Question:
I work with XXXX XXXXXX Records, an XXXXXX label in Portland Oregon. We're in the process of releasing our first CD and need to develop a marketing plan. Do you have any examples of how a music plan looks?

Answer:
For your marketing plan, you might start by contacting Paul Anthony of Rumblefishrecords.com, at (541) 687-0210. Paul is at the forefront of your area, developing the next generation of music business, and you might like the contact him. His company is in Eugene, but talking about moving to Portland.

For samples, I do think we have some that can help you, already on our site among the sample plans. You won't find any one of them analyzing exactly your market, but you will find good examples of a consumer-oriented market analysis, by type of consumer, in the sample business plan for InteliChild.com. That one looks at certain age groups and related criteria to focus on a market. Acme Insurance is another one, completely different target market, but valuable in the way the divide the market up and focus on certain segments. Among the marketing plans, look at the way the Willamette Furniture plan focuses on a certain kind of high-end consumer as a customer.

For a good example of how you develop specific strategy and implementation steps, budgets, etc., in a marketing plan, take a look at the sample marketing plan for American Management Technology, and the sample marketing plan for Willamette Furniture. Both are good examples of how specific marketing programs follow from the target market analysis. You'll have a different target market, and therefore different marketing programs, but you want to see how the one relates to the other.

You should also look at how this leads to a sales forecast and expense budget, and specific milestones, for which any of the sample marketing plans at Bplans will provide useful examples. Your numbers will be different, but you'll be able to see how they come together, and what a good finished plan looks like.

Good luck with it,

Tim Berry
experts@paloalto.com