Expert: Peter Gabany - 8/12/2005

Question
Dear Mr. Gabany,
         "The Planner will conceive of and develop these plans - often in concert with the brand manager or client while the manager is more of an implementation person to time-line and manage the functions of the plan through //concept, creative, implementation and measurement//."
         I understand, or think I understand, the first three processes. It's 'measurement' that is giving me trouble what does that mean? Evaluation?
  Could you also give brief notes on the other processes involved in creating the ad, so that I know I've got it right.
    - Emmanuel K. Quartey

-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
  So sorry for the hediously long essay I sent you the other time. I was being thoughtless.
  This time I'll keep the question brief:
  How does the Accounts Department (Accounts Planning and Management) of the advertising agency work? Please feel free to be as detailed as you can.
 Sorry again!
  - Emmanuel Kwate Quartey.
Answer -
Emmanuel,

Account Planning is becoming a segregated function to Account Management and Planning is a function of management and management is often mistaken for sales. There is a definite difference.

Sales lives for the day while management works from a specific set of client, brand, product, service objectives - to increase conversion/sales - FOR THE CLIENT.

Planning is the function of developing strategic, product, creative options for the client/brand to best make their marketing budgets work.

Strategic planning will look at channels of marketing, geographic penetration, brand and market development opportunities that will maximize conversion - turning budgeted marketing dollars into sales - and hopefully far greater sales than the spend on marketing.

Planning and Management cross several disciplines such as advertising, PR, sales promotion, direct response marketing and design.

The Planner will conceive of and develop these plans - often in concert with the brand manager or client while the manager is more of an implementation person to time-line and manage the functions of the plan through concept, creative, implementation and measurement.

I hope and trust that this will assist. There is a lot of market speak in this writing but I'm confident that you will see through it. Navigate to - http://advertising.utexas.edu/world/index.asp - and look at the Account Planning section for additional information.

Cheers,

Pete

Answer
Measurement is the holy grail of advertising. Let me ask you - if you gave me $10 and I turned around and gave you $500 would you not give me another $10. The act of giving me the $10 can be considered an investment - and I not only have to make my living from the $10 but for me to ensure that I continue to receive payment from you I must convert this money into a return on investment.

If I can prove to you that for each $10 you give me I can get about $500, chances are you will continue to give me dollars and convert it into greater returns. Yes?

So the measurement aspects to this puzzle is the the proving of a return on investment. Unfortunately the results are rarely as cut and dry. For example. We spend $200,000 on television production and some spot media for client x that sells cola - how do we know how effective the investment has been? All we can really know is that the advertisment advertised in one specific time slot will reach X number of viewers. The viewers have to convert the message into a desire to purchase. The more purchases that are made helps us build our conversion factor.

10,000 people see the commercial, 1,000 people actually remember the commercial and 100 people make a purchase. We now know that there has been a 1% conversion. But again, we really only receive enough information to project reach. It will be the company who will have to provide sales figures for the brand and the analysts interpretation as to how much gain/loss there was over the campaign.

Internet is much different in that we can directly determine cause/effect - investment/return on investment. This is done in real time as we invest in on-line , Pay-Per-Click models that allow us to track each and every purchase. But as you can imagine - this has limitations - not everything can be tracked. For example an electricians visit, or dental appointments or well the list is vast.

As for ad creation we need to know these three things - WHO, WHAT, WHAT?
Who do we wish to speak to in the ad? Demographic and psychographic analysis.
What is it that this group already think of the brand?
What do we want them to think once they see the creative?

Your creative objective then comes from there and MUST answser the directive. Then you utilize the benefits of the product/service to help build an approach. You should determine at least two things that support the values of the brand and utilize these as the unique selling proposition. i.e.: Volvo. Attributes - ABS Brakes, Benefit - Allows me to stop on a dime, even in slippery conditions. Value - I feel safe. Not surprising, Volvo's mantra for over 40 years was safe driving.

Then there are the mandatories - the stuff that must be in the ad. Addresses and phone numbers and how about the logo or web address? The package beauty shot and the list grows as per the client's need.

Lastly, Tone and Manner - do you need to look authoritative or humourous, silly or straight? and how will you deliver these. By beuaty shot - as in most ads in Vogue, or how about demonstrative - like the ads for dove?

I hope/trust that this will assist.

Pete