AIPMM CPMM cheat sheet

Life-cycle stages in order: introduction, growth, maturity, decline; marketing mix shifts at each transition.

Introduction: objective is awareness and trial; pricing tends toward skimming or penetration; distribution is selective.

Growth: objective is share expansion; add channels, build brand preference, expect competitor entry and price pressure.

Maturity: objective is defend share and maximize margin; differentiate, segment finely, and manage cost per acquisition.

Decline: decide harvest, niche, or divest; harvest means cut marketing spend and milk remaining demand.

Strategic marketing sets target segments and positioning; tactical marketing executes the 4Ps against that positioning.

Product portfolio tools: BCG matrix (stars, cash cows, question marks, dogs) and Ansoff matrix (penetration, development, diversification).

Diffusion adoption segments: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards; crossing the chasm separates early adopters from early majority.

Plan hierarchy: business plan > marketing plan > campaign plan; each lower level inherits objectives from the level above.

Standard plan sections: situation analysis, objectives, target segments, positioning, strategy, tactics, budget, timeline, metrics.

SMART objectives: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound; each tactic should map to at least one objective.

Budget methods: percentage of sales, competitive parity, objective-and-task, and affordability; objective-and-task is the most defensible.

Objective-and-task formula: budget = sum of (task cost per unit x number of units required) across all tactics.

Contingency reserve of roughly 5-10 percent of budget is typical for campaign risk and opportunity.

Budget allocation should follow expected return; track spend by channel and compare to attributed revenue each period.

Execution control loop: set targets, measure actuals, compute variance, diagnose cause, adjust tactics, re-measure.

Deliverable brief contents: objective, audience, key message, proof points, format, channel, deadline, owner, approval path.

Message hierarchy: one primary message plus up to three supporting proof points; more dilutes recall.

Creative approval gates: brief sign-off, concept review, copy and legal review, final production sign-off.

Version control rule: name files with version number, date, and owner; only one approved master per deliverable.

Channel-fit rule: format and length are set by the destination channel before creative development begins.

Brand consistency check: logo usage, color, tone, and required legal or disclosure language verified at final review.

Deliverable tracking uses a content calendar keyed to launch dates, with dependencies and review lead times listed.

Funnel stages: awareness, interest or lead, consideration, conversion, retention, advocacy; each stage has its own metric.

Campaign brief fields: objective, target segment, offer, message, channels, budget, schedule, KPIs, success threshold.

CAC = total campaign and sales cost / number of new customers acquired in the period.

Conversion rate = conversions / qualified audience reached; compare against a pre-set control or baseline.

ROI = (incremental revenue - campaign cost) / campaign cost; ROAS = revenue / ad spend (different denominators).

A/B test rule: change one variable at a time, predefine sample size and success metric, and stop only at the planned threshold.

Lead scoring combines fit (demographics, firmographics) and intent (behavior, engagement) to rank follow-up priority.

Attribution models (first-touch, last-touch, linear, time-decay) assign credit differently; state the model before reporting.

Research types: primary (collected for the question) vs secondary (existing data); qualitative (why) vs quantitative (how many).

Sampling: random, stratified, and convenience; convenience samples cannot support statistical generalization.

Market sizing: TAM (total addressable), SAM (serviceable available), SOM (serviceable obtainable); SOM is the realistic near-term target.

Porter's Five Forces: supplier power, buyer power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, competitive rivalry.

Competitive analysis dimensions: positioning, price, features, channel, share, and messaging; use a comparison matrix.

Customer segmentation bases: demographic, firmographic, psychographic, behavioral, and needs-based.

Trend assessment: separate signal from noise by checking whether a trend is durable, monetizable, and relevant to the served segment.

Data quality checks: source credibility, recency, sample size, and method transparency before relying on a finding.

Insight test: an insight must be non-obvious, actionable, and tied to a customer need or behavior, not just a data point.

Opportunity sizing: estimate addressable demand x expected share x expected price to get revenue potential.

Jobs-to-be-done framing: identify the functional, emotional, and social job the customer is hiring the product to do.

Prioritization scoring: rank opportunities by market size, fit with capabilities, competitive intensity, and time to revenue.

Value proposition structure: target customer, unmet need, product category, key benefit, and proof of differentiation.

Business case contents: problem, proposed solution, market evidence, financial projection, risks, and recommendation.

Opportunity validation uses minimum viable tests (concept test, landing page, pilot) before full investment.

Gate criteria: proceed only if evidence meets predefined thresholds for demand, feasibility, and strategic fit.

KPI categories: acquisition, activation, retention, revenue, and referral; each should have a named owner and target.

Unit economics: contribution margin = price - variable cost per unit; LTV = average revenue per customer x gross margin x retention life.

LTV:CAC ratio of roughly 3:1 is a common benchmark for sustainable acquisition economics.

Churn rate = customers lost during period / customers at start of period; retention is its complement.

Cohort analysis tracks groups by start period to separate real retention change from mix effects.

Variance analysis: actual minus plan, expressed as percentage of plan; flag material variances for root-cause review.

Leading indicators (pipeline, trials, engagement) predict outcomes; lagging indicators (revenue, share) confirm them.

Dashboards should show metric definition, data source, time period, and owner alongside each number.

Gap analysis: compare current performance to target and to benchmark; the gap size and trend set the priority.

Root-cause tools: 5 Whys and fishbone (people, process, product, price, promotion, place) to move past symptoms.

Improvement prioritization matrix: impact vs effort; high-impact, low-effort items go first.

Recommendation format: finding, evidence, recommended action, expected impact, cost, and owner.

PDCA cycle: plan, do, check, act; improvements are tested as small experiments before full rollout.

Benchmarking sources: internal history, direct competitors, and industry norms; label the basis for each comparison.

Change adoption requires a named owner, a metric to confirm improvement, and a review date.

Post-implementation review compares realized results to the forecast and captures lessons for the next cycle.