Overview of media plan development steps and key points of a media plan.

1. MEDIA PLAN
DEVELOPMENT
SWOT, Organizing Media Plan

2. SWOT Analysis
• Basis of media plan
• Provides insights
• Strictly statement of facts – does not set goals or
recommend actions (Write these down as you think of
them!)
• Media Brief – Provided by accounting team, signed off on
by the client. Provides direction on the media plan.
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

3. SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats

4. SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
Let’s Try
One!
Opportunities Threats

5. MediaFlightPlan.com
• Go to “Ground School”
• MFP Case Study
• TimTam
• Download student packet
• Case Study (pdf)
• MRI (excel)
• Kantar Competitive (excel)
• Read Case Study

6. SWOT Analysis – Marketing Objectives
• The 4 P’s: Product, Price, Place, Promotion
• Size of the market?
• What methods have been used to sell this product?
• What advertising has been used in the past? How? Which media?
• Where is the brand in the product life cycle? New product? Mature
product?
• Sales goals?
• Current share? Share goals?
• Current awareness? Awareness goals?
• Is marketing budget available?
• Geographic breakdown for sales?
• Creative concept: Require specific media mix?

7. SWOT Analysis - Competition
• Who are all major competitive players?
• What share of market do they have?
• How does your brand compare with competition? Unique
or similar?
• How much are competitors spending?
• What media does the competition use? Which vehicles?
• When do competitors spend most of their money?
• What kind of sales promotions does the competition
employ?
• Any use of non-traditional / guerilla marketing?

8. SWOT Analysis – Creative History
• How is product currently positioned?
• What is the current copy theme? Slogan? Headlines?
• Which media are currently being used?
• Is this product high or low involvement? (Low = Impulse
buy)
• List of benefits and qualities, including psychological
benefits. (Psychological example – “Guilt-free”)
• Attitudes toward the brand?
• How is the product used? Consumed? When?
• What percent of budget should be considered for national
media? Spot media?

9. SWOT Analysis – Target Audience
• Demographic target profile
• Psychographic target profile
• If wide appeal – assign a value to each group
• Use primary research (MRI, SRDS)

10. SWOT Analysis - Geography
• Is the brand distributed nationally, regionally, both?
• Does sales potential vary by markets / regions?
• Data to support this?
• Budget allocation? Percent spent on national vs spot
media
• What spot markets have best potential?
• What is BDI (Brand Development Index) and CDI
(Category Development Index) for each major market?

11. SWOT Analysis – Timing & Purchase
• Seasonality – which months are most important?
• When does competition advertise most heavily? Should
you have a strategy to deal with it?
• What is the purchase cycle for this product? (purchased
often? >1x per month)
• Specific days of the week?
• Time of the day?
• Holidays that might influence consumption?
• Can weather or climate in geographic regions be used
strategically?
• Media schedule: Continuous, Flighting, Pulsing

12. SWOT Analysis – Media Mix
The combination of media that suits the brand best
• How much internet or social media is appropriate?
• Which media vehicles match the lifestyle of your target
audience?
• Will budget allow you to outspend competition using the
same media mix?
• Are there any weaknesses in competitor’s media mix?
• Do you have enough competitive media data to create a
Share of Voice (SOV) analysis?
• Which media would work best for this brand? Why?
• Color? Coupons? Time/Space needed for message?

14. ORGANIZING A MEDIA
PLAN

15. Model Media Plan
I. Executive Summary
II. SWOT – Situation Analysis
III. Creative Brief / Creative Strategy
IV. Media Objectives & Strategies
V. Appendix

16. Executive Summary
• One to two pages in length
• Summary that reveals the highlights of your plan.
• Key insights that drive the strategy
• Introduce and lay the ground work for your plan

17. SWOT
• Length: typically 4-6 pages
• Write in outline format / business style writing
• Use subheads
• Answer all the intelligent questions about the brand’s
marketing situation.
• State facts, be descriptive – DO NOT include media strategies
• Cover the 7 topics

18. Creative Brief / Strategy
• One page document defining creative strategy
• Communication Objective – what do you expect the advertising to
accomplish? (Awareness, Trial purchase, Increased traffic in store)
• Brand Position – How you want the brand to be perceived
• Promise – What is the major benefit your product promises?
• Tone – What is the tone of advertising? (Funny, Serious,
Thoughtful)
• Tag line – Make sure it reflects the advertising position
• Typically developed by the account/creative team
• Signed off on by the client

19. Media Objectives / Strategies
• Drive the media plan
• Derived from the Marketing Objectives / SWOT
• Six basic media strategies / media objectives
• Target Audience & Media Mix
• Reach, Frequency & GRPs
• Scheduling & Timing
• Media Budget
• Geography
• Sales Promotion
Review in detail next week!

20. Appendix
• Exhibits, Charts, Data that supports the plan
• If it is really important, make sure it is included in the main
plan. (even if you have to simplify the data)
• Client typically scans these items or ignores them
completely
• Handouts – Media Flowcharts, Creative mock ups