Blue RubiconKate Waters

1. WHAT IS PLANNING AND WHY
DO WE BOTHER?
Kate Waters, Blue Rubicon

2. What is planning?
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, JWT Planning Guide, 1974
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.
Planners are in a unique position because they (should) have a detailed
understanding of the audience and the market context through research expertise
AND an appreciation of how this can be applied to their client’s business. Planners
must provide the crucial bridge between the two worlds in order to get
customers to engage profitably with the brand.
Merry Baskin, APG 2007

3. But there are now many types of
planning…
Creative Brand Comms Marketing Data Business
Media/ comms
Brand Clients &
Ad agencies planning Direct, CRM Consultancies,
consultancies consultancies
e.g. BBH e.g. Naked, e.g. EHS e.g. McKinsey
e.g. Interbrand e.g. OSM
Carat

4. WHAT DO WE DO?

5. Understand how and why people
make decisions/ act
60
50
40
30
20
10
I couldn't live without my
0 freezer
Years Frozen food is as good as
fresh food

6. Understand how and why people
make decisions/ act
The insight: The campaign:
Getting people talking is the
single most useful thing
communication can do to
encourage safer sex

7. Root work in the commercial
world

8. Redefine problems in a more
meaningful way
Not enough R&M smokers are
quitting
R&M smokers want to quit, try to quit
but are less successful at it
Tackle ‘cold turkey’ to persuade them
to use support
Cross sell other NHS services

9. Give brands a point of view that
helps creatives gets them noticed
“Honda has been selling cars in the UK for
29 years. Not many knew. Or cared. Even
Honda owners felt compelled to justify
their choice, with 'I drive a Honda
because ' instead of the proudly simpler 'I
drive a Honda'. They were buying them
for the perfectly rational reason that the
cars are excellent. Trouble is, 'rational' is
in the same neighbourhood as 'sensible',
which is only a few doors away from 'dull'.
Although Jeremy Clarkson might disagree,
it's hard to buy a bad car these days, so
emotional pull really matters. On that
score, Hondas were a bit low-fat vanilla”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwRCBHhyrAA

10. Identify how communication
needs to work to be effective
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYOsWWKHZVw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hozCKWDOk9c&feature=related
Salience?
Persuasion?
Direct response?
Emotion?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef3gofQcOKk&feature=related
Low involvement?

11. Creative briefs are the key tool we use
Objectives
Role for Communication
Target audience
Insight
Proposition
Tone of voice
Support

12. When could a planner be useful?
When you need help defining the problem
When you want to know what the world is thinking
When you need to turn business objectives into a creative strategy
Moderating/ guiding thinking
Providing rationale & support for a point of view
To deconstruct and rationalise creative work
When you need a devil’s advocate

13. Stuff to explore if you want to
know more
A Masterclass in Brand Planning, Stephen King
Truth, Lies and Advertising, Jon Steel
APG Creative Strategy Awards Books
www.apg.org.uk
Planning blogs, e.g. AdLiterate (Richard Huntingdon), Russell Davies

14. QUESTIONS?