Strategic and tactical planning in international marketing policies

Abstract

This paper is on the role of market forecasting and projection. Planning the future marketing of our export agricultural products, like any other form of economic planning will only be as good as the information on which those plans are based and the particular information required refers to the likely future course of demand and prices for our products. This paper talks about both long term projections and about short term forecasts and marketing policy models based on them and I have chosen therefore to identify strategy with the long term development of marketing say over the next decade and tactics with the spot decisions and short term policies which have to be executed month by month and year by year. This I hope will become clearer as we proceed. My major aim in this paper is to let you see what is feasible and possible and in general to stress the role of research in the field of marketing management; to give you some idea of the research in progress at the Agricultural Economics Research Unit; and to get your own criticisms, ideas and suggestions for further research in the field of marketing export agricultural products.