An evening with the MRG

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An evening with the MRG
Janet Grimes Janet Grimes Strategy
Planning Michael Ellyat TBWA/GGT (soon to be
McCann Erickson) Tony Regan Director, Brand
Performance Committee members of the APG with
special interest in Media Neutral Planning
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Who are we?

• The Account Planning Group exists to promote and
  celebrate excellence in creative thinking.
• We believe that creativity is the key to
  differentiated, successful brands. The emphasis
  is on creative, rather than merely disciplined,
  buttoned down thinking. We argue that if
  exciting ideas govern a brand and its
  communication, that brand or business will enjoy
  greater success. We believe that the planning
  discipline can be applied to any and all
  marketing and communication issues and channels.

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What do we do?

• The APG
• encourages the sharing of best practice and
  innovation in planning techniques through
  training and stimulus events
• encourages dialogue among its membership of over
  650 strategic thinkers and provides a 'home' for
  planners, representing the interests of the
  planning community
• aims to broaden the pool of talent attracted to
  the discipline and works to raise the profile and
  perceived worth of planning within the broader
  commercial community.
• The APG champions new thinking by enabling new
  publications on the subject of planning, and
  celebrates the practice of excellent planning in
  its biennial Creative Planning Awards. The APG is
  a not-for-profit organisation run for and by its
  membership.

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See www.apg.org.uk

• Training
• Creative Briefing
• Creative Role Reversal
• Qualitative training
• Quantitative training
• Basic planning training
• Brainstorming
• MNP
• International planning
• Media training

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See www.apg.org.uk

• The APG creative Planning Awards Winners
  announced 25th November for 2003
• Evening meetings
• Conferences and stimulus events
• Publications such as How to Plan, Brand New
  Brand Thinking, Awards publications
  
• Work with the MRS and IPA to support members
• Anyone with an involvement or interest in
  strategic planning whatever the discipline
  can join.

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Why are we talking about Media Neutral Planning?

• Our job is essentially about ensuring the
  effectiveness of communications.
• Research conclusively shows that harmonised mixed
  media communication is more effective in reach,
  targetting and consumer impact Professor Angus
  Jenkinson
• Fragmentation has meant that we can no longer
  rely on single platforms to get the message
  across. There are increased costs of media
  investment , a long term decline in terrestrial
  TV viewing and a squeeze on margins at all levels
  
• We like to talk about ideas that work above
  channels, across channels and with channels.
• More importantly, if the brand speaks with one
  voice the consumer is more likely to believe you.

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MNP Some definitions

• A continuously improving, customer-centric,
  inclusive, creative and long-term merit-based
  review of inter and intra media mix options
  during marketing communications planning - CIM
• What most clients are looking for is not just
  the presence of media neutrality but the absence
  of media partiality some evidence that their
  agencies are open minded enough, and creatively
  versatile enough, to consider every available
  form of brand communication Jeremy Bullmore,
  WPP

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MNP Some definitions

• A process which is about providing solutions to
  client problems, irrespective of channels or
  disciplines (Willott Kingston Smith Survey)
• An unbiased selection of media depending on the
  consumers relationship with the brand and in the
  context of the message (Dominic Mills -
  Campaign)
• Its not about media, its about media-free
  thinking that is fundamental and which drives all
  of a companys behaviours (Mark Earls Ogilvy
  group)
• Clients dont want neutrality, they want
  holistic, actionable ideas (David Fletcher
  Medialab)

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Media Neutral Planning

• Media neutral planning is not just about media
  planning
• Its about a customer driven process
• Its about thinking creatively about how to solve
  business problems
• The whole process should be integrated ideas
  should work with channels and channels should
  work with ideas.

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Biased communications planning
PR ideas
PR
Set and divide budget
Ad strategy Brief
Media Plans
Ad idea
Evaluation Track separately
C A M P A I G N
Advertising
DM
DM ideas
DM targeting strategy
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The media neutral process
Optimisation of agreed media mix
Lay down of final media plan
Media buying
Evaluation including Modelling Tracking Sales ROI
C A M P A I G N
Neutral Team reviews brand
Development of media neutral big idea
Development of media specific creative
Pre-testing of campaign mix
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The neutral planning model

• Based on fully understanding the interaction of
  consumer/brand/media
• It is essential that account planners and media
  planners work more closely together
• Consumer
• Brand Media

Media Planners
Account Planners
?
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CIM findings

• MNP is a relevant and desirable means of
  enhancing the effectiveness of marketing
  communications. It implies a thorough
  understanding of customer communities and media
  potential.
• MNP process starts with the definition of the
  business problem and the communication
  objectives, identification of the target audience
  and the touch points of the brand. Only then the
  choice of media/channels can be neutral.
• The measurement of MNP effectiveness will reflect
  the communications objectives that go beyond
  traditional views and assumptions about what
  individual media and disciplines can achieve. An
  appropriate implementation of MNP should improve
  overall efficiency and ROI.
• The participants expect to share examples of best
  practice openly and learn from each other. The
  aim is to deepen their understanding about MNP
  and develop practical tools for implementation
  and measurement.

