Many marketing plans fail to deliver measurable value because they lack structure, clarity, or a focus on strategic impact. In this diagnostic tool developed by Professor Malcolm McDonald, businesses can evaluate their marketing plans against a clear, five-level grid that spans every critical element — from purpose and financials to segmentation, SWOT analysis, and strategy execution.
Used in boardrooms and strategy workshops worldwide, the Quick Evaluation Grid helps organisations benchmark their planning process and identify where improvements are needed to ensure alignment with profitable growth.
Why It Matters
- Most marketing plans are vague, overly tactical, or disconnected from the company’s financial goals
- This framework provides a structured, evidence-based method for assessing plan quality
- Each component is rated from Level 1 (best practice) to Level 5 (non-existent)
Core Evaluation Areas
- Mission & Purpose: Is the business definition, role and direction clear?
- Financial Summary: Are revenue, profit, and growth drivers quantified?
- Market Mapping: Are customer needs and segments clearly defined?
- Segmented SWOT: Are CSFs weighted and linked to action?
- Portfolio Summary: Are segments prioritised by profit potential?
- Objectives & Strategies: Are targets quantified and aligned with clear 4P strategies?
- Budgets: Are budgets realistic and tied to the above?
Insight
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure. A marketing plan must define, quantify, and prove its value — not just describe intentions.” – Professor Malcolm McDonald
Download the Evaluation Grid
This summary introduces the framework, but the full deck includes the evaluation criteria in full and a structured growth process model.