Pre-Empting Implementation Barriers: Foundations, Processes and Actions - The Need for Internal Relationships

For close to two decades the leading exponents of marketing planning have warned of the cultural, operational, managerial and communications hurdles which so frequently impede the effective implementation of marketing planning programmes. Similar forces have been shown to impede the progress of market segmentation initiatives. Relationship marketing, through its examination of internal relationships, considers many of the barriers cited in the popular marketing planning and segmentation processes. However, recent research indicates that in spite of the extensive current coverage and growing body of marketing literature highlighting internal and organisational issues, the principal forces impeding implementation of marketing plans and segmentation schemes remain those central to the rationale of relationship marketing. Along with other foundations and process requisites, building effective internal relationships is a fundamental part of facilitating the implementation of marketing recommendations. Insufficient guidance is offered to practitioners regarding the impediments to implementation likely to be encountered and how best to pre-empt these barriers. This paper first reviews the core impediments to implementation, offering a summary of these issues, before suggesting various measures for overcoming these difficulties.