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CIM findings

• The barriers that prevent MNP from being common
  practice belong to four main areas
  history/intertia, organisation, lack of specific
  skills and lack of clarity about the meaning and
  process of MNP.
• In order to be effectively implemented, MNP
  requires a compelling reason to change current
  media planning practices that can extend to both
  organisational and cultural change. It also
  requires vision, creative thinking about the
  media and touch points, rigour, continuous
  improvement and a sustainable win-win approach
  that encourages co-operation at client-agency and
  agency-agency levels.

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CIM findingsMNP dimensions

• MNP is focused on target groups/customers
• MNP implies an understanding of the customer
  types and related business problem that is shared
  with the agency.
• It is part of a bigger marketing communications
  plan
• The sequence is crucial first create something
  valuable/relevant for the customers then find the
  best way to communicate it.
• Planning should be inter and intra-media neutral
• MNP requires creativity besides analysis of hard
  data.
• Media are all customer/consumer touch points (the
  opportunity based on holistic view of customers)
• MNP should have a long-term return on investment
  focus (ROI)
• MNP requires continuous improvement because there
  is no sustainable optimum media mix.

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The issues

• Vested interests that reinforce the status quo -
  because of the financial interests and structures
  of media advisers
• Client organisation The Ad. manager, the DM
  department, the PR department!
• Ignorance of media which fall outside an
  individual/agencys comfort zone
• Personal prejudices and habit
• Structures that keep disciplines apart
• Campaign evaluation tools a lack of holistic
  research methodologies and comparability of
  currencies
• Separatist working processes and lack of control
  from the client

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Some Starters for Ten
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Some Sweeping Generalisations

• If transmitters dont integrate, receivers will
  (Jeremy Bullmore)
• Clients are less than impressed with Agency
  responses to the issues raised by MNP
• Traditional paid for media are less important
  to business and brand building than they were
• The implications of the changing media landscape
  are as profound for creative development as they
  are for media planning
• Ideas are no longer the sole preserve of the
  Creative Department
• DM response rates and opportunities are in rapid
  decline. Permission will move swiftly up the
  agenda
• The role of the internet as a fulfillment
  channel, surrogate showroom etc will grow

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Collaboration is Key

• Putting aside differences and turf wars for a
  minute..
• However the Planning is done, the team will need
  to agree broadly on several critical areas,
  including
• a model of MNP
• targeting
• brand and media insights
• metrics and evaluation

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Models of Media Neutral Planning

• No Integration
• Executional Integration
• Message /Theme Integration
• Strategic Integration
• Total Brand Communications

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No Integration

• The legacy of many brands
• Still has advantages especially in the short
  term

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Executional Integration

• Matching luggage
• Often led by TV advertising
• With a dominant visual device
• Instant branding
• Can cause problems where device overpowers
  individual messages
• E.g.s Halifax, Scottish Widows, Andrex puppy

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Message/Theme Integration

• Operates at a slightly deeper level than
  execution alone
• Emphasises consistency of take-out rather than
  input
• Can transcend different campaigns (e.g. John
  Smiths)
• V. effective longer term where a consistent
  single thought is key to brand positioning (e.g.
  Stella Artois)
• Perhaps an appropriate model for increasingly
  popular sub theme campaigns
• e.g. Absolut Chilled
• often partnerships efforts (externally added
  value)

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Strategic Integration

• Takes the theme beyond communications into the
  spectrum of customer touchpoints call centre,
  distribution points, customer service, brand
  extensions

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Total Brand Communications

• Where every aspect of the brand experience is
  consistent from soup to nuts
• Easiest when there is a clean sheet of paper
  (e.g. Orange, First Direct) but can be built for
  established brands (e.g. Tesco, Skoda)
• Built around a single organising idea that
  drives every aspect of brand behaviour what it
  does, how it does it, how it communicates and
  increasingly, how it responds

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Absolut - the Essence of Vodka Purity
Evolving strategy
The Icon
Local variations Events Association with art,
fashion, music
From interruption through leverage to
collaboration
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Do we Need a Core Brief?

• Brand Proposition and Identity
• Agreed Problem and Goal
• Key Insights from Thinking
• Brand
• Consumer
• Channels
• Desired Brand Take Out
• Core Organising Idea (to be devised once thinking
  process complete)

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Targeting

• Segmentation is often the common currency
• Complexity of multiple techniques (Beyond TGI!)
• Static or dynamic?
• The Value Issue
• Where research meets the database?
• Relationship models - e.g. Conversion Model,
  Brand Dynamics. Adoption Curve
• Common Definition(s) needed which embrace(s)
• Behaviour, characteristics, attitudes - in
  relation to life, category, brand, channel
• Accounting for network and social effects
• Agreed theory of how these apply

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Sharing Insights about the Target - 1

• How they buy
• How often do we use an explicit model of decision
  / purchase behaviour or customer journey that
  covers all touchpoints?
• Needs multiple data / research sources
• Why they buy / dont buy
• Helps to define the role for communications
• Media Consumption
• What, where, when, how
• Relationship to media brands
• New trends Sky, mobile internet, 3G,

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Sharing Insights about the Target - 2

• Brand
• The problem or opportunity
• Fundamental truths
• Role in peoples lives
• Brand personality
• How perceptions are formed
• Where can we make the most relevant connections?

