Difficulties in marketing planning: we know that "marketing planning is concerned with the identification of resources that are available and their allocation to meet objectives. This talk is not as simple as it appears. Even some thinkers, consider the whole business of marketing planning and quite waste of time, energy and some. They say that planning is concerned with uncertain future and quite uncertain situations. When future itself is so uncertain how can it be said that planning will be hold cent percent correct. The idea behind this pessimistic thinking is perhaps the difficulties which beset teh path of marketing planning. Some of the main difficulties are as follows:

1.       Diversity of alternatives: one graet difficulty in the way of planning is that there are many alternatives to deal with certain problems. For example, there can be many alternatives how to take finished goods to the consumers. Every alternative has its own merit and demerit. In the same way, ways and policies of advertising and are so varied as the prevalent mediums. In this way, diversity of alternatives presents many difficulties in the way of marketing planning. Moreover, every alternative presents different results.

2.       Vacillating policy of the government: another difficulty in the way of effective planning is the vacillating policies of the governments. In India, there is no hard and fast government policy. Frequent changes are made by the government from time to time. It affects the planning. Sometimes the government encourage exports, at another time restrictions are imposed on experts. In the same way rates of taxation are all the time changing, which affect the price level which in its turn influences demand and supply position. All this affects directly the marketing planning process.

3.       Rapid changes in the costs: production costs are not fixed; they are changing all the time. It frequent changes in the price of products which in turn has a direct bearing on the demand in the market. It exerts its influence on the objectives of the marketing planning. Therefore, frequent and rapid changes in costs are also a hurdle in this way of marketing planning.

4.       Time factor: the top executives always complain lack of time. There in other affairs is a define hurdle in the way of preparing a scientific marketing plan which demands time and efforts to analysis and evaluate the available data.

5.       Difficulty in the marketing research: some marketing authorities complain that the customer's behaviour in the India is very uncertain. In the face of uncertain behaviour correct forecasts are not possible. In the absence of accurate forecasts, marketing research becomes very difficult and unreliable. It makes marketing planning a useless effort.

6.       Scientific marketing planning not possible: some marketing thinkers are of the opinion that scientific marketing planning is not possible at all because the marketing factors are uncertain and changeable. They are not subject to logical analysis.

7.       No control over supply: even if correct estimate of demand is made in the market, there is any control over the supply. Sometimes supply cannot be possible in conformity with demand. In such circumstances, proper marketing planning is not possible. When the production targets cannot be achieved, how can one succeed in drawing a logical marketing? It is quite clear that there are certain factors that which are beyond the control of the procedure. In the absence of complete control over the forces of supply marketing planning loses all its importance.

8.       Marketin planning is an expensive procedure: some experts opine that scientific marketing planning is a very expensive procedure which entails huge expenditure because it involves extensive marketing research. It needs a lot of time, energy and money and thus, increased the cost of marketing planning. Most of the companies are not in a position to meet the heavy burden of planning and hence do away with the luxury of marketing planning.

9.       Inadequate managerial ability: marketing planning involves the use of great ability and intelligence of the marketing manager and his staff. Unfortunately, in India, the trained or professional marketing managers are not available easily because of the family management system in Indian industries. However, the position has changed very recently towards better side. The above discussion about the difficulties of the marketing planning reveals that through the task of planning is brough with the difficulties and hurdles yet it should not be concluded that the marketing planning is a waste and unnecessary. Of course the difficulties are there but efforts should be made to overcome these difficulties. Difficulties in themselves do not prove that the marketing planning is useless and meaningless.