Stages in developing a marketing plan

This assignment was searching the answers. I didn't have to make a plan myself. This task was quite simple, just looking for answers on the internet and materials. I learned a lot, because I didn't know much about the content and questions were quite hard for me. I tried to do this assignment in a way I would learn as much as possible.
The first question was: "How might a small company carry out its marketing planning functions."
I had no idea and I couldn't just put that question to google and search, because I had to think and search the answer in another ways. I had to find out about the marketing planning functions and then think the possible ways for the small company. I still don't have much knowledge about this, but I answered like I understood the topic.

The four stages in marketing planning process were quite easy to find and it was interesting to think what they stood for and how company uses the different ways. I explained these four stages in a simple way, because it was better for me to understand them. These stages helped me to understand the process of the marketing plan and how companies start and proceed the process.

     ·         Analysis  

Planners have to think where the company is at the moment to develop.

• ·                 Planning

Setting goals and objectives, planning how to achieve them.

• ·         Implementation

Checking that everybody knows what to do and putting the plan into action.

• ·         Control

Checking if company would achieve goals and objectives and if not, lowering the targets. Taking feedback and developing the plans from that way.

        This assignment helped me to understand top-down -planning better and understand how it works. I didn't have any idea about the top-down -planning, but when I started to look for it, I realized that I know parts of it already.  The pros and cons of top-down -planning was hard to find, but when I was searching the answers, I found out a lot more of it than I would've thought.

        This assignment was the most helpful one in the course, because I think that I learned the most when doing this. It helped me with other assignments, when I understood the most part of this. I had to think what I answer and I couldn't copy-paste (not that I would do that ever). I had to ask others also, when I didn't get the topic at all at first. But luckily I have amazing classmates and I get help when I need it.