25 COMMS PLANNING MODELS

FOR STRATEGIC PLANNERS

Created by Baiba Matisone

 BAIBA MATISONE

Is a brand strategist who helps to connect brands to

culture and getting people to share their fears, hopes and
dreams

Share your opinion:

Feedback Survey

Let's connect:
LinkedIn Medium
Mark Ritson THREE STEPS IN MARKETING
Before we dig into the communication planning
process, it's necessary to understand where the
importance of communication lays in a
marketing plan.

Mark Ritson declares that lately everyone has

been obsessed with communication but the
reality there are only 5-7% of marketing challenge
and the other 97% is other stuff.
COMMS DIST
There are always 3 steps in good marketing: STRATEGY
- Diagnosis
DIAGNOSIS X X PRODUCT PRICING
- Strategy
- 4Ps (Comms, Distribution, Product,
Pricing)

33.33% 33.33% 33.33%

Additional information:
“What does and doesn't matter in marketing” by
Mark Ritson (YT video)
Source: Mark Ritson
THE PLANNING & EVALUATION PROCESS
To better overview the whole communication
planning process, it's good to keep in mind all
the steps in the process. From brief until
measurement and evaluation:

Uncovering insight,
mapping the How we use
Who is the most What is the journey and To justify & channels Looking at the What is the
valuable audience identifying roles for resonate an (receptivity specifics of combined
consumer? behavior? communication idea moments)? each channel reach?

Brief/ Measure &

Insight Strategy Ideas Plan Integrates Implement
Task Evaluation

Additional information:
IPA touchpoints
Source: IPA
THE BASIS FOR COMMS PLANNING
The communications planning process
concerns defining the context where the
information will be received and the contact
who will receive it. These two aspects together
create the content or the message that the
consumer will receive. CONTEXT CONTACT CONTENT

CONSUMER ROLE FOR COMMS/ THE RIGHT MESSAGE,

EXPERIENCE KEY CHANNELS IN THE RIGHT PLACE,
AT THE RIGHT TIME
Understanding what What people need to
the consumer is experience to spur action Messaging designing for
doing, how they make and the best touch-points to specific stages of the
decisions and the engage them consumer journey, and/for
stimuli around them specific touch-points

Additional information:
A book summary of “Bad Strategy, Good Strategy”
Source: WARC Webinar
COMMUNICATION CYCLE
Planning is essential. Just keep in mind it's not a
plan you need, it's results.

So, strategy should be implemented in a list of

specific action steps.

Action have be executed. Place your ads, launch Evaluate Plan

the campaign. Whatever.

Here comes the interesting part. Evaluate the

results. Did your actions bring your closer to your
goal? What was good? What went wrong?

Do you still have money and believe in a bright

future? Go for another round.
Execute Implement

Source: Strategy Deck

Stephen King's PLANNING CYCLE (1968)
The best way to understand the communication
planning process is to start with the account
plannings godfather, Stephen King's planning Where
cycle model. are
we?
These are the 5 main questions of strategy you
should ask yourself repeatedly until you will get
a clear vision of the new-state, barriers, Are we Why
business opportunities, wise goals and a getting are we
reasonable plan to achieve it. there? here?

How Where could

can we get we be?
there?

Additional information:
JWT Planning guide

Developing Advertising Strategy Source: JWT Planning guide

COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK
The goal of communications planning comes
BRAND PLATFORM
down to translates business goals into
communication tasks. To better define the role
MARKETING OBJECTIVES
of comms and make more focused media
choices, this comms framework lay the
ROLE FOR COMMS
groundwork for marketing planning.

It should lay the foundation CAMPAIGN PLATFORM

for consistency in
messaging and determining
what needs to be measured
at each stage.
What is the customer doing/ thinking/feeling
CUSTOMER JOURNEY
at this point?
What is the key customer barrier that will
KEY COMMS BARRIER keep us from effectively communicating?
What is the customer doing/ thinking/feeling What is the customer doing/
at this point? thinking/feeling at this point?
What is the key customer barrier that will What is the key customer barrier that will
keep us from effectively communicating? keep us from effectively communicating?

COMMS TASK How do we overcome this barrier? How do we overcome this barrier? How do we overcome this barrier?

What reason does the consumer have to What reason does the consumer have to What reason does the consumer have to
REASON TO BELIEVE believe this message? believe this message? believe this message?

KPIs How will we measure success? How will we measure success? How will we measure success?

DATA SOURCE What data do we need and how often should What data do we need and how often should What data do we need and how often
it be reported? it be reported? should it be reported?
Additional information:
Chris Huebner article on this model
Source: Chris Huebner
CAMPAIGN ARCHITECTURE
Campaign architecture is how advertising
campaigns are set up and organized to properly
manage the flow of data from the most
granular insights to a holistic campaign view BUSINESS PROBLEM
and beyond. How you architect your campaign
determines what you get out of it.
POSITIONING

CAMPAIGN IDEA

BARRIER BARRIER BARRIER

COMMS TASK 1 COMMS TASK 2 COMMS TASK 3

TACTICS TACTICS TACTICS

Additional information:
PUMA campaign case study
Source: Julian Cole
PLANNING TOOL
This is a useful tool to recheck the combination
of the current problem with the desired future.

This framework will help you to double-check

your hypothesis vs. reality.
STEP ONE STEP TWO STEP THREE

State the problem Desired future state Re-state the problem

combining the current
Does/does not Does/does not state & the desired state
Who Who
What What ● Focus on one
Where Where problem
How How ● One or two
sentences
Re-state the problem Re-state the desired ● Does not suggest
problem a solution

Source: WARC Webinar

APG: 12 STEPS TO A STRATEGY
APG offers their way on how to define the
problem and find a solution.
DEFINING THE PROBLEM

● Define your objective

● Read around the subject
● Define barriers in the way
● Identify strengths and things in your favour
● Re-define your problem

IDENTIFYING A SOLUTION

● List potential solutions

● Write a list of pros and cons
● Choose the most promising
● Stress test or research it
● Summarise your strategy and how it should work

Source: APG
PLANNING FRAMEWORK
A very simple explanation of the planning process
by Miami Ad School. This model can be a useful
Client briefing
tool when you're still learning the steps in the
planning process.
Asking the right questions

Keep in mind that the planning process never

goes smoothly in one direction step by step. You Exploring the broad market/business dynamics
will always find some additional information or a
new viewpoint on how to look at the problem. Conducting a thorough brand audit

Golden rule - always ask as many questions as Establishing target audience segments and consumer purchasing
you can about everything that relates to the task! dynamics

Defining the role of advertising and what models of advertising are

applicable

Carrying out a competitive analysis on the category

Source: Miami Ad School

McCANN: PLANNING TOOL
McCANN planning tool is based on four pillars:

● Consumer
● Culture CONSUMER CULTURE
● Company (Conceptual Target)
● Communications Societal trends
Who do we target? What trends/beliefs
What drives them? matter?
All together they combine demand on an idea.
DEMAND IDEA
COMPANY

Brand equities, values, COMMUNICATIONS

beliefs
Product advantage How do we stand out?
What makes us
different?

Source: McCANN Worldwide

TBWA's INTERPRETATION
TBWA offers 6 registers or potential areas of focus your
communication:

Top of Mind Attributes Benefits Territory Value Role

The symbol of brand The reason to believe: The benefit to the The world, real or not, The brand's values/ In role in life of the
awareness what the product has, consumer rational or built around the brand attitudes/ consumer, or in
does, the DNA of the emotional convictions society
brand

Source: TBWA Worldwide

BBDO's TAKE ON THE TWO
Venn Diagram outlines how BBDO Comms Planning compares their counterparts
at a media agency.

BOTH

MEDIA MEDIA COMMS

BBDO COMMS BBDO
PLANNING Channel PLANNING
planning Reach
Resonance
Consumer
Message IS FOCUSED ON
IS FOCUSED ON BRINGING behavior
Message Multiplier Effectiveness UNDERSTANDING THE
STRATEGIC RIGOUR TO THE
Consumer CONSUMER AND THE BEST
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
Translating the journey Translating client TOUCH-POINTS TO REACH
IDEA
creative idea into objectives and THEM
Comms
media and media to framework creative idea
the creative idea into media

Additional information:
Description about the model Source: BBDO Worldwide
TO… BY… MODEL
If you can construct a sentence that states your
aim (i.e. “to do X”) and then follow up with a way
of getting there (i.e. “by doing Y”), then you're TO BY
halfway to having a strategy.

