The Marketing Strategy Compass: Sub-Function Coordinates

The Forrester Marketing Strategy Compass is a step-by-step guide to formulating a best-in-class marketing strategy that is aligned to business goals and can be cascaded throughout the marketing function. The compass’s third level distills the marketing strategy into guiding principles marketing leaders use to develop their own sub-functional strategy. After the sub-function coordinate decisions are made, the sub-functions align to the marketing strategy and overall business strategy and enable input to the annual plan. Here are the required decisions that drive specific marketing sub-function priorities and provide actionable inputs that flow into the annual marketing plans for each sub-function.