SVA | MPS in Branding | Agency Planning | WEEK 1

Rockstar Planning (in 5 short weeks)

You are are our future clients + our future competition.

I do not have a master’s degree in anything.

I do have a master’s degree ....in Brand Management.

I know I am but who are you?

Where the hell did all this account planning come from?

Don’s “insight” Women use Ponds as part of a routine/ritual.

Human insight Women want to be loved & admired.

1960s:

Stanley Pollitt and Stephen King introduce the idea of Account Planning to their London agencies

1982:

Jay Chiat hires a British Planner to come work in the New York office ($50-$700)

1990s:

Every US ad agency wants to say they have planners, regardless of whether they know what a planner is

now:

Miami Ad School, SVA MPS/Branding, VCU Brandcenter, Hyper Island

Copywriters gave way to the market research department which (in England) became the planning department which was shipped to the states in the 80’s.

So if we’re not copywriters and we’re not researchers, what are we?

The account planner is that member of the agency's team who is the expert, through background, training, experience, and attitudes, at working with information and getting it used.

Stanley Politt

Approves what is said and to whom we are speaking so it fits with their objectives, budgets and their vision for the brand

client

Leads the process to ensure we get things done on time, on budget and in a manner that is consistent with client expectations

account mgt

inside the agency Determines the key message, singleminded proposition, the core idea or whatever you prefer to call the strategy that has the best shot of getting people to do, think or say what the client wants them to do, think or say

Art Director & Copy Writer team develops a creative expression of the strategy

creative

Reaches the people we want to communicate with; employs its own account managers and planners

planner media

Nothing really works well without planners being part of a team.

Account Planner Creative + + + Client Consumer The Idea

So really, planning begins where research ends...

How many planners does it take?

If I had one hour to save the world, I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem and only five minutes finding the solution.

Albert Einstein

During exploratory research planners develop hypotheses.

SECONDARY

PRIMARY

-­‐ Googling

-­‐ Observational research

-­‐ Blogs

-­‐ Surveys

-­‐ Blog comments

-­‐ Focus Groups

-­‐ Facebook/Twitter/Social

-­‐ On-­‐on-­‐one Interviews

-­‐ Books/Magazine/Newspaper

-­‐ Expert Interviews

-­‐ Mintel Reports

-­‐ Man On the Street

-­‐ Simmons/MRI (syndicated data)

-­‐ Shop-­‐alongs

-­‐ Iconoculture

-­‐ Consumer diaries

QUANTITATIVE

QUALITATIVE

-­‐ Can be MEASURED.

-­‐ Focus Group

-­‐ Surveys

-­‐ Mini Group

-­‐ Statistical stuffs

-­‐ Friendship Group

-­‐ Comes out in a %

-­‐ Conflict Group

-­‐ Demographics

-­‐ Workshop

-­‐ Psychographics

-­‐ Panel

-­‐ Mintel & Simmons

-­‐ Observational -­‐ Shop Along

Then we sometimes even get a chance to test ‘em.

data

Let me simplify what all that means...

Brand strategy vs.

Communication strategy

Brand strategy Long-term Rooted in brand equities and aspirations Defines key point of difference in their category Sets up personality and identity Guides the brand when it comes to developing anything related to the brand, not just communications

Communication strategy Short-term Rooted in consumer insights and communications goals Focuses the creatives when they go into concepting Is the most important part of a creative brief

Brand

Communication

guidelines driven

IDEA driven

identity-driven

effect-driven

long-term

mid-term

definition & description

insight & action

very formalized

formalized but creative

controlling-minded

change-minded

Communication Strategy (Figuring out the Creative Brief)

We Bring the Target to Life

High Performance Moms

We focus in on a strong, clear Strategy Wisk = “It’s not OK.”

A Brief Creative Brief Why are we advertising?

Who are we talking to?

What do they think, say or do now?

What do we want them to think, say or do? what is the single most compelling message?

Why would they believe us?

But what really makes someone a rockstar planner?

You can fall in love with...

Culture

People Psych

& Brands.

Plus learn the day-to-day:

Time to play...

Retroactive Brief

Watch some TV spots Write what you think the brief was. (15 minutes) Get into groups. Discuss/consolidate. (15 minutes) Present your team brief with the class. (40 minutes)

A Brief Creative Brief Why are we advertising?

Who are we talking to?

What do they think, say or do now?

What do we want them to think, say or do? what is the single most compelling message?

Why would they believe us?

Discuss.

Homework Pair off.

Pick one of the following brands:

Present a 2-3 minute “target profile� next week.

Class tumblr: rockstarplanners.tumblr.com lecture decks handouts worksheets homework assignments rad stuff planning links

Beth Kaiser beth.kaiser@gmail.com 646.717.4100 Lauren Kosteski kosteski@me.com 347.463.5343 mobile @thekosteski