Integrative Activity

1. Buyer Persona
a. What is a buyer persona? Why should you create one?
b. How do you create a buyer persona?
i. What should you keep in mind when conducting market research?
● What is the purpose of surveys and interviews?
● What are focus groups?
2. A briefing or brief is a document that serves as a communication tool between a company and
its marketing providers. Based on this statement, answer the following questions.
a. Who creates a brief?
b. What is its purpose?
c. How is this related to SMART goals?
i. What criteria do SMART goals encompass?
Integrative Activity
3. How is a customer journey map (visual representation of the user journey) related to the
concept of a funnel?
4. (Optional) Review the following topics
i. Business canvas.
ii. What is a business canvas? Why is it useful when starting a business?
iii. What elements are included in a business canvas?
○ What are KPIs?
Tips for Developing a Solid Brief
● Don’t leave room for ambiguity. Define the problem or need clearly and give the agency
the freedom to provide a solution.
● Motivating.
● Specific.
● Clear.
● Concise.
● Seek to inspire, rather than appealing to reason.
● Identify the benefits that should be communicated.
● Think competitively. Why should people buy this product over another one?
Role-Play Exercise
For this exercise, break your group into two smaller groups. (For example, if there are four
people in your group, you should form two groups of two.) One group will represent the
client, and the other the marketing agency.

Simulate an interview between the client and the agency, in which you develop the brief
that will determine how the marketing campaign will be carried out.

Feel free to use your own communication tools, and conduct the exercise in the way that
feels most comfortable.
The Role of the Agency
Those who are playing the role of the agency professionals must think about what aspects are the
most important when getting to know a new client, in order to develop the brief and present the
client with a creative proposal and campaign strategy.

Remember, in order to execute a campaign you have to know what audience the campaign is
intended for, what specific objective the campaign aims to fulfill, the aesthetic tastes of the
company, and the background and history of the business, to help think of creative ideas.

Even though our role is to think about media, budget, and campaign execution, it’s also important
to keep in mind the creative aspect of the campaign.
The Role of the Client
You can invent whatever kind of business you want, as long as you are able to give relevant
answers in response to what the agency asks.

We’ll provide you with one idea, in case you want to use this option:

You run a coffee shop chain that got its start as a family looking to bring business to the
neighborhood they lived in. Little by little, with lots of hard work put into offering great service,
and developing a unique, cozy, welcoming aesthetic, and through word-of-mouth, the business
began to grow. One day, a friend proposed the idea of opening another location in his own
neighborhood, 40 km away from the original shop. His shop was also successful, so the company
started to look into the idea of offering franchising and growing the brand, opening up more
shops in other locations.

They contacted the agency because they want to start a campaign to tell their story, and invite
people to reach out to them about opening a shop — investing in a franchise for their own
neighborhood. What sets this offer apart is that it is an accessible franchise, and their investment
would make them part of the family.
Elements of a Brief:
● Client.
● Date.
● Campaign.
● Brand.
● Campaign objective (What does the client want to achieve?)
● Target audience (Who do they want to impact?)
● Description of the company.
● Description of the product/service to be promoted.
● Restrictions (Is there anything that’s off-limits?)
● Project budget.
● Timelines for execution and completion.
Customer Journey Exercise
Let’s think about the path traveled by the user prior to making a purchase, in the
context of an online purchase from a coffee brand.

We’ll break the journey down into two stages:

- Pre-purchase
- Purchase
Each stage involves its own internal processes.

As an exercise, identify and write down possible pain points, meaning, what could
go wrong during these two stages with respect to the user’s contact with the
brand, their user experience, and customer service, among other factors.
 Pre-Purchase

Information Specific Search Consideration

Awareness (General)

Example: in the awareness process, we can identify that the user will come into
contact with ads on social media. If the messaging in these ads is confusing, this
could result in the user visiting the website and then leaving, because what they saw
in the ad doesn’t match what is on the site.
 Purchase

Pre-Checkout Checkout Post-Checkout

Example: in the pre-checkout process, we can identify that the user may be
able to access discounts or coupons. If when they try to use them they don’t
work, this could be considered a pain point.
Responses Pre-Purchase
Awareness: Consideration:
Confusing messaging on social media or Prices are higher than other retailers,
in ads. not being able to offer a superior deal.
Promising offers that don’t actually exist. Not receiving marketing
communications.
Information/Specific Search: The deals offered aren’t attractive.
Trying to enter personal information into
a form but receiving an error message
upon submitting it.
Not receiving an account confirmation
email.
Reading negative opinions from other
customers.
Not being able to find information on the
brand.
Responses Purchase
Pre-Checkout:
Unable to select a product.
Not being brought to the payment portal.
Products listed as out of stock.
Expensive shipping.
No way to get in touch with customer service.

Checkout:
The payment won’t load.
Error message upon purchase.
Not being able to click through the checkout process.

Post-Checkout:
Not receiving a billing email or purchase confirmation.
Incorrect billing.