Marketing Strategy

Marketing Strategy: Your Battle Plan for Success

The Story: Building Your Lemonade Empire

Imagine you want to start the best lemonade stand in your neighborhood. But wait! There are already 3 other kids selling lemonade. How do you become the #1 lemonade seller?

You need a STRATEGY — a smart plan that helps you win!

Let’s learn how businesses create winning plans using 8 powerful tools.

1. Competitive Analysis: Know Your Rivals

What Is It?

It’s like being a detective who studies what other lemonade stands are doing.

Simple Example:

• Sarah sells lemonade for $1 with no ice
• Tom sells lemonade for $2 with fancy cups
• You notice: Nobody offers refills!

Your Discovery: Offer unlimited refills for $1.50 — you’re now different and better!

How Businesses Do It

graph TD
    A["Find Your Competitors"] --> B["Study Their Products"]
    B --> C["Check Their Prices"]
    C --> D["Read Customer Reviews"]
    D --> E["Find Their Weaknesses"]
    E --> F["Plan How to Be Better"]

Real Life Example

Netflix studied Blockbuster and noticed:

• People hated late fees
• Going to the store was annoying

Netflix’s move? No late fees + movies at home = WIN!

2. SWOT Analysis: Your Business X-Ray

What Is It?

SWOT helps you see everything clearly, like turning on the lights in a dark room.

Your Lemonade Stand SWOT

Strengths (Inside - Good)

• Mom’s secret recipe is amazing!
• You’re super friendly

Weaknesses (Inside - Bad)

• Only open on weekends
• Small budget for supplies

Opportunities (Outside - Good)

• Summer is coming = more thirsty people!
• The park nearby has no drinks

Threats (Outside - Bad)

• Rain could ruin your day
• New ice cream truck just arrived

graph TD
    subgraph INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS
    S["Strengths - Your Powers"]
    W["Weaknesses - Your Challenges"]
    end
    subgraph OUTSIDE WORLD
    O["Opportunities - Lucky Chances"]
    T["Threats - Dangers Ahead"]
    end

3. Marketing Strategy Development: Your Master Plan

What Is It?

It’s your big picture plan — WHO you’ll sell to, WHAT you’ll say, and HOW you’ll reach them.

The 3 Big Questions

1. WHO is my customer?

   • Kids playing in the park
   • Parents watching their kids
   • Joggers running by

2. WHY should they buy from ME?

   • Freshest lemons
   • Biggest cups
   • Friendliest service

3. HOW will I reach them?

   • Colorful signs
   • Free samples
   • Tell friends to spread the word

Real Life Example

Apple’s Strategy:

• WHO: People who want cool, simple technology
• WHY: Beautiful design that “just works”
• HOW: Stunning stores, amazing ads, loyal fans

4. Marketing Goal Setting: What Does Winning Look Like?

What Is It?

Goals are your finish lines. Without them, you don’t know if you’re winning!

SMART Goals

Your goals need to be SMART:

Example Goals for Your Lemonade Stand

• Sell 100 cups this month
• Get 10 repeat customers
• Make $50 profit
• Get 5 people to recommend us

5. Marketing Budget Allocation: Spending Money Wisely

What Is It?

You have $20 to grow your lemonade stand. Where should you spend it?

The Pie Chart of Money

pie title Where Does the $20 Go?
    "Signs & Decorations" : 30
    "Free Samples" : 25
    "Better Cups" : 25
    "Saving for Rain Days" : 20

Real Example

Golden Rule

Don’t spend all your money on one thing! Spread it out so you can try different ideas.

6. Channel Prioritization: Picking Your Best Roads

What Is It?

Channels are the “roads” customers take to find you. You can’t be on every road, so pick the best ones!

Your Lemonade Stand Channels

How to Pick

graph TD
    A["List All Channels"] --> B["Score Each One"]
    B --> C["How many people will see?"]
    B --> D["How much does it cost?"]
    B --> E["How much time does it take?"]
    C --> F["Pick Top 2-3 Channels"]
    D --> F
    E --> F

Real Example

A small bakery might choose:

1. Instagram (photos of yummy cakes = free!)
2. Google Maps (people search “bakery near me”)
3. Happy customers telling friends

They skip: TV ads (too expensive), Twitter (their customers aren’t there)

7. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The Price of Making a Friend

What Is It?

How much money does it cost to get ONE new customer?

Simple Math

CAC = Money Spent ÷ New Customers

You spent: $10 on signs
You got: 5 new customers
CAC = $10 ÷ 5 = $2 per customer

Why This Matters

Make CAC Lower

• Get happy customers to bring friends (FREE!)
• Make your signs work harder
• Be in places where customers already gather

8. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Friends Who Keep Coming Back

What Is It?

How much money will one customer give you over their WHOLE lifetime of buying from you?

Simple Math

CLV = Average Purchase × Times Per Year × Years

Example:
$2 per cup × 10 visits × 2 summers = $40 CLV

The Magic Rule

CLV should be BIGGER than CAC!

How to Increase CLV

• Make customers SO happy they come back
• Offer loyalty rewards (10th cup free!)
• Remember their names
• Add new products they’ll love

graph TD
    A["New Customer"] --> B["First Purchase"]
    B --> C["Great Experience"]
    C --> D["They Come Back"]
    D --> E["They Bring Friends"]
    E --> F["CLV Goes UP!"]

Putting It All Together

Your Marketing Strategy is like building a LEGO castle. Each piece matters:

1. Competitive Analysis — Study your rivals
2. SWOT Analysis — Know yourself inside and out
3. Strategy Development — Make the master plan
4. Goal Setting — Define what winning looks like
5. Budget Allocation — Spend money wisely
6. Channel Prioritization — Pick your best roads
7. CAC — Know the cost of each customer
8. CLV — Keep customers coming back

The Journey

graph TD
    A["Study Competitors"] --> B["Know Yourself SWOT"]
    B --> C["Create Strategy"]
    C --> D["Set Goals"]
    D --> E["Plan Budget"]
    E --> F["Pick Channels"]
    F --> G["Get Customers CAC"]
    G --> H["Keep Them Happy CLV"]
    H --> I["SUCCESS!"]

Key Takeaways

You now have the tools to build an amazing marketing strategy!

Start with understanding your rivals, know yourself, make a plan, set goals, spend wisely, pick the right channels, and always remember: getting customers is just the start — keeping them is where the real magic happens.

Now go build your lemonade empire!