Updated links to marketing planning ideas and resources

My list of links to marketing planing ideas and resources has been updated. Now you can click to see more than 50 sources of data, advice and news related to:

• Preparing for marketing planning and implementation
• Analysing the marketing environment
• Researching consumer and business demographics
• Marketing ethics, social responsibility and sustainability
• Branding issues and ideas
• Marketing mix issues and ideas
• Marketing channels and retailing trends

For instance, if you're looking for a marketing plan template, my list includes a link to the Australian government's business page with a downloadable guide and template.

So please browse the links the next time you're researching the background for a marketing plan project.

The best consumer and business brands in the UK are . . . ?

The Superbrands UK listing for 2015 has been revealed for both consumer and business brands. This is an annual ranking based on input from consumers and marketing experts. And the top 5 brands overall for B2C and B2B in 2015 are:

Targeting Consumers

1. British Airways
2. Rolex
3. BBC
4. Microsoft
5. Nike

Targeting Businesses

1. British Airways
2. Apple
3. Virgin Atlantic
4. Microsoft
5. Visa

As BBC News pointed out, Marks & Spencer is not in the top 20 overall listing of B2C brands, nor is Cadbury. Heinz and Sony aren't in the top 20 overall listing of B2C brands, either. And you won't find Marmite in the top 20 overall B2C brands. These brands have been highly ranked in some years but not this year.

It seems curious that Apple--a super-star brand with global recognition--is only #10 in the consumer listing, compared with Microsoft's #4 ranking on both B2C and B2B lists.

Marketing RHS and Its Flower Shows

The Royal Horticultural Society's mission is be 'the world’s leading gardening charity by inspiring passion and excellence in the science, art and practice of horticulture'. The four-part objective includes inspiring, involving, informing, and improving.

The annual Chelsea Flower Show is one highlight of the organisation's activities. This year's show includes gardens created with a World War I theme, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War. Tickets for the show are much in demand, and ongoing interest in gardening has helped garden centers and other related businesses. A recent Telegraph article serves as a shopping guide to the show, and coverage extends across print and broadcast and electronic media.

RHS markets itself to businesses that want to exhibit at garden shows by pointing to these statistics: 700,000 visitors, highly loyal (90% are repeat visitors). These are truly customers, because 82% buy something at the show. So for businesses that target gardeners or consumers with gardening aspirations, RHS has B2B marketing to show how its events can be an excellent match.

RHS marketing to consumers blends traditional and digital. Its FB page has 50,000+ fans and the Twitter account has nearly 60,000 followers. RHS has been on YouTube since 2012. Its Pinterest boards have more than 7,000 followers, and its Instagram account has more than 1,000 followers.