your target audience, and how you’ll get there. A few well-written paragraphs can go a long way in getting buy-in.

Target Market Analysis

Your entire plan depends on knowing exactly who you’re trying to reach. When I worked with a B2B fintech startup struggling to find product-market fit, we realized our original assumptions were way off.

We thought we were selling to businesses, but after digging into user behavior and testing new messaging, we discovered that our product actually resonated more with individual consumers. That shift to a direct-to-consumer (D2C) approach changed everything from how we talked about the product to where we showed up online.

Pro tip: I’ve found that combining qualitative insights (like customer interviews) with basic demographic and behavioral data is key. Defining your audience isn’t just a planning exercise — it’s what makes your messaging actually connect.

Competitive Analysis

I once worked with a company where “competitive research” meant checking a few websites. But a good competitive analysis goes deeper. It shows how you stack up in positioning, pricing, brand voice, and channel strategy — and where you can stand out.

Pro tip: I like to include a quick SWOT-style breakdown of top competitors, along with notes on how we’ll differentiate. Even a simple Google search audit can reveal a lot.

Marketing Strategies

This is your big-picture thinking — the “how” behind your goals. For example, a strategy might be: “Build thought leadership through SEO and original research” or “Drive product sign-ups through paid social and influencer partnerships.”

At one startup I worked with, our strategy was to “own the conversation around payroll compliance” through educational content and organic search. That approach not only built awareness, but later became a key sales enablement engine as we moved upmarket.

The strategy should reflect your goals, audience, and strengths. It also needs to be realistic — especially if you’re working with limited resources. I’ve made the mistake of overpromising here; now I always gut-check this section against our team’s actual capacity.

Tactics

This is where the real work starts. I like to break tactics down by channel or initiative: blog content, paid media, email, events, partnerships, etc.

One thing I’ve learned? Tactics only work when they’re connected back to strategy and resourced properly. It’s easy to list 30 things you could do — but a focused, realistic set of 5-8 well-executed tactics is almost always better.

Budget and Calendar

I’ve helped build marketing plans with five-figure budgets and ones with barely any — but either way, this part forces you to get specific. Where is the money going? When will things launch?

I recommend including both fixed and variable costs (freelancers, tools, ad spend) and mapping tactics across a simple monthly calendar. Even a rough timeline helps teams stay accountable.

Metrics

In one of my earliest marketing plans, I listed pageviews as a key performance indicator (KPI) — without tying it to any downstream goal. Lesson learned.

Now, I always define metrics in terms of what success actually looks like: signups, demos booked, deals influenced, etc. I also note which tools or KPI dashboards we’ll use to track performance.

1. Start with your mission.

Your marketing mission should support your broader business goals. It’s your north star — a short statement that explains what your team is trying to achieve and why.

For example, if your company’s mission is “to help small businesses manage their finances,” your marketing mission might be “to attract and educate small business owners through helpful, actionable content.”

I always start here. Even if the rest of the plan evolves, having a clear mission up top keeps everything aligned.

Pro tip: If you need help building your mission statement, check out this guide with mission statement examples and templates. And if you’re running a startup or small business, HubSpot’s starter bundle is a great all-in-one solution — it can help you find and win customers, execute content marketing plans, and more.

2. Set your KPIs.

I’ve seen too many plans fall apart because the goals weren’t clear or weren’t measurable. Setting KPIs forces you to define what success looks like from the start.

Think beyond vanity metrics like impressions. Ask: What’s the real outcome we’re driving? For example:

• Website traffic from organic search.
• Number of demo requests or product sign-ups.
• Cost per lead (CPL) from paid campaigns.
• Email engagement or conversion rates.

There are tons of other B2C and B2B marketing KPIs, but whatever you pick, make sure your reporting tools can track them easily — I’ve used HubSpot dashboards, Google Analytics, and even Notion for scrappier setups.

3. Define your buyer personas.

Who are you trying to reach? And what do they care about?

When I helped launch a B2B product that served both HR and finance leaders, we realized we needed two distinct personas with different pain points, language, and buying triggers. That insight completely changed how we structured our messaging and lead nurture flows.

Pro tip: You don’t need to overcomplicate this — a clear one-pager that covers demographics, goals, challenges, and buying behavior is often more than enough. HubSpot’s free Make My Persona tool is a great starting point.

