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Marketing Budget Plan

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
6 · US Letter
Style
Corporate
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
October 30, 2026

Every page (6)

Overview

A budget built from last year's total plus a percentage cannot be defended. This template makes the case in six pages: the ask, the allocation by channel with the basis for each return, quarterly release gates, expected returns against last year, and a worked event budget showing how a contingency reserve was used.

The sample is a 2027 plan for Brindlewick Collective: $1.12M across five channels plus a $112K contingency and test fund, a blended 3.0× return, and a Summit that broke even at 415 tickets. Replace the totals, the channel split and each return and its basis with your own, then name a finance contact.

Useful for

  • A budget approval meeting where finance wants the total, the return and the fallback on two pages
  • A quarterly review that decides whether the next release of spend goes ahead
  • An event proposal that must show ticket income, costs, break-even and a contingency

What's included

  • Summary page with the ask, headline figures and four numbered findings
  • Allocation table and quarterly chart for five channels, with the basis for each expected return
  • Milestone timeline showing the 20/25/25/30 phasing and what each quarter gate decides
  • Expected returns page with a leads trend, revenue by channel and a year-over-year figures table
  • Event budget and contingency page with budget, forecast, actual and a cause for each material line
  • Make it yours guide with five steps for replacing the sample content

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Replace last year's spend and the new total with your finance figures, then adjust the channel split until it adds to the approved total.

  3. 3

    Write the expected return beside each channel with its basis, and add what you would cut or add at −15% and +20%.

  4. 4

    Set the quarter gates and the contingency, and name the finance contact who confirms actual spend each month.

  5. 5

    Delete the guide page, then share the plan or present it at your budget meeting.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

How much contingency should a marketing budget hold?

The sample holds 10% of the base budget, split between tests of new channels and a reserve. Release it only at a quarter gate so it never becomes extra spend by default.

Can I use the event budget page for something else?

Yes. It is a general budget, forecast and actual table with a cause on each material line. Use it for a campaign, a product launch or any program with income and costs.

Are the company and numbers real?

No. Brindlewick Collective, its people and every figure are fictional sample data, built so the channel totals, quarters and returns add up across the pages.

  • #marketing-budget
  • #budget-plan
  • #channel-allocation
  • #roas
  • #quarterly-phasing
  • #event-budget
  • #contingency
  • #google-docs

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