Operational Marketing

Timelines of Marketing

For many marketeers marketing activities are hardly differentiated and the difference between Strategic Marketing and Operational Marketing is not or poorly defined. One of the core differences is the point in time within the product life cycle.

Once the market is defined, the product characteristics have been expressed and the core claims have been agreed, it is time to go out into the world and make all of this important. This is the core of Operational Marketing. So, operational marketing is an ongoing process to actively shape the market and the understanding of the customer. Within the pharmaceutical world this means to ensure that the scientific work around the product continues and the development stays within the scientific discussion among the relevant experts. Others news-worthy events need to be created to ensure that the relevant target groups will be continuously informed about the product and it's proper use.

As marketing is about shaping the market and the customers' understanding of the product, the marketing department is also involved in the promotion of the product. Marketing provides her the messages for the sales forces and prepares and produces the needed material to support sales activities. However it needs to be pointed out that promotion is just one part of the activities of operational marketing.

Frequently marketing is also confused with advertizing. Advertizing however is just a special form of promotion and thereby just a very small part of operational marketing.

Definition

Operational Marketing is

• to make people talk about your offerand
• to shape what they think and then say about your offer

Operational Marketing achieves this based on the sound knowledge of global and local market environments and an understanding of customer needs. It creates activities to attract and retain customers. It identifies high-value customers and maximizes their value by continuously meeting or exceeding their expectation and needs from the company and the product/services.

Operational Marketing is responsible for the implementation of global / regional strategies and for local brand management and activation. It includes the evaluation, prioritization, planning, execution and analysis of tactics within the marketing mix, maximizing the return on the investments with a view to continuous improvement.

Classical Activities

• Implements and drives segment and brand strategies in local and regional markets to optimize sales, margins, market share and penetration, in line with strategic business objectives
• Determines forecasts on released products
• Identifies and develops new tactics to promote and generate revenue for products.
• Provides daily business direction for assigned products.
• Supports and travels with sales staff in promotion of company products.
• Communicates with target customers
• Provides strategic business direction for assigned products, e.g.:
• Medical/Scientific Conferences
• Scientific Articles
• Creates and executes annual and midterm brand plans for all brands / products to achieve growth objectives and financial targets
• Identifies and acts on market trends, customer needs and competitor activities
• Supports business development activities and strategic marketing
• Manages portfolio in line with divisional and local / regional requirements / needs

Classical Deliverables for a Operational Marketer

• Annual and 3/1 year forecast
• Brand Plan/Marketing Plan
• Brand and Product Trainings (to the sales force)
• Organization of product events (e.g. scientific conferences, symposia, ... ...)
• Preparation/review of press events and releases
• Organization and orchestration of a permanent flow of news worthy events around the product/portfolio
• As a marketing representative, this person may be called upon to play a lead role in specific marketing endeavors

Outcomes of Operational Marketing Activities (Examples)

• The brand perception within the target audiences, as verified via market research
• Relative positioning of the product/portfolio/brand(s) versus competition
• Share of voice for the product/portfolio within the media (including the internet)
• Active support of sales activities

to mention just the most obveous.

This term was defined by: Max Beckmann - Status: October 2010