ACCOUNT PLANNING
AD 3116
A.Kwanta Sirivajjanangkul
Albert Laurence School of Communication Arts
Department of Advertising
2016
WHAT WE WILL COVER TODAY
The Account Planning Context:
Overview of Adverting Agency
•Why do we have Account Planning?
•The Role of Account Planning in Advertising
Development Process
•Who’s who at the Advertising Agency?
•Job descriptions and responsibilities of Account
Planner
WHAT IS
ACCOUNT
PLANNING?
WHAT IS ACCOUNT PLANNING?
Account Planning strove to
make advertising better and
more effective by
introducing consumers and
their attitudes into the
advertising development
process
Alan Cooper, Chairman of the APG
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
WHAT IS ACCOUNT PLANNING?
Account Planner is
the voice of consumer
Stanley Pollitt, Founder of Planning at
Boase Massimi Pollitt (BMP)
Source: Habberstad (2011) The Anatomy of Account Planning
WHAT IS ACCOUNT PLANNING?
Account Planner is
responsible for planning
advertising strategy and
evaluating campaign
against it.
Stephen King, Founder of Planning at J. Walter Thompson (JWT)
Source: King (1989) The Anatomy of Account Planning
HAT IS ACCOUNT PLANNING?
Account Planning is all about hav
consumer focus, by
bringing the consumer perspectiv
the process of developing advert
WHY do we
have Account
Planning?
WHY DO WE HAVE ACCOUNT PLANNING?
WHY do we have Account Planning?
LIFE BEFORE ACCOUNT PLANNING
Before 1960s
 Passive consumer
 HARD-SELL CULTURE:
using Straightforward unique selling proposition was
presented
Bill Bernbach from Doyle Dane Bernbach in the US
 Reject the concept of passive consumer & the notion
that advertising does things to people.
ACTIVE, COMPLEX & DISINTERESTED CONSUMER
DOING THINGS WITH ADVERTISING
WHY do we have Account Planning?
LIFE BEFORE ACCOUNT PLANNING: CREATIVITY IN ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING
WORKS
DISTINCTIVENES
S
RELEVANCE
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
Advertising that sells
Creative Advertising
WHY do we have Account Planning?
LIFE BEFORE ACCOUNT PLANNING
 In the US, over-simplistic
stimulus-response testing was
used to measure whether ads
worked in a laboratory
situation
 In the UK, agency research
department external to the
process of advertising
development, and providing
data and research answers in
response to the request of
account manager.
Creative
Client
Account
Director
Research
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
WHY do we have Account Planning?
LIFE BEFORE ACCOUNT PLANNING
In the 1960s in the UK
 Stanley Pollitt (BMP)
 Stephen King (JWT)
Client
Account
Director
Creative
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
Research
The Planning Breakthrough: In the UK
Client
Account
Management
Account
Planner
Creative
Team
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
The Planning Breakthrough: In the UK
“Planning can only work when
there is a total agency
management commitment to
getting the advertising right at all
costs.
Client
Account
Management
Account
Planner
Creative
Team
Getting it right being more
important than maximising agency
profits, keeping clients happy or
creating an agency shop window
for distinctive looking advertising.”
Stanley Pollitt, Founder of Planning
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
The Planning Breakthrough:
The Heart of Effective Advertising
LIFE AFTER ACCOUNT PLANNING:
CREATIVITY & CONSUMER FOCUS IN ADVERTISING
EFFECTIVE
ADVERTISING
CONSUMER INSIGHT
RELEVANCE
‘STRATEGY’
DISTINCTIVENESS
‘EXECUTION’
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
The Planning Breakthrough:
From the UK to the U.S.
Futuristic
Originated in the
UK:
Stanley Pollitt,
BMP
Stephen King, JWT
1960s
Fashionable
Spread to the U.S:
Jay Chiat,
Chiat/Day
1980s
Functional
Widely adopted in
the U.S and
spreading around
the world
1990s
THE ROLE OF
ACCOUNT PLANNING
IN ADVERTISING
DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS
The Advertising Development Process
Strategy Development
Familiaris
e
Review
Campaign Evaluation
Hypothesis
e
THE PLANNING CYCLE
Synthesise
Evaluate
Optimise
Inspire
Creative Brief
Advertising Recommendations
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
Research Input to the Planning Cycle
Market/Consumer
Research
Familiarise
Hypothesise
Review
Strategy
Development
Research
Tracking
Research
Evaluate
Synthesise
Creative
Development
Research
Inspire
Optimise
Source: Cooper (2011) How to Plan Advertising
WHO’s who
At the
Advertising
Agency?
WHO’s who at the
Advertising Agency?
