seeking relevance
TRANSCRIPT
SEEKING RELEVANCEevolving account planning by applying connection planning principles
September 2012
91% of Americans tend to ignore at ads
Source: Adweek Media/Harris Poll Online Study October 2010
Can you blame them?
They’re bombarded with 5k+ branded messages each day!
Source: Yankelovich
And as ad messengers, we’re not providing consumers with enough relevant information to get them to notice or care.
But there’s something we as account planners can do ...
We can evolve how we, as a department, do business.
More than that, we can evolve how the industry does business.
Evolving = Progress. Advancement. Divergence. Reinvigoration.
Not = Reinvention.
So take our great fundamentals and build on them to solve for ...
RELEVANCE
by applying some basic connection planning principles and philosophies.
Always springboard from the consumer, not the brand
All insights should be grounded in the consumer. Only then figure out how your brand can naturally
fit into your customers’ world.
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Let me reiterate, let the consumer insights
springboard allbrand initiatives!
A little bitty about consumer insight gathering:
1. Start with some hypotheses. Don’t walk in blind.2. Be open to new a-has / discoveries. Don’t be a stubborn mule.3. Make a list of questions you’d ask the consumer. Be curious.4. Start digging for insights. Take action.
Digging ToolsTip: use whatever tools you have ... no excuses.
Down & Dirty Primary Research• Get out of the office and go where they are.• Fall down the rabbit hole and embrace their online experience.
Listen in on their language, the conversation topics, their social connections and explore their digital experiences.
• Go meet them. Literally get up and go where they hang. Watch them, strike up a conversation, take them out for a drink.
Meaty Primary Research• Ethnography (there’s absolutely nothing better than spending
actual live time in the consumers’ world)• Real-time mobile research• Online surveys
Digging Tools (continued)
Simmons• Understand the category user• Identify unique brand user dimensions: What makes this brand’s
user different than the average category user?• Identify your acquisition target by finding others who share
these unique values and have yet to use your brand. Dive in and understand what makes them tick.
Secondary• Take advantage of tools like Warc, eMarketer, Yankelovich,
Mintel, Trendwatching, PSFK, etc. Many tools at every price point.
Plot the consumer’s journey
The Awareness/Familiarity/Consideration/Intent/Purchase templated approach to the purchase process died years ago.
In today’s world make sure you know the phases of the consumer journey, the triggers and pit-falls, and how to
relevantly connect with your consumer across their journey.
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Some tips before you start journey mapping:
Start with a fresh perspective every time. Don’t use a templated consumer journey. Because most likely the template wasn’t
designed with your brand or consumer in mind.
Don’t be shy. Open your wallet and pay for research. Methodologies like journaling, text messages, shop alongs,
prompted one-on-one journey guides.
Play it out. Get some post it notes, think like the consumer and plot out the journey.
Trigger PurchasePre-Trigger During Post Purchase
Consumer Mindset (A)(What’s s/he thinking at this phase of the journey?)
Desired Behavior (B)(What do we want him/her to do at this phase of the journey?)
Brand Action(How can the brand do/say to move him/her from A to B?)
Media Eco-System(What media touchpoints are most influential at each phase of the journey?)
Prioritize(With X $, X business objectives, X effective consumer touchpoints, etc., prioritize the journey phases.)
elements of a journey map.
Trigger & Phases(What are the different phases of this brand’s consumer journey? Identify triggers.)
Emotions(How does the consumer feel at each phase of the journey?)
http://pinterest.com/mmariani/consumer-journey/
And when in need of inspiration head to:
hey, everyone needs a cheap plug ...
365 Day Planning
Shift your thinking from 360 touchpoint planning to 365 day planning. The same media ecosystem is not relevant every day of every year. Instead the media ecosystem is dictated by consumer and contextual insights that vary
at different times of year. The goal is to find ways to create relevant brand engagements throughout the year and to base these engagements on what’s happening in
your consumer’s world at that specific time.
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Jan July DecOctoberApril
(5) Consumer MindsetAt this specific time (aka: Engagement Zone), what is going on in his/her world as it relates to this brand/
category? Identify any frustration points.
(6) Cultural ContextOutside of your category, what else is going on in his/her world ... what else is fighting for his/her attention?
(8) Brand Engagement StrategySimply articulate how your brand can have relevance in each Engagement Zone based on the Consumer Mindset
and Cultural Context.
(1) Plot Historical SalesPlot historical brand and categorical sales data across the timeline.
(3) Plot Competitive Media SpendPlot historical and expected competitive media spend across the timeline. Look for opportunity gaps.
(4) Create Engagement ZonesBased on how people interact with your brand and category, bucket timeframes into engagement zones
(e.g. For an apparel brand i.e. Back to School/First Impressions, Holiday, Winter Solace, etc.)
(9) Brand Engagement IdeaWhat’s the big idea for each Engagement Zone that builds into the overall campaign idea or brand positioning?
(2) Plot Sales GoalsPlot goal sales across the timeline.
(7) Media EcosystemWhat touchpoint channels are most influential or used during each Engagement Zone?
Routinely disrupt your thinking and processes.
Constantly be in evolution mode. Play with new technologies. Build on your thinking. Be open to new
ideas, approaches and hypotheses. Stay curious.
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Aspire to be egoless.
Know a great engagement idea can originate in any department, at any level. Aspire to inspire all departments.
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