be brave | be inventive | defy expectations

COMMUNICATION PLANNINGThe Other Half of the Advertising Puzzle

Charles Pinkerton, PartnerThe Media Kitchen

“IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE”

WHY ARE WE SO INTERESTED IN COMMUNICATION PLANNING?

QUITE POSSIBLY BECAUSE WE CAN’T SEEM TO EVEN DEFINE IT?

Placing the message at the right time and right place

The art and science of making a message visible in the marketplace

Calibration of media and mediums for the best business results

The ability to decide how much media to move into digital versus traditional channels

The study and practice of the interplay of words and images in traditional and modern media and in information design

In-depth understanding of the use, effect and interplay of media on micro-targets and how they might react to those to achieve your marketing goals

HOW CAN YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WELL IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS?

SO I WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT I THINK IT IS?

BUT FIRST SOME THINGS, I WILL NOT BE SPEAKING ABOUT

A BETTER WAY TO FIND A FACE IN THE CROWD

NOR HOW OFTEN THEY ARE ON THEIR COMPUTER

NOR TO WHICH WEBSITES THEY GO

NOR HOW LONG THEY

WATCH TV

NOR EVEN HOW MANYMAGAZINES THEY READ

NOR ABOUT HOW MANY

BRIGHT SHINY TOOLS WE HAVE

NOR ABOUT HOW WE ARE BETTER FIDDLING WITH

KNOBS THAN OUR COMPETITORS

NOR THAT WE HAVE A ADMIXTURE OF

MEDIA TO CURE YOUR ILLS

NOR ABOUT THE CRUCIAL12 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE MEDIA PLANS

NOR WILL I BE ISSUING A PROCESS CHART...

THAT SHOWS ALL THE “SILVER BULLET” STEPS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNCATIONS

BELIEVE ME, EVERY MEDIA COMPANY HAS THESE:

THE TOOLS

THE KNOB TURNERS

THE PROCESS CHARTS THE PAGES ON THEIR WEBSITE TALKING ABOUT THEIR UNIQUE APPROACH TO COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING...

...BUT STILL WE HAVE THE LARGEST GROUP OF PEOPLE EVER TO LISTEN TO A 4A’S WEBCAST

SO SOMETHING’S WRONG

MY OPINION IS THAT WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE REALIZED THAT THE WORLD HAS CHANGED

AND THAT OUR EVER-BETTER TOOLS ARE NOT WHOLLY SOLVING OUR COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS

AND WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO CHANGE OUR APPROACH TO CREATIVE, BUT NOT TO MEDIA

WE KNOW WE HAVE EXHAUSTED CONSUMERS

THE AVERAGE CONSUMER SEES OR HEARS OVER 200 PIECES OF ADVERTISING OR BRAND EXPOSURES EVERY HOUR

THERE ARE OVER 200 CHANNELS, THOUSANDS OF APPS, MILLIONS OF WEBSITES; ALL OF WHICH CAN BE TURNED OFF, SKIPPED OR IGNORED...

THE AVERAGE-SIZED SUPERMARKET NOW CARRIES 46,000 PRODUCTS

IN 1979 THERE WERE THREE VODKA BRANDS WITH NO VARIANTS AND THERE ARE NOW....WELL WHO REALLY CARES AFTER ROSE AND

BACON & TOMATO? I STOPPED COUNTING

ALMOST EVERY BRAND IS NOW LAUNCHED IN A COMMODITIZED MARKET

CREATIVELY WE HAVE ADJUSTED

MINDSPACE

PRODUCT

Unique Selling PropositionReasons to Believe

THE PAST

Brand Meaning

Lifestyle Badge

THE PRESENT

Product Superiority

AN EXAMPLE

MINDSPACE

PRODUCT

Colgate 1954

•2 Mins•Built on a jingle•Only Colgate has “irium” and “RTF”

•For whiter teeth, fresher breath and a brighter smile

Nike 1994

•30 sec•Black and white•No product claims or shots•No people•High School locker room•Just Do It

WE HAVE EVEN CREATED A NEW ROLE WHOSE SOLE PURPOSE IS TO HELP CREATIVE TEAMS NAVIGATE THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE ... VIA PSYCHOLOGY, SEMIOTICS, TREND MAPPING, CULTURAL MAPPING, ETC.

MINDSPACE

WE EVEN HAVE A BROADLY ACCEPTED DEFINITION FOR WHAT THEY DO

The Account Planner’s primary function is to find consumer truth and insight that helps the creative teams to create work that is not only entertaining and highly memorable, but that is relevant to the consumer and effective in the marketplace.

MEDIA HAS NOT PROGRESSED AS FAR

MINDSPACE

PRODUCT

DemographyReach/Frequency

Ratings

Measuring Exposure Measuring the Results of Exposure

Beha

vior

al M

appi

ng

Sub

Segm

enta

tion

Enga

gem

ent

Met

rics

Med

ia M

ix M

odel

ing

TO DO SO WE NEED TO MAKE THE SAME LEAP THE CREATIVE AGENCIES DID...AND FULLY UNDERSTAND MIND SPACE...

IN OTHER WORDS WE NEED COMMUNICATION STRATEGISTS

A DEFINITION OF THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIST

The Communication Strategist’s primary function is to find consumer and cultural truths and insights that identify the communication vehicle or vehicles for the message to be its most relevant, entertaining and memorable: resulting in effectiveness in the marketplace.

THAT WAS EASILY SOLVED? WASN’T IT?

