The process can be reduced pretty well to the following:
- Writing the brief – the discipline of setting out what you have, what makes it special and what you need to get done. Do not fight shy of saying what you feel and think as well as what you know. This is your map.
- Defining your resources – whom you have on your team, how much time and talent they have. Be clear about what they and you are capable of delivering. Next, how much money do you have to spend? This will determine what you can and cannot do. Never bite off more than you can chew. To embark on a project that is overly ambitious is very foolish.
- Examining your options – you have a lot of options. So long as you have a clear brief, then those that most economically and effectively match the objectives you have set should be shortlisted. One word is key here, Focus. Focus on what you are trying to achieve.
- Writing a clear and detailed plan – the brief is your map; the plan is your itinerary. No one should ever spend a penny of a marketing budget without having a good robust plan.
- Executing the plan – interestingly Harvard Business School are now saying it is execution that is more important than strategy. They have dozens of case studies where the strategy was fine and the execution was wanting. This is checklist time. Is everything ready on time? Is everything right? Is everything fitting together? Does the plan feel as though it’s going in the right direction?
- Measuring the results – everything you do needs to have an effect. Your job is to measure these. Are sales going up? Is share going up? Are people talking about the campaign? Is there any research to show how awareness, attitude or behaviour is changing? As a result of your review dose anything need changing? Go back to the brief and make sure it still holds water. Never, ever keep pouring good money after bad.
