This module aims to explore the techniques of communications strategy development and critically assess the role of the communications planning function within the agency. The importance of excellence in the development of the brief is emphasised.
Section One
Communications planning and its evolution; the evolving role of planning within an agency; the relationship between the account planning and media planning roles; challenges of planning today from a domestic and international perspective; what makes a good planner; planning from the client's perspective.
Section Two
The role of strategic analysis and objective setting; understanding all aspects of the marketing mix and the brand when developing strategy; planning and IMC; consumer insights; key trends that inform insights and how to identify them; the impact of Big Data on insight analysis; the Big Idea; message formulation; media insights in identifying relevant and effective media touch points. Paid, owned and earned media and how they work together; consumers as senders and producers; how to plan to respond in a socially connected world.
Section Three
The role of the brief in the creative process and in the media placement process; writing an effective brief and the common pitfalls; objective setting.
Section Four
The role of research in the planning process - stages in research (initial exploratory research and creative development research); choice of research moderator; methodologies for creative pre-testing; media touch point selection based on research so as to deliver more relevant communications
Section Five
Campaign measurement - campaign measurement process; lead and lag metrics; quantitative measures e.g. the sales effect, consumer responses, tracking studies; qualitative techniques; online measurement tools
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |