How To Write A Communication Strategy?

Summary

This video explains the value of communications (comm's) planning in enhancing a creative idea's impact for agencies. After brand planning and idea development, comm's planning strategically shapes the idea's exposure, addressing customer needs at various decision-making stages (living, looking, and buying). Using Chase Inc’s 'Ripple Effect' campaign as an example, the video highlights how comm's planning fuels engagement by addressing barriers and guiding customers on their path to purchase. Ultimately, it ensures creative ideas resonate with the target audience and lead to successful conversions.

Takeaways

• 📊 Comm's planning plays a critical role in expanding the reach of a big idea and making it more impactful across media and target audiences.
• 🛠️ It's not just about tactical media placements but involves creative engagement that addresses customer problems at different phases of their decision-making journey.
• 💡 Comm's planning bridges the gap between brand planning and creative execution, providing structure while maintaining flexibility.
• 🏆 The Chase Inc campaign showcases how a creative idea can ripple out by turning a small success story into a large, influential campaign using points as a business tool.
• 🔍 Comm's planning addresses customer barriers throughout the buying journey, dividing it into three phases: living (emotional benefit), looking (functional benefit), and buying (features).
• 📈 The main objective of the Chase Inc campaign was to increase sign-ups by showing small business owners the tangible value of points in driving business growth.
• 💬 Media channels were selected to drive attention and awareness in relevant business sectors, using social media, influencers, and business blogs.
• 📚 During the 'looking' phase, the campaign focused on demonstrating how points provided real business value, addressing a common misconception that business card points are irrelevant.
• 🔄 The campaign was broken into stages, from awareness to conversion, by sharing business success stories and building trust with the target audience.
• 🚀 The ripple effect of the Chase campaign led to significant results, increasing consideration from 3% to 23% and earning $800,000 in media value.

Q & A

What is comm's planning and why is it important?

Comm's planning is the creative engagement that shapes how a big idea is exposed and succeeds across media. It sits at the intersection of brand planning and the creative idea, giving structure and flexibility to move a big idea across multiple messages, ultimately enhancing the impact of a campaign.

How does comm's planning differ from tactical media placements?

Unlike tactical media placements, which focus on where and when to place ads, comm's planning is about creative engagement that addresses customer problems throughout their decision-making journey. It's a strategic approach that enhances the effectiveness of a campaign rather than just focusing on placement.

What are the three phases of comm's planning, and how do they align with the customer journey?

The three phases are Living, Looking, and Buying. 'Living' addresses the emotional connection by cutting through customers' everyday lives, 'Looking' showcases the functional benefits as customers search for more information, and 'Buying' emphasizes product features to convert customers during their final decision-making phase.

How does the Chase Ink campaign illustrate the ripple effect in comm's planning?

The Chase Ink campaign used the ripple effect by showcasing a success story (the donut creation) that inspired small business owners. This success was revealed to have been powered by Chase Ink points, which created a strong narrative that rippled out across media channels, motivating others to sign up for the Chase Ink card.

What is the significance of the 'Ripple effect' in comm's planning?

The 'Ripple effect' refers to how a core idea can expand and influence broader audiences by creating layers of engagement. In the Chase Ink example, the success story of the donut grew into a viral success, reaching various audiences and making the campaign a permanent feature in the brand’s messaging.

Why does the comm's plan focus on customer barriers, and how are they addressed?

Comm's planning aims to identify and solve customer barriers during their decision-making journey. By addressing these barriers with creative comm's tasks and tailored solutions, the campaign can move customers from awareness to purchase more effectively.

What are some examples of media channels used in the Chase Ink campaign?

The campaign used a variety of media channels, including consumer-led channels like social media, influencers, food blogs, and online publications. It also employed evolving outdoor billboards in business districts, targeted social media, press releases, direct mail, TV ads, print ads, and business blogs.

How does comm's planning help align creative teams and clients?

Comm's planning aligns creative teams and clients by providing a clear roadmap for how the creative idea will ripple out across different channels. It ensures that each execution serves a specific role in addressing customer barriers, thus helping both the client and creative teams stay focused on the customer's journey.

What role does customer journey research play in comm's planning?

Customer journey research helps identify the barriers that customers face at different stages of their decision-making process. These insights are then used to develop comm's tasks and solutions that address these barriers, ensuring the campaign remains relevant and resonates with the target audience.

What are some key takeaways from this video about the value of comm's planning?

Key takeaways include that comm's planning helps ideas have a ripple effect, aligns creative teams with customer needs, focuses on solving customer barriers, and enhances campaign effectiveness by integrating consumer-focused phases of the decision-making journey: Living, Looking, and Buying.