4. Map out your content and channel strategy.

This is where most of the heavy lifting happens. I usually break this section down by:

• Content types (blog, video, email, lead magnets, etc.).
• Goals for each type (SEO traffic, lead gen, engagement).
• Channels for distribution (social, email, partnerships).
• Cadence and ownership (weekly blog posts, monthly webinars, etc.).

At one company, we focused 90% of our resources on SEO and LinkedIn because those channels consistently outperformed the rest. Prioritization is key — especially if your team is small.

5. Clarify what’s not in scope.

This might sound counterintuitive, but one of the most helpful things I include in a marketing plan is a quick list of what we’re not doing. Why? Because it sets boundaries — especially if you’re juggling a lot of requests from stakeholders.

For example: “This plan does not include event marketing or partner co-marketing initiatives, which will be addressed in a separate plan next quarter.”

It’s a small detail, but it can save you a lot of misalignment down the line.

6. Outline your budget.

Whether you’re working with $500 or $50,000, budgeting forces you to prioritize. I typically bucket costs into:

• Tools and software (e.g., CMS, analytics, email platform).
• Content production (e.g., freelance writers, designers).
• Paid media (e.g,. social ads, Google Ads).
• People (e.g., new hires or contractors).

Even a rough estimate by tactic helps leadership understand the tradeoffs. If you’ve never done it before, here are 8 free marketing budget templates to help you get started.

7. Identify your competition.

You probably know your top competitors … but putting it in writing helps you position your plan more strategically.

At one startup, we realized that even though we weren’t competing with a certain brand on product, we were absolutely competing with them for attention. That insight helped us rethink our content strategy to show up in more relevant conversations.

A simple competitive matrix including what they do well, and where you’re different, goes a long way here. You can get started with this exercise using these 10 free competitive analysis templates.

8. Assign roles and responsibilities.

I like to end every marketing plan with a clear breakdown of who’s doing what. This doesn’t need to be formal — even a simple chart with names, roles, and ownership can reduce confusion and help people feel accountable.

If it’s just you and a few freelancers? All the more reason to be clear. I’ve been there, and the only way to stay organized is to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Types of Marketing Plans

The type of marketing plan you create will depend on your company, your industry, and your business goals. Let’s take a look at five common types, along with templates from real-world businesses and brands.

1. Quarterly or Annual Marketing Plans

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A quarterly or annual marketing plan outlines your top priorities over a set time frame — typically three months (Q1–Q4) or a full calendar year. These plans help align teams, allocate resources, and map out when and where marketing efforts will happen.

This structure is especially useful when you need to present your plan to leadership or collaborate across departments like product, sales, or customer success.

I really like this downloadable template from Shopify that includes:

• Executive Summary. Business overview, team, and goals.
• Quarterly Plan Sections. Dedicated space for Q1 through Q4.
• Budget and Projections. Financial planning by time period.
• Market Research. Target market, competitor review, SWOT analysis.
• Marketing Strategy. Messaging and content focus areas.
• Measurement. A review framework to reflect on what worked (and what didn’t).

Best for (in my opinion):

• Teams that need a clear roadmap for the year.
• Startups pitching their strategy to stakeholders or investors.
• Marketers juggling multiple campaigns across different quarters.

2. Social Media Marketing Plan

A social media marketing plan outlines the platforms, content, and tactics you’ll use to grow your audience and connect with them consistently on social media. It typically includes details like post cadence, content types, campaign goals, and platform-specific strategies.

A lot of plans also include a paid strategy alongside organic efforts — especially if you’re launching a new product, running lead gen campaigns, or boosting high-performing content. Depending on your goals, that might mean testing native advertising placements or running targeted pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns on platforms like LinkedIn or Meta.

When I’ve built these in the past, the biggest challenge wasn’t creativity — it was focus. The best social plans prioritize the channels where your audience actually spends time and match the brand’s bandwidth to a realistic posting schedule.

If you’re looking for a framework to build your own, Hootsuite’s Social Media Strategy Template is a great starting point. It walks through how to audit your current channels, set SMART goals, define your content pillars, and measure performance across platforms. I like that it’s structured but still flexible — which is exactly what you need when priorities shift mid-quarter (as they always do).

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What you can expect in the Template:

• Channel-by-channel audit with engagement benchmarks.
• SMART goals tailored to each platform.
• Social audience personas.
• Content themes and post types.
• Editorial calendar by channel.
• Performance tracking framework.
• Budget section for paid ads and boosted content.

