What is Account Planning?

Chandradeep (CD) MitraC PipalMajik

Account Planning –Managing the 4Ms of

Marketing Communications

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Managing the 4Ms

• The First M – the Right Market• The Second M – the Right Motivation• The Third M – the Right Message• The Fourth M – the Right Media

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Managing the 4Ms

• The First M – the Right Market (WHO)• The Second M – the Right Motivation (WHY)• The Third M – the Right Message (WHAT)• The Fourth M – the Right Media (WHERE & WHEN)

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Account Planning solves the old advertising dilemma –

Hard-Working or Creative?

Hard-working and Creative!

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“I do not accept that there has to be a choice

between advertising that is strategically relevant or creatively original”

Martin Boase

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“At the heart of an effective creative philosophy

is the belief that nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature, what compulsions drive a man,

what instincts dominate his actions, even though his language so often

camouflages what really motivates him. For if you know these things about a man you can touch him at the core of his being.”

Bill BernbachC PipalMajik

Account Planning is all about having a consumer focus and through this adding something to the

process of creating outstanding advertising.

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Account Planning is about 3 questions

• Why are we doing any advertising or communication at all?

• Who are we communicating with?• What should we say and why?

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‘Conceptually, account planning emphasizes the importance of the target consumers:

understanding them, finding advertising strategies that will best fulfil the client’s marketing objectives

in terms of attitudinal or behavioural response, and then evaluating the advertising developed, by pre- & post-testing, long-term tracking, etc.’

S StaveleyC PipalMajik

‘Account Planning philosophy marks out a somewhat changed relationship with the client. Instead of simply mirroring the client’s marketing strategy and goals

(usually in terms of markets, volumes, shares and revenue), the agency provides a complementary expertise –

that directed at an intimate knowledge of the target group. This involves conducting a dialogue with the consumers,

and better understanding of who they are, how advertising directed at them will work best,

how they use it, and in which media; and afterwards, how well it is doing once a campaign is up and running.’

S StaveleyC PipalMajik

Account Planning makes advertising more Hard-working

• Better targeting• Better researched• Deeper insight• Newer proposition• More relevant message• More appropriate media

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Account Planning makes advertising more Creative

• Better Consumer Understanding• More Powerful Insight• Fresh Perspective• Unique Platform• Greater Impact of Message

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Account Planning createsa Better Chance of producing

More Effectiveand More Creative advertising

More Often!

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Role of Account Planning in Advertising?

Risk Reduction!

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‘The creative man, the new type of planner and the account man, in essentially as

a businessman with a flair for advertising, are all likely to have greater equality of status.

And all of them are likely to be directly involved with the client.

Because of their different mental processes and ways of tackling problems they are likely

to work together more in a status of controlled friction than artificial harmony.’

Stanley Pollitt,‘How I started Account Planning in Agencies’

(Campaign, 1979)C PipalMajik

The drivers of Account Planning

• Value-added utilization and interpretation of Consumer Research

• Deeper understanding of Consumers• Understanding of how Advertising (Marketing

Communications) actually works• Helping create more effective ads

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‘The Voice of the Consumer’

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‘The Agency’s Conscience’

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‘The Third Leg’

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‘The Creativity behind the Creativity’

Henrik Habberstad

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‘The goal is always about effectiveness, which means we must bring everything back to

behavioral & business outcomes, both short & long term.When in doubt, our best judgements about these

must always be more important than pleasing the client, double guessing the boss, winning a Golden Lion, making a quick buck or covering our arses. It’s not always easy, but this

is the only solid ground to stand on.’

Paul FeldwickC PipalMajik

“Any systematic approach to planning advertising has to do more

than simply provide controls and disciplines. It must actively stimulate

imagination and creativity too”

Stephen King, 1974

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“We need a process that enhances an agency’s ability to produce outstanding creative solutions for our brands

that will be effective in the marketplace. It is the planner’s job to guide or facilitate this process

via the astute application of knowledge, otherwise known as consumer and market understanding.

From the real world, outside the myopic, navel gazing self absorbed, self rewarding industry

we live and work in.”

Mary Baskins

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The ROI of Account Planning

• Relevance ( Understanding of consumer, her relationship with category, brand & media, and how communications can influence her)

• Originality (Differentiated strategy, unique platform, clutter-breaking creative)

• Impact ( Effectiveness in getting desired business result within minimum investment of time & effort)

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“If researchers are data gatherers, then planners are knowledge applicators. Planners must insightfully

interpret and illuminate the data, and develop intuitive hypotheses from it.”

Mary Baskins

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"Account Planning serves tochannel the consumer's viewpoint

to the agency's creative staff during the entire process ofmaking an ad campaign”

Jay Chiat, Chiat/Day

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"Account Planning brings the voice of the consumer

to the creative, so that, in turn, the creative can talk to the consumer”

lona Kligman

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"The Account Planner speaks with the voice ofa thousand consumers”

Jane Newman

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"An Account Planner will find a statistic, then, rather than simply deliver the data –

interpret what the numbermeans in the real world”

A Feuer

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"The secret of peering into the future depends on the deepest possible

understandingof consumers as people "

R Sliver

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"The Account Planner who explains the marketplace with

value-added interpretation and analysis will have a decided edge

over the Researcher who is still 'describing' markets"

A Adams

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"The Account Planner's role is to think as the consumer thinks,

thus giving a face to piles of demographic and psychographic research

compiled by both client and agency"

K Stern

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"An Account Planner should belike an investigative journalist.

You need a lot of brains and a little moxie”

Richard Block

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5 Benefits of Account Planning

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Benefit 1:

Account Planning helps an agency understand the consumer more precisely.

It prevents the agency from listening only to the client,

who can easily make false assumptionsabout his or her audience.

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Benefit 2:

Account Planning starts with what a client wants to say and ends with

what a target audience wants to hear. Constant interaction with consumers

ensures that the agency always knows what consumers are thinking.

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Benefit 3:

Because Account Planning helps an agency know a client's market so clearly,

the concept leads to attention- grabbing campaigns that

help sell more of the Brand. The advertising is simply better.

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Benefit 4:

Account Planning leads to relevant advertising more often because Account Planning is the consumer's representative within an agency.

They ensure that their agencies are in constant communication with consumers

and not just their clients..

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Benefit 5:

Account planning makes it easier to sell a campaign to a client because

the agency can explain quite specifically why the advertising should be

done a particular way.

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So what’s next?!

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