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RSSMany agencies practice tactical media planning rather than strategic media planning, and there is a subtle difference. Tactical media planning is based on immediate tactical parameters like budgets, periods of time and immediate response metrics. Strategic media planning is more needs-based and focused on the longer-term business objectives with latent response metrics such as brand awareness -- and the correlation between brand building and response metrics for customer acquisition.
The problem is that the Internet is fast becoming a medium for tactical rather than strategic planning. The biggest spenders online use the medium as a DR vehicle, and the plan parameters that most brands are using are budget, target and flight driven. There is very little to no anticipation of the long-term effects and goals of one's advertising.
That can be a problem, especially in an economic downturn. When the economy is down, brands have an opportunity to maintain spend and effectively increase share of voice. That can translate to an effective rise in the performance of campaigns over the long term. That is certainly every brand's goal, but how many times are media agencies tasked to create annual plans that are actually followed through? Even in annual plans, much optimization takes place.
Too many brands, and as a result too many agencies, are looking at things from the perspective of a short-term campaign plan. They want to know what things are doing now rather than how they accumulate over time. The creative is intended to drive immediate action and there is no foresight given to brand building.
Over time, your campaign can be more effective if you create a relationship with the consumer. Just look at a brand like eSurance. It was primarily a direct-response advertiser for a number of years, but then it gambled with illustrated cartoon ads on TV, supporting that with a combination of DR and brand ads online. ESurance now leads the category (according to a recent source that I saw). Company strategists must have determined that standing out in the eyes of the consumer and beginning to create a relationship would translate into stronger ROI in the long run.
Most agencies are not given the opportunity to be involved in a client's long-term planning. As a matter of fact, most agencies are afraid that their clients will up and leave at anytime, so they can't push to get into the long-term opportunities when they know they will be evaluated against the short-term metrics. That fear of always being dropped makes it harder to have confidence in the long term. It feels as though the average length of a relationship in digital is about three years, and it's hard to build a deep relationship in that short a time.
So the fact is that tactical planning is the name of the game these days -- while strategic planning is what everyone wants, but rarely gets. It's funny, because if you poll the brands, they will say their agencies lack creativity and innovation -- but if you ask most agencies, they'll say their clients won't allow or compensate them for those kinds of ideas. Which side of the equation is correct? Who's really to say?
Don't get sucked into this pickle. When you're being tasked to sit down and develop a plan, be sure to break it down into short-term and long-term opportunities. Or better yet, look back and determine what role each media vehicle should play in the grand scheme, aiming to be strategic rather than just tactical. It may just create a stronger relationship with your client. Even if they aren't aware of it.
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I totally agree with your idea.
But in China market, media agency always meet a big problem. Bcoz Impr, clicks & leads result report are easy to make from media owner. We can find cheating very often. So I think how to do a really strategy is to choose a right platform. There is a situation, client say: "I do not need any media strategy. My strategy is push campaign massage into high traffic channel on famous sites." Sign.
Cory's article is good, it's valid, and it's speaks directly to online advertising. But one of the fundamental reasons online still doesn't get nearly the advertising revenue relative to viewers that TV or newspaper does is because of the lack of solid measurement tools. Without knowing how effective the ads are, advertisers and agencies are hesitant to put big spend online. Tasked to develop really good justification for spending online, they turn to direct response since long-term brand-type marketing is hard to quantify.
I think Cory is right, however I don't see this changing until online advertising can prove its mettle in DR advertising - then the money will come and advertisers can shift to longer term planning.
With the control and ease of use of an instant mobile advertising site like www.GripOffs.mobi where the advertisers create and post their own offers, changing them at will and monitoring the real-time results, the business is in front of our eyes with their best offer as we're making our key buying decisions.
Good Deal or No Good Deal?
We Decide When We Compare.
All About Preference.
Hopefully, smart businesses are beginning to realize that it really is very simple; we're just like them.
We like convenience and since the technology is available, we'd really prefer knowing about the businesses and all of the good deals while we're on the go, not just sitting in front of a computer.
We don't have time to sit and go through everybody's website, mobile or otherwise.
Being with us wherever we are makes us feel like the business really gets us and wants to be with us and literally they are.
Whenever we need them, wherever we are.
There's currently no better tactic right now for those companies looking to engage us for now through the holiday seasons and beyond than instant mobile advertising created and controlled by the advertiser.
If they put up GREAT OFFERS, we'll be there!
Solve the immediate challenge and make sure you get proactive about getting your share of the many customers that are available now.
Then, you can sit back and watch this little miracle at work and figure out your long-term strategy and retirement plans.
Sophisticated, yet simple.
Back to your August 18…the same philosophy applies to media planning as well as creative. It takes more than a singular approach. The goals and budget determine the options for the best approaches. Believing otherwise is shortsighted at best.
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