Best for (in my opinion):

• Brands building or refining their organic and paid social presence.
• Small teams or solo marketers managing multiple platforms.
• Launch campaigns that need both visibility and performance.

3. Content Marketing Plan

A content marketing plan outlines how you’ll use content to attract, engage, and convert your target audience. It includes what you’ll create, where it’ll live, how you’ll promote it, and how success will be measured. This type of plan is especially useful for teams looking to grow traffic, build authority, and support lead generation over time.

As a content marketer at heart, this is hands-down my favorite kind of plan to build. Whether launching a new blog, scaling an editorial calendar, or supporting a campaign with gated content — I love seeing how strategic efforts compound over time.

I’ve used content marketing plans to support product launches, test lead magnets, and build full-funnel SEO content strategies. The key is having a clear goal and not trying to do everything at once, especially if your team is small.

If you’re looking for a solid starting point, HubSpot’s Content Planning Template is a great free resource. It includes plug-and-play spreadsheets for content audits, campaign planning, editorial calendars, and performance tracking.

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Here’s what’s inside:

• A step-by-step how-to guide for building your plan.
• Tips and content strategies from HubSpot’s own marketing team.
• Eight downloadable templates, including:

• SWOT analysis
• Customer segmentation
• Content mapping
• Content ideation
• SEO planning
• Content calendar scheduling
• Campaign planning
• Performance tracking

Best for (in my opinion):

• Teams building or refining their content strategy.
• Startups shifting from ad-hoc posting to structured publishing.
• Marketers balancing brand-building with lead generation.

Pro tip: If you’re aiming to establish or boost your online presence, HubSpot also has a drag-and-drop website builder, which will help you create a digital footprint that sets the foundation for all your content marketing endeavors.

4. New Product Launch Marketing Plan

A new product launch marketing plan is your roadmap for introducing something new — whether it’s a product, feature, or service — to the market. It aligns internal teams, outlines key messaging, and maps out the channels and tactics you’ll use to generate awareness, excitement, and adoption.

I’ve created these plans for both scrappy startup launches and internal feature rollouts. The biggest lesson? You don’t need to launch everywhere all at once. You need the right message, in the right places, for the right audience. A solid plan keeps your team focused and helps you pivot quickly if something doesn’t land.

For a great example, CoSchedule’s Product Launch Marketing Plan Guide walks through how to build pre-launch buzz, coordinate cross-functional teams, and sustain momentum post-launch. It also includes timelines and content examples — which is incredibly helpful when you’re juggling multiple moving parts.

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This plan includes:

• Launch goals and messaging framework.
• Pre-launch, launch, and post-launch timelines.
• Key assets (landing pages, email sequences, PR, internal enablement).
• Target audience breakdowns and outreach plan.
• Promotional calendar across channels (social, email, paid, partnerships).
• Success metrics tied to adoption or revenue goals.

Best for (in my opinion):

• Startups launching their first product.
• SaaS companies rolling out new features or pricing tiers.
• Internal teams aligning go-to-market efforts across marketing, sales, and product.

5. Growth Marketing Plan

Growth marketing plans focus on experiment-driven tactics to drive outcomes like sign-ups, revenue, and retention. These plans prioritize rapid testing, data-driven decisions, and flexible strategies — blending growth, marketing, and product thinking.

In startups I’ve worked with, we often had to prove traction fast … without big budgets. A typical growth plan would start with an idea (like a referral offer or new feature), run a small experiment, measure the results, and double down on what worked.

One template I’ve found really practical is the Growth Marketing Plan Template by PandaDoc.

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It gives you a structure for documenting:

• Your core goals and KPIs.
• A hypothesis-driven experimentation roadmap.
• Channel-specific tactics (SEO, paid, email, referral, product-led).
• A clear timeline and measurement plan.
• Ownership for each initiative, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Best for (in my opinion):

• Startups pushing for product-marketing fit (who isn’t?).
• Small teams running growth sprints.
• Companies experimenting with new channels or viral loops without overbuilding.

Sample Marketing Plan

Now that we’ve walked through the different types of marketing plans, let’s put the pieces together.

This sample plan pulls from the structure I’ve used across multiple companies — whether building out a strategy from scratch or refining one that’s already in motion.

Psst! Follow along with HubSpot’s free marketing plan template.

