Portfolio

I developed the marketing plan for DRI/McGraw-Hill, turning a 25th anniversary into an awareness campaign.

Crafting a Marketing Plan for DRI/McGraw-Hill’s 25th Anniversary Year

Marketing at DRI/McGraw-Hill needed more structure and, for our 25th anniversary year, I developed a full plan including image, market specific, and audience targeted programs and traditional activities. But how to get senior executives to buy into this detailed plan?

I began my presentation of this plan to senior management by showing a smart advertisement run by our parent company, McGraw-Hill. The ad featured a old fashioned executive sitting in a chair with a scrawl on his face. The copy read:

I don’t know who you are.
I don’t know your company.
I don’t know your company’s products.
I don’t know what your company stands for.
I don’t know your company’s customers.
I don’t know your company’s record.
I don’t know your company’s reputation.
Now—what was it you wanted to sell me?

With one page, I had their attention and had developed a strong case to ratify a plan built on brand awareness and focused market programs.

This plan was one of my first full strategic marketing plans; planning has now been a significant part of my career for over 15 years.