Barriers impeding effective implementation of marketing plans – a training agenda

Abstract

The literature has for more than two decades warned of operational, organizational, dysfunctional, market and managerial barriers hindering the actioning of marketing plans and indeed acting as hurdles impeding the very activities at the heart of effective marketing management. Many observed problems stemmed from businesses failing to practice marketing or produce marketing plans. Most organizations do now produce marketing plans. However, it is clear from this study’s findings that there is still a significant set of factors acting to impede the progress of marketing planning. Many of these barriers are different in nature to those previously cited. Certain themes link with the growing literature examining internal and relationship marketing. Exponents of marketing planning must reflect this evolving pattern of hurdles in their approach to expediting marketing planning.