#2 - Most marketing plans don’t fail because of bad ideas. They fail because they’re disconnected from the business goals that actually matter — or they get abandoned by February.

In this episode, Mandy Hornaday walks through the six-step strategic marketing plan framework she uses with every client: a proven process for building a plan that earns executive buy-in, aligns tightly with business goals, and actually gets executed.

Whether you’re building your first strategic marketing plan or rebuilding one that’s been collecting dust, you’ll leave with a clear process, practical tools, and the confidence to lead your planning cycle like an operator.

The 6 steps covered in this episode:

• Step 1: Conduct a Marketing Landscape Review — internal and external research that sets the foundation
• Step 2: Vision and Goal Setting — how to set 3–5 high-impact marketing goals aligned to business outcomes
• Step 3: Strategy Ideation and Planning — growth strategy, campaign strategy, content, and channels
• Step 4: Build Your Execution Blueprint — quarterly roadmap, resourcing plan, and budget
• Step 5: Secure Executive Buy-In — how to get your peers, CEO, and CFO aligned and on board
• Step 6: Implementation and Operational Readiness — measurement, team structure, and systems

Chapter Markers:

• (00:00) Why Most Marketing Plans Fall Short
• (04:30) Step 1: Marketing Landscape Review
• (14:00) Step 2: Vision and Goal Setting
• (21:00) Step 3: Strategy Ideation and Planning
• (31:00) Step 4: Building the Execution Blueprint
• (43:00) Step 5: Securing Executive Buy-In
• (51:00) Step 6: Implementation and Operational Readiness

If this episode resonated, follow Growth Activated on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a review — it helps more marketing leaders find the show.

Growth Activated is hosted by Mandy Hornaday — strategist, fractional CMO, and coach for B2B marketing leaders ready to lead like operators. New episodes drop weekly.

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