A company's strategic marketing process is the approach used"whereby an organization allocates its marketing mix resources to reach its target markets" (Kerin et al., 2006). The result of the strategic marketing process is the development of the company's overall marketing plan"which is the roadmap for the marketing activities of an organization for a specified future period of time" (Kerin et al., 2006). The marketing plan of a company serves to direct primary functions within an organization including supply chain management, demand forecasting, sales initiatives, and finance strategy as well as customer service programs. A primary challenge for Classic Airlines is the need to coordinate all programs, processes, and functions to meet the goal of making the customer the primary focus of all company efforts.
Classic Airlines needs to create a unified company-wide effort, to develop marketing programs that link customer relationship initiatives to its overall organizational goals. The beginning of this process will need to include the company-wide commitment to make the of the customer the number one priority. The company will then need to create business and marketing strategies that find