Business Case

• A business case is a justification for investing resources for marketing expenditure (time, money, personnel) by outlining the expected: – benefits, – costs/resources – risks
• Show how the marketing strategy supports key objectives: –revenue growth, – market expansion, –customer acquisition and –brand awareness.
• Convincing business case demonstrates: clear value, measurable outcomes, and alignment with broader strategic objectives.
• Reflect the company’s long-term vision and competitive positioning.

• Prioritize marketing expenditure =
  – assess the impact of different marketing activities
  – determine which ones contribute most to achieving key business goals
• There are financial techniques and forecasting methods to do this =
  – ensure that their marketing expenditure is optimised to deliver objectives
• business case = rationale for marketing expenditure =
• – outlining how resources will be allocated to support overall business strategy and marketing objectives.
• convincing case demonstrates for each marketing initiative:
  – risks,
  – benefits
  – required resources

RISKS

• Potential challenges
  • budget overruns
  • lower-than-expected returns
  • shifts in market demand
• Mitigation strategies

BENEFITS

• Potential positive outcomes:
  • increased sales,
  • improved brand recognition
  • improved customer retention.
• Quantify these benefits in financial terms 

RESOURCES

• Effective = careful allocation of resources => initiatives are executed efficiently + align with business objectives = commercial intelligence

RESOURCE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

#1 Resource audit

1. make resource audit before a marketing campaign.
2. assess financial, human and technological resources (budget, marketing platforms, team expertise, third-party services) are available to achieve goals.
3. understand your capacity and constraints = allocate resources effectively across campaigns = avoid over- or under-utilisation.
4. Omnichannel strategy. distribute resources across online and offline channels. omnichannel strategy = seamless customer experience across multiple touchpoints
5. allocate resources where they can make the most impact
6. digital tools (AI, automation and analytics platforms) => respond to customer behaviours in real-time=> optimise content personalisation, ad spend.

#2 Resource allocation

• allocate resources to the most critical marketing activities.
• prioritise initiatives that deliver the highest returns – highest ROMI
• align resources with business objectives (boosting revenue, improving customer retention or expanding market share)
• Dedicate a portion of your budget to to accommodate unexpected changes in the market or campaign performance= > reallocate resources based on real-time data and emerging opportunities = > agile enough to pivot.

#3 Financial analysis

• financial analysis at every stage of the marketing process
• Forecasting, cost-benefit analysis and ROMI calculations = justification of investments
• forecasting techniques to estimate future marketing spend, plan for potential market changes => budget supports your objectives even in uncertain conditions:
  – predictive modelling,
  – regression analysis
  -time series analysis
• Cost-benefit analysis. Compare the cost of each marketing initiative with its potential return = allocate resources to the most effective activities => each investment justified
• Regularly calculate ROMI for each marketing activity = justify the expenditure = allocate funds to campaigns with measurable value
• Dedicate a portion of your budget to A/B testing or pilot campaigns = gather valuable real-time data = fine-tune campaigns = improve resource efficiency = reduce risk.

#4 Critical success factors

• every action should contribute meaningfully to business goals
• critical success factors = benchmarks for tracking and improving performance.
• 1. Define KPIs =directly relate to your overarching business goals (increasing market share, driving revenue or improving brand awareness)
• KPIs should guide every marketing decision
• 2. Break down your overall objectives into measurable milestones. = monitor progress and adjust tactics = keep campaigns on track and meet deadlines
• Embrace a mindset of continuous optimisation = Real-time feedback loops = ongoing improvements = refine campaigns as they progress = ensure sustained success.

#5 Project planning

• Project planning= all marketing activities are well-organised = resources are deployed efficiently.
• A well-structured plan = progress tracking + adjustments when needed.
• 1. Use project management tools = create a clear visual timeline of all marketing activities.
• Gantt charts, Kanban boards, platforms like Trello or Asana = keep everyone aligned on key tasks, deadlines and progress updates
• 2. Allocate specific resources (budget, personnel or technology) to each task = ensures that every task is completed within the set timeframes
• 3. Identify task dependencies to avoid delays = Use tools to track progress in real-time = adjust timelines and resource allocation as needed.

#6 Accountability and responsibility

• Clear ownership and accountability = defined roles and responsibilities for campaigns
• Each task and campaign should have owner responsible for its success – accountability = someone is consistently driving progress toward objectives
• Align marketing efforts with sales, finance and operations = communication and collaboration = prevent misunderstandings
• regular reporting = updates on the progress of marketing activities, resource utilisation and spend.
• periodic performance reviews => objectives are being met? => make adjustments