Planned and Emergent Approaches to Marketing Band Business Planning - Essay Example

Major Research Essay It is always the aim of every business organization and any marketing activity to reap maximum benefits in the present times and in the future. For this reason, it has become of utmost importance for business organizations and marketing managers to come up with strategies which enables them to cope with operational challenges in the present and possibly do so successfully in the future. There are two main approaches to strategy namely planned and emergent strategies. Planned strategies are characterized by a formal structure, a formal process and a formal control (Laing & McKee 2000, p.576). Planning is all about coming up with a definite plan of achieving a specific goal. Ideally, planed strategies are associated with a prediction of the future. It is also characterized by centralization and formalization of activities. On the other hand, emergent strategies are strategies which are established on progress (Mintzberg & James, 1985, p.258). Generally, emergent strategies are established when the need for strategy comes up. Emergent strategies are characterized by innovation, continuous learning, observation and improvisation. Practically, it is almost impossible for an organization to employ only one strategy approach. There is always a need to strike a balance between the two approaches so as to ensure that the strategy is relevant to an organization. This essay will discuss the game and driving markets theory with relevance to their abilities to provide a balance between planned and emergent strategies. The planned strategy approach was devised by Michael Porter. Porter described the market as a stage where the actions on the scenes are influence by constant and specific forces. Due to this point, a planned strategy approach tends to predict what will happen in the market; hence making the planned strategy approach is more specific, centralized and formal. A planned strategy to business and marketing outlines specific sets of goals which are to be achieved within a specific period of time (usually long term) and a clear way of achieving them. On the other hand, an emergent approach to strategy is influenced by the changes which occur over time (Tilebein 2006, p. 1088). An emergent strategy takes onto consideration the occurrences which have occurred within a specific period of time (usually short term) and finds an innovative way of aligning an organization to the change. For this reason, emergent strategies are associated with continuous learning, observation, innovation and improvisation (Mintzberg & James, 1985, p.258). The two approaches to marketing and business have ability to impact positively on the marketing planning process. Each of the approaches has something to bring to the marketing process. The planned approach to strategy emphasizes on the need of a definite plan to achieve a specific set of goals (Schell 2007, p.28). On this point, it is worth noting the importance of a plan to a marketing or business strategy. Firstly, a plan outlines a set of specific objectives which an organization must fulfill within a specific period of time. For this reason, it enables the organization to pool its resources towards achieving the goals (Shiner 2007, p.24). Secondly, it enables an organization to evaluate where it is and the exact state it wants to be in within a specific period of time. Lastly, a planned strategy outlines who is to do what; hence enabling an organization to establish an appropriate management and organizational structure thus enabling it to meet its goals. Just as a plan is beneficial to a business so is to a marketing plan (Shiner 2007, p.24). A planned approach empowers the marketers to hit specific targets within specific durations of time under minimal costs. On the other hand, an emergent approach to strategy empowers an organization or marketing team to counter the operational challenges which occur over time (Mintzberg & James, 1985, p.258). The approach acknowledged the fact that the business world is dynamic in nature; hence necessitating the need to counter problems as they come. The approach upholds the need for continuous learning so as to understand the changing market, continuous observation so as to identify specific changes n the market and improvisation and innovation so as to come up with unique ways of countering changes in the market. Owing to the fact that consumers tastes, behaviors and preferences are equally dynamic, an emergent approach to market planning comes in handy to enable marketers come up with the most appropriate strategies. The relevance of the two approaches to the modern business and marketing world has been a subject of much contention. However, one thing which comes up clearly is that there is a need for a balance between the two approaches. This is due to the need of an organization to compliment the weaknesses of each other in addition to benefitting from the strengths of each other (Lecture Notes, 2013). The need for balancing the two lies in their strengths and weaknesses. Firstly, it can be acknowledged that there is always a need to have a plan to do something. As the famous saying goes’ if one does not know the destination he or she is headed to, any way will lead him or her there’. For this reason, there is a need for an organization to outline the specific state which it wants to be in a specific time in the future. This gives the need to have some aspects of a planned approach to a marketing strategy. In so doing, an organization will be able to hit specific marketing targets in a given period of time (ODriscoll 2008, p.98). Secondly, there is always a need to be specific to a target market in marketing. Ideally, every organization produces products which are targeted to a specific market. For this reason, there is a need to focus on the specific market segment, hence ensuring that an organization is able to reach out to it, hence reaping associated benefits of successful marketing (Brown & Eisenhardt 1988, p.5). On this point, there is a need to have elements of a planned approach to marketing strategy. On the other hand, it must be acknowledged that the market is ever changing (University of South Australia 2006, p.3). Looking at the modern consumers, it is no longer possible to predict the exact state of the market in the future. Taking an example of the phone manufacturing industry, it can be acknowledged that the technological changes in the market tend to limit an organization to short term marketing strategies. Taking an example of smart phones, it can be acknowledged that there is a high competition which has necessitated the manufactures to be on their toes; coming up with products and marketing strategies which best fit the current situation in the market. Several months ago, smart phone manufactures had focused on android operation systems; currently, the focus is on windows operating systems. The unprecedented competition has led to the partnering of various companies