Even the best plan can fail. Even if one appreciates the importance of planning, he/she may not succeed. However, there are some commonly occurring causes pointed out that can affect the marketing planning in such a way that it is not completed successfully. These are:
- lack of a methodical approach – relying only on common sense rather than on systematic knowledge, attitude called “Somehow it will be”;
- too much emphasis on details – losing sight of the goals, strategies, and focus on the smallest details that are not necessarily relevant;
- too extensive marketing plan – it is believed that a marketing plan that has more than 20 pages will not be useful. Only the important elements of a marketing plan (e.g. blueprint for promotion sales and advertising) can be very accurately described;
- too far looking ahead in the future – spinning a vision far into the future, while probably marketing plan will first need some adjustments under different circumstances;
- lack of support from management (linear and top) – hampered contact with management, low competence of managers, which result in “cut-off” from the new ideas, lack of interest, lack of support both during the planning and implementation;
- treatment of marketing planning as a necessary evil, something that must be accomplished once during the year and then it can be forgotten;
- separation of the operational planning and strategic planning;
- too much emphasis on numbers – include only calculations, statements, no description of what is to be achieved and how, etc.;
- insufficient consideration of the customers’ needs and requirements- focus on the company only, on sales volume, forgetting that the client is the recipient of actions carried out, the product is prepared for him to make him buy it.