1. Create an overview or primary objective.

Our business mission is to provide [service, product, solution] to help [audience] reach their [financial, educational, business related] goals without compromising their [your audience’s valuable asset: free time, mental health, budget, etc.]. We want to improve our social media presence while nurturing our relationships with collaborators and clients.

2. Determine the KPIs for this mission.

For example, if I wanted to focus on social media growth, my KPIs might look like this:

We want to achieve a minimum of [followers] with an engagement rate of [X] on [social media platform].

The goal is to achieve an increase of [Y] on recurring clients and new meaningful connections outside the platform by the end of the year.

3. Identify your buyer personas.

Use the following categories to create a target audience for your campaign.

• Age
• Gender
• Profession
• Background
• Interests
• Values
• Goals
• Pain points
• Social media platforms that they use
• Streaming platforms that they prefer

Pro tip: You can use HubSpot’s free Make My Persona tool to create these quickly.

4. Describe your content initiatives and strategies.

Our content pillars will be: [X, Y, Z].

Content pillars should be based on topics your audience needs to know. If your ideal clients are female entrepreneurs, then your content pillars might be: marketing, being a woman in business, remote working, and productivity hacks for entrepreneurs.

Then, determine anything that’s not in scope.

This marketing plan won’t be focusing on the following areas of improvement: [A, B, C].

5. Define your marketing budget.

Our marketing strategy will use a total of [Y] monthly. This will include anything from freelance collaborations to advertising.

6. Identify your competitors.

I like to work through the following questions to get a clear idea of who my competitors are:

• Which platforms do they use the most?
• How does their branding differentiate?
• How do they talk to their audiences?
• What valuable assets do customers talk about? And if they are receiving any negative feedback, what is it about?

7. Outline your plan’s contributors and their responsibilities.

Assign responsible parties to each portion of the plan.

Marketing will manage the content plan, implementation, and community interaction to reach the KPIs.

• Social media manager: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]
• Content strategist: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]
• Community manager: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]
• Sales will follow the line of the marketing work while creating and implementing an outreach strategy.
• Sales strategists: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]
• Sales executives: [hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations]
• Customer Service will nurture clients’ relationships to ensure that they have what they want. [Hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations].
• Project Managers will track the progress and team communication during the project. [Hours per week dedicated to the project, responsibilities, team communication requirements, expectations].

Marketing Plan FAQs

What is a typical marketing plan?

In my experience, a typical marketing plan outlines the strategy and steps needed to hit a specific goal — like generating leads, launching a new product, or growing brand awareness. Most plans include:

• A mission or objective.
• Target audience or buyer personas.
• Marketing channels and content strategy.
• Timeline and budget.
• KPIs or success metrics.

For example, if I were leading a tech startup launching a new mobile app, my marketing plan might include:

• Target audience or buyer personas for the app.
• Outline of how app features meet audience needs.
• Competitive analysis.
• Goals for conversion funnel and user acquisition.
• Marketing strategies and tactics for user acquisition.

I’ve seen everything from single-page marketing plans to detailed quarterly roadmaps. The format doesn’t matter as much as clarity and execution.

What should a good marketing plan include?

A strong plan doesn’t just list what you’ll do — it connects each tactic back to your goals. When I build a plan from scratch, I focus on four main things:

• Strategy. Does it support the business vision and highlight the unique value proposition?
• Clarity. Is it easy for anyone on the team to follow?
• Action. Does it include concrete next steps?
• Measurable Results. Does it define what success looks like?

Without those elements, I’ve found that plans tend to stay stuck in strategy mode — never quite making it to execution.

What are the most important parts of a marketing plan?

For me, the essentials are:

• A focused objective.
• A deep understanding of your audience.
• A clear channel/content strategy.
• A realistic budget.
• Success metrics that go beyond vanity stats.

At one company, we made the mistake of setting goals without mapping out ownership or budget — and things stalled. Once we adjusted for those gaps, execution moved a lot faster.

What questions should I ask when making a marketing plan?

When I’m kicking off a new plan, these are the questions I always ask:

• Who are we trying to reach? And what matters to them?
• What problems are we solving for them?
• Which tactics will actually move the needle?
• What resources do we have? And what’s missing?
• How will we know if it’s working?

Answering these up front has helped me avoid scope creep, stay focused, and keep the plan actionable.

How much does a marketing plan cost?

Creating the plan itself usually doesn’t cost much. I’ve built plenty using just Google Docs and a few free planning templates like this one. But the real cost comes from executing the plan.