FIVE CHALLENGES

1THE ACCOUNT PLANNER HAS FEWER VARIABLES TO CONSIDER

MINDSPACE

Cultural Context

History SociologyTrend Analysis

Ethno-graphies

Literary LinguisticHeritage

Pop Culture

PoliticalStructure

Web Tracking

Sales Data

LifetimeValue

Syndicated Volumetrics

Warehous-ing Data

Observation

Web/Client

Tracking

Focus Groups

Psychological Mapping

Behavior graphics

Self Concepts

Focus Groups

Social Networks

Brand Positioning Focus

Groups

Character Mapping Mission

Statement

Creative Brief

Positiioning

Psychology

Behaviors

Purchase History

Account Planners Focus Largely on Qualitative

Factors

1THE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST HAS MUCH MORE TO CONSIDER

MINDSPACE

Cultural Context

History SociologyTrend Analysis

Ethno-graphies

Literary LinguisticHeritage

Pop Culture

PoliticalStructure

Web Tracking

Sales Data

LifetimeValue

Syndicated Volumetrics

Warehous-ing Data

OptimizerReports

Econometric Model

AttributionModels

Media Model

FunnelDynamics

Engagment

Syndicateddata

Simmons MRI IMS

Comscore Web Tracking

Trading Area

Scanner Data

Clutter

Brand Rub-Off

Media Character

Observation

Web/Client

Tracking

Focus Groups

Psychological Mapping

Behavior graphics

Self Concepts

Focus Groups

Social Networks

Brand Positioning Focus

Groups

Character Mapping Mission

Statement

Creative Brief

Positiioning

Psychology

Behaviors

Media Environment

Demography + Geography

Channel Attributes

Purchase History

1WHILE THE ACCOUNT PLANNER SYNTHESIZES TO SINGLE PLATFORM

THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIST CAN ONLY NAVIGATE AND WEIGH THE IMPORTANCE OF FACTORS

MINDSPACE

Cultural Context

History SociologyTrend Analysis

Ethno-graphies

Literary LinguisticHeritage

Pop Culture

PoliticalStructure

Web Tracking

Sales Data

LifetimeValue

Syndicated Volumetrics

Warehous-ing Data

OptimizerReports

Econometric Model

AttributionModels

Media Model

FunnelDynamics

Engagment

Syndicateddata

Simmons MRI IMS

Comscore Web Tracking

Trading Area

Scanner Data

Clutter

Brand Rub-Off

Media Character

Observation

Web/Client

Tracking

Focus Groups

Psychological Mapping

Behavior graphics

Self Concepts

Focus Groups

Social Networks

Brand Positioning Focus

Groups

Character Mapping Mission

Statement

Creative Brief

Positiioning

Psychology

Behaviors

Media Environment

Demography + Geography

Channel Attributes

Purchase History

2 PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS CREATE ROADBLOCKS

STANDARD ADVERTISING MODEL

Media PlanningAccount Planning

PositioningCreative Brief

MediaBuying

Account Management

Campaign

Production

INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS MODEL

Comms Strategist

Account PlanningPositioning/

Creative Brief

MediaBuying

Account Management/

Production

Campaign

CommsFramework

MediaPlanning

3WE DON’T TRAIN PEOPLE TO THINK ACROSS QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE

3NOT MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE INHERENTLY ADEPT AT UNDERSTANDING AND CRAFTING FROM BOTH SETS OF INFORMATION

4TERRITORIALISM

CREATIVES -- DO CREATIVEACCOUNT MANAGERS -- HANDLE THE CLIENTACCOUNT PLANNERS -- WRITE THE BRIEFMEDIA PLANNERS -- MAKE FLOWCHARTSMEDIA BUYERS -- BUY THE MEDIA

4“I THINK YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER YOU ARE IN MEDIA”

“WHY WOULD NEED TO LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY? WE’VE ALREADY DECIDED WE ARE RUNNING INNEWSPAPERS”

“WHY WOULD YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE (BRAND)POSITIONING IS TO DO A MEDIA PLAN”

“YOU SHOULD STOP LISTENING TO PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, THIS THING (THE INTERNET) IS A FAD”

5AGENCIES ARE, AT BASE, PAID TO EXECUTE AND VERY RARELY TO THINK

AN EXAMPLE

Client expected original viewers of the program (1979) as well as “hard core” fans of classic TV to be the main target

But then we received the first dailies....

Even unedited, the writing, directing and cinematography were more Film Noir or “Blade Runner” in look and feel than 70’s TV

We knew the targeting was wrong, but that the had no quantitative way to determine the audience

Called a number of viewing parties to get feedback on whom the program might appeal.

Indie/Art film fans admired the writing, camera work and directing

Fans of proceedural police dramas (e.g. CSI) universally liked the plot and characters

Many of the main characters weren’t Caucasian, which surprised and appealed to Hispanics and Asians

Changed creative to look more like a movie opening and placed movie-sized poster in “coming attraction” marquee’s, napkins, popcorn bags, and drinks

Outdoor in Asian and Hispanic neighborhoods

Television scheduling changed from Syndication to Primetime Police Proceedurals and vertical cable, e.g. IFC

Online was added to target film fan sites and reviews

“IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE”

CHARLES PINKERTONTHE MEDIA KITCHEN

WWW.THEMEDIAKITCHEN.TVCPINKERTON@MEDIAKITCHEN.TV

TWITTER: CPINKMEDIAPRESENTATIONS: WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/MEDIAKITCHEN