Account Planning Group Article

Another article I tracked down. This one is from 2002 and appears on the Account Planning Group's website.

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Media-neutral planning - what is it?

Christian Barnett, Board Account Planner, Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R
This paper focuses on three key areas for discussion: firstly, what an agency delivers to ensure a media-neutral campaign, secondly, what the optimum agency-client structure to make integrated campaigns a reality, and thirdly the implications for the agency team composition.

What the Agency delivers

It is important to deliver more than just the written definition of the 'creative idea', and the advertising campaign. There needs to be an entire 'brand language' which includes definition of the idea in a conceptual, linguistic (literally examples of headlines and copy) and a visual way. The last is particularly important as many integrated campaigns rely on a visual synergy to hold them together, especially in media such as packaging, trade merchandising, and other in-store design.

The best approach to developing a 'brand language' is by means of a specifically tailored 'style guide'. This ensures that an integrated solution can be implemented not just sold. The style guide contains examples of how the campaign is intended to work in various media (TV, outdoor, print, on-line, trade, in-store, etc.). The idea, the visual look, the language and other executional elements are dissected and explained so that they can be easily reproduced.

The skill lies in being able to produce an integrated campaign that has an idea and a look. An idea with no look is difficult to replicate in many of the static media. A look with no idea becomes hard to execute in a dynamic media such as TV.

As a result, a clear distinction is made between the integrated campaign style guide and a traditional graphic designer's brand book. The latter may establish a visual look but can be very difficult to create advertising to.

What is the optimum Agency-Client 'Structure'

Some agency-client structures are more helpful than others at facilitating media-neutral campaigns. The least helpful scenario is that where a client keeps its agencies in separate 'silos'. The different agency disciplines are kept at arm's length, thereby stacking the odds against integrated thinking and solutions.

On the agency side, the least helpful scenario is one in which the agency develops an idea, shows how it works in advertising and hands the execution back over to the client. It is then up to the client to make it work in other media. Often the idea will not have been rigorously road-tested inside the agency and collapses as soon as it is taken to another media, either through insufficient skill in the transportation or because another agency has its own ideas and scuppers the 360 solution. A more typical scenario is when the client selects a number of specialist agencies. This way of working enables the client to pick 'best of breed' agencies, but it is reliant on the different agencies working closely together, something which at best requires considerable managing. In addition, best of breed agencies with their own client contract will want to impress so it is only natural that conflicts arise. This form of client-agency structure can have huge pluses; genuine integration from best of breed, but can easily go off the rails.

Another favourable scenario is the client who wants a genuine one-stop agency solution. A good example of this at RKCR/Y&R is the LEGO account. The LEGO Company had too many agency relationships around the world and saw a one stop global agency as a way to create totally integrated campaigns coming from one brand. Their brief included an integral role for media planning as part of the central creative function even though they already had regional media planning in place. They recognised that to speak with one brand voice throughout the world a one-team solution was the best way forward.

To get truly integrated ideas it is preferable to have all the disciplines under one agency roof, all working for the same agency team and pulling together. This ultimately means creative teams from different disciplines being briefed and working side by side, inputting ideas into each other's discipline in campaign development.

This thinking carries over to media planning: account planners and media planners work side by side to produce creative briefs and media shapes and then work together with creative teams to develop the best creative route.

Ironically, this structure is like a return to a full service agency, as it works better when all key parties are in the same building. The LEGO account pitch saw the RKCR/Y&R team working with the interactive specialists (2.1), the communications planning team (TME 360), and so on. All the constituent parts of the team were literally a stone's throw from each other so it was easy to 'roll' ideas on in real time rather than have lots of lumbering set piece meetings which can confuse and impede progress.

Implications for composition of agency team

Inevitably, the above has implications for the agency team composition. Creative teams need to be open to other creative teams, from different disciplines, working with them. Media planning needs to be brought into the process earlier as a 'guide' for the media shape. Non-traditional, non-silo thinking is essential and can be generated by including non-traditional, non-silo people. There is likely to be a big visual component, so significant art direction /design is required. But above very clear strategic and creative direction is required to keep the creative development process on the rails!