Depending on your strategy, total costs can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands. That might include:

• Content creation (e.g., freelancers, design, video).
• Paid advertising or influencer campaigns.
• Software and tools (email, SEO, analytics).
• Events, partnerships, or other distribution costs.
• Tools and software (email, CMS, analytics).

That’s why I always include a budget section in the plan itself, even if it’s just an estimate. It helps everyone understand what resources are needed, what trade-offs might come up, and where investment will drive the most impact.

1. Airbnb

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While Airbnb doesn’t publicly publish formal marketing plans, its recent “Icons” campaign gives us a clear look at how a brand can execute a strategic shift in real time.

The campaign reframed Airbnb from a rental platform to an experience brand, offering access to one-of-a-kind stays and celebrity-hosted events — like spending the night in the Up house or attending a Doja Cat concert. Every “icon” was free or under $100, reinforcing Airbnb’s accessibility and storytelling roots.

Here’s what made this a standout marketing plan:

• Audience expansion. Designed to reach Gen Z and millennial travelers who value culture, creators, and novelty.
• Creative repositioning. It’s not about booking a bed — it’s about living a moment. That shift aligns with where travel is headed.
• Budget reallocation. Airbnb shifted marketing dollars from traditional efforts to back this campaign globally — emphasizing quality over quantity.

Why I Think This Marketing Plan Works

This isn’t a traditional PDF plan, but it’s a living strategy in motion. Airbnb is:

• Clearly defining what it wants to be: an experiences brand, not just rentals.
• Reallocating budgets around that shift — demonstrating strategic focus.
• Rolling out a testable, measurable campaign tied directly to growth performance.

From an insider POV, I admire how this mirrors what I do in startups: choose a purpose-driven message, re-center resources, and test a bold campaign to see if it moves metrics. Airbnb did just that and their strategy here is a good reminder that your “plan” can be a campaign with intentional design behind the effort.

2. Coca‑Cola

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Coca‑Cola has long been one of the most iconic names in marketing. From “Share a Coke” to holiday trucks and global Olympic campaigns, they’ve built a brand that feels universal — and somehow still personal. They’ve led the way in emotional storytelling, mass appeal, and brand consistency for decades. And they’re not slowing down.

According to their recent Growth Strategy, Coca‑Cola has fully embraced a networked, digital-first marketing model. That means:

• Local-first, digital-always. In 2024, 65% of Coca‑Cola’s media spend is digital (up from <30% in 2019), and content is crafted to match regional audiences and passion points from sports to music to gaming.
• Studio X. They built an internal digital marketing hub in partnership with WPP, now operating across 9 global locations. It allows them to generate ideas faster, more cost-effectively, and with greater relevance — a huge shift from traditional agency workflows.
• AI experimentation. Their 2024 holiday campaign was created using generative AI allowing them to produce localized, creative ads faster and at lower cost.

Why I Think This Marketing Plan Works

Coca‑Cola’s always been a master of storytelling, but what I admire most is how they keep evolving behind the scenes. They’re using structure, systems, and speed to scale brand magic globally.

In smaller orgs I’ve worked with, I’ve seen how even modest versions of this approach (streamlining workflows, investing in content ops, and focusing on digital) can have outsized impact.

3. Virginia Tourism Corporation

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“Virginia is for Lovers” isn’t just a slogan … it’s one of the most recognizable destination brand campaigns in the U.S. And behind that brand is a smart, structured strategy. Last November, Virginia Tourism Corporation released a comprehensive 63-page marketing plan that shows exactly how they’re keeping that momentum going — across channels, communities, and traveler types.

I’ve worked on destination marketing projects where the brand is strong, but the execution gets scattered. What I love about this plan is how it ties everything from local economic goals to TikTok campaigns back to a core emotional promise: Virginia is for lovers of food, art, nature, history, and connection.

Here’s what the plan gets right:

• A clear mission. Increase statewide visitor spending to over $100M per day by 2026.
• Audience segmentation. Detailed personas across Gen Z, BIPOC travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, LGBTQ+ audiences, and international visitors.
• Tactics that scale. A blend of paid media, influencer content, experiential activations, and a robust co-op program that helps local tourism boards fund and execute their own aligned campaigns.
• Measurement frameworks. ROI tied to hotel occupancy, attraction visits, campaign reach, and local partner participation.

