Final answer:
Environmental scanning is a technique used in the Analysis step of the marketing planning process to collect and evaluate data on market trends, threats, and opportunities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Environmental scanning is a technique used in the Analysis step of the marketing planning process. This activity involves the systematic collection and evaluation of external and internal data to identify market trends, opportunities, and threats. By understanding the external environment, businesses can make strategic decisions and develop plans that can be implemented, evaluated, and controlled effectively.
Environmental scanning serves as a foundation for the subsequent steps in marketing planning, allowing businesses to align their strategies with current market conditions. It involves examining a host of factors including economic trends, competitive landscape, technological changes, social and cultural trends, and legal or regulatory issues. The information gathered through environmental scanning is critical for crafting a marketing plan that adapts to and anticipates changes in the market.
Environmental scanning is a technique used in the analysis step of the marketing planning process.
While Implementation, Evaluation, and Control are important downstream components of the marketing planning process, it is in the Analysis phase where environmental scanning contributes most significantly.