What is the primary purpose of a marketing plan?

The primary purpose of a marketing plan is to outline marketing strategies and tactics. This plan serves as a roadmap for how a business intends to reach its target audience and achieve its marketing objectives. It includes critical elements such as market research, positioning, target demographics, pricing strategies, promotional plans, and distribution channels. By detailing these strategies, the marketing plan helps ensure that all marketing efforts are aligned with the overall business goals and provides a framework for measuring success and making adjustments as needed.

While assessing product performance, outlining financial strategies, and creating a sales forecast are all important aspects of running a business, they do not encapsulate the primary focus and intent of a marketing plan. These activities can be components of the broader business strategy but don't specifically address the marketing initiatives that drive customer engagement and sales. Therefore, the emphasis on marketing strategies and tactics is what fundamentally distinguishes the marketing plan's role in a business framework.