The Action Programs section of a marketing plan basically serves as a detailed promotions “to do” list.

In this section, please describe in 2-3 pages, four or more specific marketing, advertising, or promotion programs that your company will participate in during the first six months to achieve success in promoting your new product. Include the following:

What each program is. Define what will be done – and why. Here you describe the program, stating your objective. You then describe the results you expect for the company from the program. (This is the “why” or rationale for including it in your Action Plans in terms of how it will help your marketing plan). When the program will be done. Who will accomplish the program. Cost of the program.

The one element you don’t yet include in your Action Programs here is how each program will be carried out. The how of each program (tactics) will be added later to this document in Module 11 when you develop your “Implementation Plan.”

Example:

An example of an item that would appear in Action Programs would be a trade show. The Action Programs would list the specific trade show and the company’s objective for having someone attend the trade show. It would spell out what “results” are expected – the “why” or rationale for attending. It would also list dates of the trade show, who would attend, and costs.

Feel free to use a table format with the Action Program in the first column, and a description in the second colum