---
title: "CMO Q&A: How Do You Prepare a Marketing Plan and Execute the Strategies?"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/7fc1d093-2b8b-4a1b-974e-c4972537bb6b
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/cmo_qa_how_do_you_prepare_a_marketing_plan_and_execute_the_strategies.html
author: "Eddy Goldberg"
category: "Franchise Industry"
industry: "Franchise Industry"
topics: ["Marketing","People"]
published: 2019-12-08T07:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:34:01.814Z
image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/4994_plate.jpg
---

# CMO Q&A: How Do You Prepare a Marketing Plan and Execute the Strategies?

**TL;DR:** Katherine LeBlanc, Michael Barrette, and Michelle Spohnholz discuss preparing a marketing plan and executing strategies for their brands. They share their approaches to creating effective marketing plans that align with their brand's overall vision and strategy.

*By Eddy Goldberg, originally published in Franchising.com on 2019-12-08. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/cmo_qa_how_do_you_prepare_a_marketing_plan_and_execute_the_strategies.html).*

## Story

In each issue of *Franchise Update* magazine, we profile franchise CMOs and marketing leaders, asking each the same set of questions. Throughout the year, we'll be selecting one of those questions and providing answers from those profiles. If you want to learn more about these franchise marketing leaders and their thoughts on other topics, we've provided links to their full profile.

This week we asked them, *How do you prepare a marketing plan and execute the strategies?* **Katherine LeBlanc, Chief Marketing Officer, Painting with a Twist** The marketing plan should align with your brand's overall vision and strategy. It can't stand on its own.

To be effective, the plan needs to work in tandem with the efforts of every department, from operations to IT to product development. Therefore, you start with the brand vision: What does marketing need to do today to realize the brand's vision in 5, 10, or even 20 years? Read the full profile here.

**Michael Barrette, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, Dippin' Dots & Doc Popcorn** 1) Remind yourself of your brand goals. For Dippin' Dots and Doc Popcorn, those goals are to Own Fun and Create Smiles. 2) Work closely with R&D to initiate product launch activity that meets those goals and consumer demand.

3) Engage with key promotional partners in the space that is most relevant to your consumer. 4) Implement communication with franchisees with excellence programs. 5) Engage with consumers on the various social media platforms that make sense for your business.

Read the full profile here. **Michelle Spohnholz, Vice President of Marketing, Newk's Eatery** I first listen and learn, taking input from others who have learned based on their unique experiences. Franchise partners have tremendous insight into their local communities, and they have been in the business trying different strategies even before I came on board.

I then set a vision, gather a guiding coalition of leaders, and try to bring them into the planning. I believe in collaboratively creating ideas in a way that allows for input from lots of places first. Good ideas can come from anywhere!

Once we have alignment on a direction, I work to quickly create action plans, then coach and support the team to deliver the initiatives and measure results. Read the full profile here.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Franchise Industry (sector)
- Eddy Goldberg (person)
- franchise marketing (topic)
- Newk's Eatery (company)
- brand strategy (topic)
- Painting with a Twist (company)
- marketing plan (topic)

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Originally reported by Eddy Goldberg, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/cmo_qa_how_do_you_prepare_a_marketing_plan_and_execute_the_strategies.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/7fc1d093-2b8b-4a1b-974e-c4972537bb6b).