• Media / Channel
• How people consume them, messages within them
• What do media habits say about them?
• Effective frequency
• New communications opportunities and challenges
• How can we make the most relevant connections?

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Some Things to Think About

• How can we take the high ground?
• With sceptical Clients (who are themselves under
  pressure)
• Incorporating the latest theoretical thinking
  (e.g. neuroscience)
• And latest research techniques
• We could do with more live examples and case
  histories
• How media/channels work together (or not)
• Traditional comms v content / collaboration
• How do brand and tactical activities help
  each other (or not)
• Knowledge base creation will be key in future
• Talking to your friendly DM data planner
• They do much more than just buy lists!

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But let us not forgetsometimes, somebody just
has a really good idea!
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Evaluation at the beginning, middle and end of
MNP
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• Issues
• How to
• The future

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• Issues

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Hard, and boring
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Evaluation is hard and boring
Interest level
Communications Development Process
Insights
Creative strategy
Channel strategy
Evaluation
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Evaluation is hard and boring
Interest level
Communications Development Process
Insights
Creative strategy
Channel strategy
Evaluation
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Evaluation is key to the adoption of MNP
Roadblock?
Gateway?
or
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Evaluation and MNP
Established tools can stifle the media-neutral
effort
Evaluation can be broader than just measurement
Focusing on objectives is a difficult discipline
Organisational caution inertia
Post-mortem? Rear view mirror?
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Communications evolution
Mobile marketing
Partnerships,
licensing,ad
-
funded
Programming, product placement
Online
Events Stunts
CRM
Sponsorship
Direct
marketing
PR
Advertising
More easily accountable
Less easily accountable
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Challenges
Organisational preferences sales-led or
reputation-led?
Existing methodologies aligned with channels
limited scope to evolve
Long-term vs. short-term effects
Data overload which data sources are most
important?
Evaluation how much to invest?
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Sophistication in channel planning
1. Aggregate effects
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Sophistication in channel planning

• Aggregate effects
• Multi-skilling of channels (e.g. brand role for
  DM)
• More roles for communication
• Multiple goals for communications activity
• Accountability ROI

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• Issues
• How to

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Evaluation deciding what to find out about

• Compound effect vs. disaggregated effects
• Attributing effects to channels
• Behavioural measures
• Attitudes and reported behaviour
• Communication measures

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A review of key data types

• Sales
• Response
• CRM data
• Communications tracking
• Brand equity monitoring
• Qualitative research and observation
• Econometric modelling

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• Issues
• How to
• The future

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The Future

• Market Contact Audit (Integration)
• Cognitive Tracking (Carat)
• Second Sight (Universal McCann)

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Life, the universe, everything 42?

• Budget allocation
• Media spend economies
• Risk aversion
• Hard data
• Science

• Big picture
• Creativity
• Bravery
• Leap-making
• Instinct intuition
• Art

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Appendix
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Integrations Market ContactAudit

• Integrated communications evaluation and planning
  tool
• Designed to answer typical client questions
• Consumer perspective on contacts that are
  influential and/or typical of category
• Qualitative then quantitative research
• Derives integrated communications currency
  Brand Experience Points
• Calculation of Brand Experience Shares (correlate
  highly with actual market share)

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Integrations Market ContactAudit
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Integrations Market ContactAudit

• Brand-level assessment of competitive performance
  future opportunities

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Carats Cognitive Tracking

• Established 3 years
• Measures contribution of every contact point to
  consumers experience of brand
• Consumer-perspective on ability of contacts to
  build brand attitudes in category
• First stage qualitative perspective on brand
  associations that define/differentiate
• Second stage quantification of exposure (via
  recognition), related to brand associations.
  Extensive use of stimulus material.
• Third stage via statistical modelling,
  assessment of shift in brand perceptions
  resulting from comms exposure. Influence of a
  channel is derived statistically, rather than by
  consumer claim (as in tracking)

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Universal McCanns Second Sight

• Aims
• For planners desktop system for relating comms
  exposure, brand awareness, brand equity and
  purchasing behaviour
• For clients understanding of comms effects on
  sales to guide loyalty, trial, portfolio
  management, acquisition etc.

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Universal McCanns Second Sight

• Approach
• Ongoing consumer panel of 3000 respondents
• Benchmark survey collects brand data and typical
  week media consumption
• Sub-samples participate in rotating detailed
  (half-hour) media diary
• Respondent media exposure modelled from
  combination of respondent data industry data
• Allows detailed knowledge of impact of client
  (and some competitor) comms activity
• Purchasing behaviour pre-mid-post comms/promotion
  activity