for instance Nokia and Microsoft and Samsung and Google. From this, it can be acknowledged that there is a need to have an emergent approach to marketing and business strategies. There are two approaches which can be used to balance between a planned and emergent approach to marketing strategy namely the game theory and the driving markets approach. The game theory perceives business and marketing as games (Adam 1995, p. 58). In order to emerge victorious, one must be able to play in the right game and according to the most appropriate strategies. The game theory stresses that an organization should look at the game ‘business or marketing’ from the perception of theory opponent or competitors. From this side, they would be able to make calculated moves in addition to being able to counter any moves made by them (Adam 1995, p. 59). In addition to this, an organization must be able to dictate the rules of the game since it is due to benefit much more in such a condition. The theory goes along to specify that one should change the game in order to suit his or her chances of benefiting from it more. The theory recommends that an organization can either change the players, the added value, the rules, the tactics or the scope of the game. Key to the game is the need to know the exact time to make a move. This gives rise to the need of continuously analyzing the occurrences on the ground and thereby identifying specific areas on the game where an organization can benefit from (Lecture Notes, 2013). Employing the game theory is a good approach to ensuring that an organization is able to balance between a planned and emergent marketing strategy. The other approach which an organization can use to strike a balance between a planned and a strategic approach to marketing and business plans is by employing the use of a market driving approach (Lecture Notes, 2013). The market driving approach entails the use of strategies which enable an organization to call the shots in the market. It enables an organization to dictate the rules of engagement in the market. This is made possible by an organization either changing the composition of the players in the market. An organization can buy out other firms in the market hence influencing the composition of the players in the market. An organization can also drive the market by changing the roles of the players in the market (Lecture Notes, 2013). For instance, an organization can turn competitors into retailers or suppliers by enacting strategies which change their roles. Secondly, an organization can drive the market by changing the behaviors of the players in the market. This influences their activity in the market and ultimately leaving the driving in charge of the market. An organization may also look into options of integrating the use of both approaches. The game theory and the market driving frameworks are both effective in enabling an organization strike a balance between the planned and emergent approaches to strategy. Looking at the two frameworks, it can be acknowledged that the market driving framework is more effective than the game theory approach. However, achieving this framework is harder than the later. The effectiveness of the market driving approach is bestowed in the ability of the framework to control the market (Lecture Notes, 2013). As outline earlier in this essay, the market driving framework provides an organization with an ability to control the market by either changing the role and composition of other players or changing the behavior of the players. An organization may also opt for both approaches. The market driving framework gives an organization a long term solution to dictating the market hence being able to strike a balance between the planned and emergent approaches to marketing strategy (Lecture Notes, 2013). It puts an organization to strike a balance between uncertainty and predictability of the market. On the other hand, the game theory becomes a very effective framework in instances when an organization is not able to influence its competitors; hence being able to drive the market. It is easier to implement the game theory as compared to the market driving approach. With a good management system, an organization is able to make the right moves hence being able to impact more in the market as compared to its competitors (Lecture Notes, 2013). From the perspective that an organization is able to make the correct moves, an organization is able to predict the future to some extent, hence being able to integrate in a planned strategy. On the other hand, it is able to handle uncertainty hence implementing an emergent strategy to some extent hence balancing between the two approaches. In conclusion, this essay has been able to give a deep insight into planned and emergent approaches to marketing band business planning. It was identified that planned strategies are associated with specific plans of getting to a specific set of goals while an emergent plan is in response to emerging issues during operation. From the essay, it was acknowledged that there is a need to integrate elements from each of the approaches so as to put an organization at a better chance of succeeding in the market. It came out strongly in the essay that there is a need for a plan in business since it guides an organization to its success. In addition to this, it was identified that the business world is dynamic and so is the market. For this reason there is a need for a strategy which is able to take care of the emerging issues; hence aligning an organization towards providing solutions to the changes. This gives the need for the balancing of the two approaches by using various frameworks. On this, the essay has discussed about the effectiveness of the game theory and the market driving frameworks. From the essay, it can be concluded that there is a need for an organization to use both the planned and emergent approaches to marketing and business strategies. However, a balance between the two must be stricken by implementing either the game theory or the market-driving framework. References Adam, B., 1995. Right Game: Use Game Theory to Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review. Vol.73, No. 4 ; pp. 57-71 Brown, S., & Eisenhardt, K., 1988. Ch. 1 Competing On The Edge: Strategy As Structured Chaos In Strategic Challenge Of Change, Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business School Press, pp. 3-24 Laing, A., & McKee, L., 2000. Structuring The Marketing Function In Complex Professional Service Organizations, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 34, No, 5; pp. 576 – 597 Lecture Notes, 2013. Marketing Mintzberg., H., & James, 1985. Of Strategies, Deliberate and Emergent ,Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 6, No. 3 pp. 257-272 ODriscoll, A., 2008. Exploring Paradox In Marketing: Managing Ambiguity Towards Synthesis, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 23, No.2, pp/ 95–104 Shiner, D., 2007. 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