Why I Think This Marketing Plan Works

A lot of public sector plans feel like reports. This one feels like a strategy you’d actually use. It balances a big-picture vision with channel-level execution — something I’ve worked hard to do when building integrated campaigns for regional brands and small startups alike.

When the brand is emotionally resonant and operationally actionable, you get plans like this. And they work.

4. Patagonia

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Patagonia doesn’t operate like most brands — and that’s intentional. Their marketing plan isn’t built around product drops or quarterly promo cycles. It’s built around a set of core values that guide every decision they make: quality, integrity, environmentalism, justice, and a refusal to follow convention.

In the past couple of years, those values showed up in everything from how they communicate to what they invest in:

• Worn Wear expansion. Patagonia scaled its resale and repair initiative globally, reinforcing its position as a brand that prioritizes keeping gear in use rather than replacing it. This wasn’t just a sustainability play, it was a brand trust move.
• Owned media as activism. Instead of chasing social trends, they focused on storytelling they control — like their long-form films, founder letters, and brand journalism. Their content feels more like a movement than a campaign.
• Purpose-driven structure. Patagonia remains fully owned by The Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit that directs all profits not reinvested back into the business toward environmental causes. That isn’t just a mission statement — it’s a legal structure designed to protect the brand’s impact model at scale.
• Marketing by doing. Patagonia recently partnered with advocacy groups to oppose mining near the Boundary Waters, published its carbon reduction commitments, and launched in-store education on regenerative agriculture.

Why I Think This Marketing Plan Works

I’ve worked with mission-driven brands trying to figure out how to express their values through marketing. What Patagonia proves is that when your values are real, and consistently activated across product, content, partnerships, and company structure, they become your marketing engine.

They’ve shown that it’s possible to build loyalty and growth through long-term trust, not short-term noise. For brands that want to lead with purpose, this is the blueprint.

5. Rare Beauty

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Like Patagonia, Rare Beauty is a brand where the mission isn’t just a slide in the deck — it’s the starting point for everything. Founded by Selena Gomez, Rare Beauty entered the beauty industry with a bold goal: to challenge unrealistic beauty standards and support mental health, especially for young people.

That clarity shows up in every part of their marketing plan.

In the past couple of years, Rare Beauty has continued to scale by staying tightly aligned to its brand purpose:

• Mission-aligned storytelling. Their campaigns don’t just show off products, they tell real stories about confidence, identity, and emotional well-being, often through the voices of creators and everyday users.
• The Rare Impact Fund. They’ve committed to donating 1% of all sales to expand mental health access, with a goal of raising $100M in ten years. It’s not buried in fine print, it’s front and center across their website, product packaging, and launch content.
• PESO-style campaign execution. Rare Beauty is a masterclass in balancing paid ads, earned media (like beauty editorial coverage), shared content (think UGC and influencer collaborations), and owned assets (emails, landing pages, Selena’s social posts).
• Gen Z fluency. Their campaigns feel native to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube — never overly polished or out of touch. They know how to show up authentically, consistently, and without chasing every trend.

Why I Think This Marketing Plan Works

Rare Beauty doesn’t just talk about mission, they operationalize it. And because that mission is so clear, every channel, partnership, and campaign reinforces it.

I’ve worked on early-stage brand launches where getting that alignment took weeks of back and forth. Rare Beauty shows what happens when you lead with purpose from day one and back it up with real funding, smart creative, and the kind of community-building most brands only dream about.

6. Tourism Australia

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When it comes to destination marketing, few organizations are as structured and brand-savvy as Tourism Australia. In July 2024, they published a 33-page corporate plan outlining how they’ll grow global demand, build industry partnerships, and deliver measurable impact over the next four years.

I’ve reviewed a lot of public marketing plans, and this one strikes a good balance between long-term vision and operational structure. It’s not just high-level goals, but it’s a roadmap for real execution.

Here’s what the plan includes:

• Strategic focus. They’re targeting high-value international travelers with a clear mission to “grow demand and foster a competitive and sustainable Australian tourism industry.”
• Branded campaign integration. Includes continued investment in the “Come and Say G’Day” campaign and expansion of cultural brand resources like their Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander marketing toolkit.
• Program-level goals. The plan is organized around two core pillars: Grow Demand (consumer marketing, brand, PR, trade) and Industry Development (partner support, tools, capability building).
• Measurable outcomes. Targets include increasing international tourism spend to over AUD 71.8B, improving stakeholder Net Promoter Scores, and boosting brand perception in key global markets.