BUSINESS
To increase sales volume… ..by recruiting new users
To maintain sales volume... ..by consolidating loyal users
To generate sales leads… ..by enhancing brand reputation

To enhance brand reputation… ..by correcting a negative perception

MARKETING
To consolidate loyal users… ..by reminding them of the brand's
benefits
To recruit new users… ..by bringing the brand to their attention

To bring the brand to their

COMMS

attention… ..by dramatising the benefit

To remind them of the benefits… ..by doing a side-by-side comparison
To correct the negative perception... ..by electing an “expert” spokesperson

Source: WARC Webinar

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT TEMPLATE
What every strategist is looking for is a
proposition that is true to the product and
motivating to the consumer and distinctive from
the competition. Product Proposition Target audience
interrogation understanding

True to Motivating
the to the
product consumer

Distinctive
from the
competition

Competitive
analysis

Source: Butterfield, L., Excellence in Advertising. England: Butterworth-Heinemann

LADDERING
A fundamental structure for starting with a
functional product benefit and “laddering up” to
find the emotional benefit and higher-order value.
A classic! The ultimate payoff
(can be outer or inner directed e.g.
status or peace of mind)

The benefit to the user

(physical, mental or emotional)

A tangible property
(e.g. size, appearance, taste, performance)

Source: London Strategy Unit

BEHAVIOR CHANGE MODEL
As the starting point is a current behavior and
then comes three phases with triggers to set up a
desired state of behavior. CURRENT CONSUMER DESIRED
BEHAVIOUR RESPONSE
Who is the target What do you want
It's important to understand what media channels market? them to do?
will be used to trigger existing behavior into the
desired one.
WHAT MEDIA CHANNELS ARE THEY USING

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

What is the creative What is the creative What is the creative
messaging? messaging? messaging?

What is the reason to What is the reason to What is the reason to

believe? believe? believe?

MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA

What channels will be What channels will be What channels will be
used? used? used?

Source: Julian Cole

MODEL OF NEEDS
A good comms strategy starts by marrying the
needs of the business and the audience, and that
means getting away from your desk to find out
exactly what those needs are.

Whether that’s through formal channels like

meetings and emails, or by stalking your boss in
the kitchen while they make their morning coffee,
don’t just assume you know what’s motivating
people to do stuff or holding them back. Ask AUDIENCE COMMS BUSINESS
STRATEGY
NEEDS STARTS NEEDS
them directly. HERE

Additional information:
About the model
Source: Charity comms
RESEARCH DISCOVERY
This is a very simple and useful framework for
guiding research when first starting out on a
client brief. By researching each dimension - the
brand needs, the category norms, the consumer
behaviors, and the macro-cultural context — you
will have a solid place to understand the real
challenge underneath the surface of the brief. BRAND CATEGORY

CONSUMER CULTURE

Source: Jen Bonhomme

 Question
1. The brief
2. The client

RESEARCH Find the problem

● Be specific

PROCESS MAP ●
●
Understand the context or field of study
Ask who/what/where/when/why/how

A step by step framework on the research Determine Research Strategy

● What do you need to find out?
processes in brand and communication ● How will you gather information/data?
development.

Additional information: Primary Research Secondary Research

Research skill requirements in Strategy

Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Text, Data and Image

● Case study interviews ● Questionnaires ● Online database
● Individual consumer profiling ● Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, ● Internet
● Email focus groups Instagram ● Literature, books,
● Telephone interviews ● Online Survey sites magazines, journals
● Internet groups
● “Vox-pops”/ man in the street interviews
● Competitor brand analysis Analysis and Evolution
● Go shopping! ● To determine new insights
● Photography ● Understand current context
● Keep your eyes open!

Analysis and Evaluation

● Determine new insights
● Understand current context
● Uncover consumer behavior, attitudes and awareness
Source: Baiba Matisone
MARKET CONTEXT
A simple framework to explain how content,
users, and context cannot exist without each
other.

CONTEXT

CONTENT USERS

Source: Competitive Analyser

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
There are 4 main channels that form a person's
opinion of a product or a company. These
channels differ according to personal perception
and influences.

Advertising - everything that is recognized as an Advertising Information

advertisement.

Information - mass media messages that are not

recognized as advertising. Personal
perception
Feedback - other people's opinions on products
or companies.
Feedback Experience
Experience - a personal experience of a product
or communication.

Source: Strategy Deck

MANIPULATION MATRIX
This framework can stretch beyond product
applications and is a simple, check-in exercise.

Matrix can also work well for a brand or

marketing effort to determine if an idea is
helpful. The goal is to be in the facilitator
quadrant. Materially
improves the
Peddler Facilitator
user's life

Does not
improve the
user's life
Dealer Entertainer

The maker does not use it The maker uses it

Additional information:
Description about the model
Source: NirAndFar.com
McKINSEY MODEL
I add this framework to remind you of one
golden rule - always keep in mind that
consumers want the category, not the brand!
ACTIVE CONSIDERATION

A, B, C, D C

PASSIVE CONSIDERATION

Source: McKinsey & Company

 Additional information:
25 Branding models

Brand Glossary

60 Behavioral Biases: A Glossary for Strategic Planners

Research Process in Brand Building

Research Skill requirements vs. Reality in Strategic Planning

Creative Brief templates and examples