Planning as a discipline is nearly 50 years old. The internet didn't even exist when it was created. How does it apply to new media types. At Yomego this is something we deal with in the strategy department every day. Here we outline our approach.

1. Planning For Social
Media
Neil Major, Strategy Director (@neilmajor) and Matt
Butler, Junior Planner (@mattbutler07), Yomego

2. About this session
Two parts…
• What is strategy and
planning?
• How does it apply to social
media agencies?

3. What is planning?

4. In 1968 planning was born
in the UK
Stephen King (JWT) and Stanley Pollit (BMP) are the ancestors
of account planning

5. Aims
“It aimed to expose and dismantle stifling and unhelpful research
methodologies.
It devoted itself to developing a real and rounded understanding of the
consumer, rather than simply selecting and polishing selling propositions.
It sought to place thinking about the response of the consumer at the heart of
strategic and creative thinking.
It shifted the focus of advertising development from finding ways of selling
people stuff, to finding ways of making stuff buyable.
And it placed the quest for effectiveness above all other agendas, both internal
and external (it was strategic)”*
*Reclaiming Planning’s Radicalism, Martin Weigel, Planning Director W+K, 2014
http://martinweigel.org/2014/04/22/reclaiming-plannings-radicalism/

6. 3 definitions of traditional
account planning

7. "The account planner is that member
of the agency's team who is the expert,
through background, training,
experience, and attitudes, at working
with information and getting it used -
not just marketing research but all the
information available to help solve a
client's advertising problems.”
- Stanley Pollitt

8. "Planners are involved and integrated in
the creation of marketing strategy and
ads. Their responsibility is to bring the
consumer to the forefront of the process
and to inspire the team to work with the
consumer in mind. The planner has a
point of view about the consumer and is
not shy about expressing it."
- Fortini-Campbell

9. “The account planner: the
customer’s representative within the
agency.”
- Drayton Bird

10. What makes a good strategy?
• Able to evolve
• Able to cope with uncertainty
• Doesn’t fall apart in extremes
• Makes resources go further (generates power)
• Provides insight into conflicts/blocks
• Other stakeholders are complementary to its objectives
(shared ideal)

11. Process in account
planning
Receive Brief
from client
Carry out
research
related to
consumer and
brief
Write creative
brief and
present to
creative team

12. Process in account
planning
Rationalise
advertising
and
messaging to
client
Pre-test ads
following
clients
approval
Evaluate
success of
campaign

13. Yomego’s planning process
There’s a lot here. Let’s take a
look at how this means that the
way we approach planning
differs from a traditional
advertising agency

14. We’re not an ad agency
What does planning
mean for us?

15. We certainly have no shortage of
information to process

16. Where we differ
We don’t have creative teams
(copywriter and designer)
We are creative as an agency
….we do have designers though


17. Where we differ
Media types are not defined –
and may not even be media
Digital work is often unique,
bespoke and new

18. Where we differ
We don’t have to just focus on
the end user. We have to think
about how we reach them
(propogation)

19. Our planning framework
Networks
Brand User
All three
must be taken
into account

20. 1. Brand success criteria
Something the client can
contribute in – be a valid part of
the conversation

21. 2. User success criteria
The activity has to be something
that the user will want to interact
with (and ideally share) and be
something that alters their
relationship with the brand in
positive

22. 3. Network success criteria
The activity needs to be both
technologically appropriate for
the media and also something
that will be welcomed by the
community there
… We can’t just buy our way in


23. What’s missing?

24. What is an insight?
Lots of definitions. Here’s mine.
“Information that can be
leveraged to strategic effect
(effectiveness)”
…Three types

25. Something new

26. Something old, used in a new
way

27. Things combined in unexpected
ways

28. New things
Brand Pebble Watch
User Selfie
Network Facebook Connect
Criteria Examples

29. Old things, new ways
Brand Pabst Blue Ribbon
User Planking
Network Hashtags
Criteria Examples

30. Unexpected combinations
Brand Diet Coke/Mentos
User Steampunk
Network Mashups
Criteria Examples

31. The brief is where these end up

32. …and hopefully lead to effective
planning (and creativity)
Recent successful
campaign for Tefal
(for full campaign
details get in touch)

33. Thank You!