Question: Objective: Explain the alignment of the marketing plan with the organization's strategic plan and business goals, and describe major elements of a marketing strategy. Introduction The primary role of marketing is to create, manage and communicate a company's brand to consumers. Consumers want to believe, trust and have access to information about a product or service. To accomplish this, a company must have a detailed and effective marketing plan and strategy that is clearly aligned with their company strategic plan. This essay will allow you to explain the alignment of the marketing plan with the organization's strategic plan and business goals, as well as describe major elements of a marketing strategy.

Deliverable The essay for this lesson is required to be a minimum of 750 words that clearly demonstrate your understanding of the activity. Essays should have a clear introduction, thesis statement and conclusion, written in APA format (APAstyle.org). A minimum of three sources must be cited in-text and in the Reference list. Activity Details

Step 1: Read the following questions and directives, and apply what you have learned about this lesson's objective to summarize your responses.

• What is the role of marketing in an organization and why is it important to organizational success?

• How is marketing integrated into an organization and its structure? Address how/why the marketing plan should be aligned with the strategic plan, mission and vision.

• What are some planning tasks necessary for marketing to be successful?

• What is a brand and what role does branding and brand equity play in the marketing strategy? How is this aligned with the strategic plan?

• How is branding established, managed and measured?

• Explain the benefits to a company of having a social media component as part of the overall marketing strategy. Can social media impact a brand? Is social media marketing right for every company?