Why I Think This Marketing Plan Works

It’s not just ambition, it’s clarity. Tourism Australia builds a multi-year plan that ties campaign work directly to economic impact, cultural relevance, and industry alignment.

That’s something I’ve worked to replicate in past roles: map your content and campaign decisions to bigger business outcomes, then back it up with frameworks your whole team can run with. This plan does that beautifully.

7. Microsoft Copilot

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While Microsoft doesn’t release traditional PDF marketing plans, their rollout of Copilot for Microsoft 365 offers a clear view into what a high-impact, enterprise-level GTM strategy looks like — one that combines technical innovation with content, adoption, and enablement at scale.

What stood out to me about this launch, and why it feels so relevant to my own background, is how structured and user-focused it was. I’ve worked on GTM campaigns for SaaS and AI-powered tools, and this is exactly the kind of cross-functional planning I’ve helped execute: aligning product teams, marketing, customer success, and sales under one message with shared KPIs.

Here’s how Microsoft approached it:

• Segmented messaging. They didn’t rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Value propositions were tailored by role, from C-suite to IT to frontline workers, with each use case tied to clear business benefits like time savings, automation, and data accessibility.
• Multi-channel activation. Microsoft launched across owned channels (the official blog), enterprise sales, partner networks, and flagship events like Microsoft Ignite — all reinforcing consistent messaging with localized execution.
• Product-led storytelling. Their demos showed real, in-product examples of how Copilot would improve workflows in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams — building user trust before adoption.
• Enablement and education. They developed a full AI Adoption Kit for enterprise customers, including internal rollout playbooks, training assets, and change management templates — a move that clearly recognized the complexity of AI onboarding.
• Transparency in performance. By the end of last year, nearly 70% of Fortune 500 companies were using Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Why I Think This Marketing Plan Works

This was more than a product launch — it was a purpose-built go-to-market engine. The rollout combined precise audience targeting, multi-channel coordination, and real-world enablement support, all powered by transparent results.

From my own work advising high-tech clients, I know this structured, data-driven approach is exactly how you turn innovation into adoption. Microsoft’s Copilot launch exemplifies that strategy in action.

8. Visit Billings

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The tourism board behind Montana’s largest city just published a detailed 52-page marketing plan, and it’s a fantastic example of how smaller destinations can execute at a high level. This plan combines community-driven messaging, strategic partnerships, and seasonal campaign rollouts to drive real tourism impact.

What stood out to me is how much clarity this plan brings — both for internal teams and external stakeholders. I’ve built similar campaign frameworks for regional brands, and having this level of alignment across economic goals, messaging, and media strategy makes all the difference.

Here’s what the plan covers:

• Vision and Objectives. Position Billings as the gateway to eastern Montana and Yellowstone, while driving overnight stays and economic activity year-round.
• Audience Focus. Targets regional road trippers, outdoor adventurers, group tour planners, and sports event organizers — with distinct tactics for each.
• Tactical Breakdown. Includes paid social, connected TV, out-of-home, and earned media. A full media calendar maps campaigns across seasons.
• Community and Partner Integration. The plan reflects collaboration with local hotels, venues, the Chamber of Commerce, and even healthcare partners to position Billings as both a leisure and business travel destination.
• Measurement. Tracks KPIs like occupancy rate, website sessions, campaign reach, and revenue generated from events.

Why I Think This Marketing Plan Works

It’s smart, scrappy, and measurable. Visit Billings doesn’t try to compete with major metros — they play to their strengths, back it with clear tactics, and involve the community at every step.

I’ve worked with small teams doing big things, and this is the kind of plan that keeps everyone focused while still leaving room for creative execution.

Get started on your marketing plan.

I’ve written marketing plans for SaaS startups, regional tourism boards, and mission-led consumer brands, and no matter the industry or budget, the best ones always start with clarity. Clarity about who you’re trying to reach, what your brand stands for, and how you’ll measure success. The formats vary, but the structure stays the same: vision, audience, tactics, and outcomes.

What I love about the examples in this post is how different they are, but they all reflect a strong point of view. That’s what makes a plan work. So if you’re building your own, don’t aim for perfect. Aim for useful. Start with what you know, adapt what fits, and build something your team can actually use.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in June 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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