Agency President / CEO
Chief Financial Officer
Accounting
Chief Operating Officer
Agency PR/
Communications
Chief Creative Officer
Human
Resources
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Technology
Officer
New Business
Head of Media
Head of Account
Management
Head of Account
Planning
Head of Digital
Strategy
Head of
Creative
SVP, Media
Director
SVP, Account
Director
Account Planning
Director
Information
Architect/ User
Experience
Creative
Director
Studio Services
-
AV Studio
Digital
Development
Studio Art
Design
Retouching
Quality
Assurance
Head of
Integrated
Production
Executive
Producer
VP, Media
Director
VP, Account
Director
Associate Account
Planning Director
Associate
Creative
Director
Associate
Media
Director
Account
Supervisor
Senior Account
Planner
Senior Art
Director/
Writer
Associate
Producer
Media
Supervisor
Account
Manager
Junior Account
Planner
Art Director/
Writer
Art Producer
Media Planner
Account
Executive
Creative
Director
Business
Affairs
Media Buyer
Senior
Producer
Advertising Agencies in Thailand
Source: Brand Buffet
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
The Definitive Guide: Job Roles in the Planning Industry
The Definitive Guide: Job roles on the Planning Industry
Types of Planners





Account Planner
Strategist
Brand Planner/Brand Strategist
Digital Planner
Design Planner
Types of Planners






Media Planner
Social Media Planner
Content Planner
Data Planner
User Experience Planner
Insight Planner
Source: www.apg.org.uk
The Definitive Guide:
Job roles on the Planning Industry
Types of Planners
Account Planner
The original title. The expert of the consumer in the agency to make the brand’s
communications more effective.
Strategist
A more relevant adaption of ‘Account Planner’ for marketing in the digital age. Whilst
a ‘plan’ suggests rigidity, a strategist is able to react, adapt and optimise in a dynamic
market place.
Brand Planner/Brand Strategist
Having the ability to develop and craft the purpose of a brand to help underpin how
it behaves in the eyes of the consumer
Source: www.apg.org.uk
The Definitive Guide:
Job roles on the Planning Industry
Types of Planners
Digital Planner
An expert on what technology does to people, society, culture and the economy to
develop strategies that bring brands and people together that shape their preferences
and behaviours.
Design Planner
Focusing on visual and intuitive responses, closer to the brand - creating the brands
first tangible manifestation/incarnation (its design, identity, name, packaging) and
communicating about it.
Media Planner
Media Planners combine creative thinking with factual analysis to develop appropriate
strategies to ensure that campaigns reach their target audiences as effectively as
possible. They apply knowledge of media and communication platforms to identify the
most appropriate mediums to benefit a client's brand.Source: www.apg.org.uk
The Definitive Guide:
Job roles on the Planning Industry
Types of Planners
Social Media Planner
Responsible for developing the strategy of the brand in multi-way platforms.
Content Planner
Responsible for developing the overall narrative for the brand to be delivered in
chapters with smaller episodes delivered at a more frequent rate than ‘traditional’
campaigns.
Data Planner
An expert in statistics and modeling, who can express simply the commercial
implications a piece of analysis will have for the clients business and marketing
activity, throughout development, optimisation and evaluation.
Source: www.apg.org.uk
The Definitive Guide:
Job roles on the Planning Industry
Types of Planners
 User Experience Planner
Responsible for shaping and communicating user experience strategies and design
throughout the digital ecosystem.
 Insight Planner
Adept at uncovering original observations and facts that will provide a greater
connection to people, through their motivations, belief, behaviours.
Source: www.apg.org.uk
WHO’s who at the Advertising Agency?
Types of Planners
 Account Planner: The Voice of Consumer
 Media Planner: Figure out the best possible touchpoints
 User Experience Planner: Figure out the best possible digital touchpoints
JOB
DESCRIPTIONS &
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF
ACCOUNT
PLANNER
Working with Ogilvy& Mather Advertising: Jr. Planner
Position Title: Junior Planner
Reports To: Senior Planner
Responsibilities
Development of brand strategies, writing creative briefs, guiding development and presentation of the
creative work.
Design and implementation of research projects to address client business issues, gain insight into
target audiences and testing ad concepts.
Requirements
 1+ years of experience in at least one aspect of strategic planning or related field.
Bachelor’s degree Familiarity with most forms of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and
working knowledge of when and how to apply them to a given client challenge.
Ability to work directly with clients and develop relationships accordingly on behalf of the agency.
Demonstrated talent for abstract thinking, spotting trends and patterns, an innate curiosity and insight
into human behavior, an instinct for popular culture, and a nuanced understanding of creative work are
critical.
The ability to work across different groups and disciplines is key to their success, as is their judgment in
pushing the work, elevating the ambition of a brand, and leading the client’s thinking about the potential of
their business.
THE ANATOMY OF IDEAL ACCOUNT PLANNER
Be visionary
Understand the client context
Be a rigorous and logical thinker
Insightful consumer brand and
competitive research
Strong relationship with Creative,
Account team and Clients
Curious and Resourceful
Analyse and make use
of research
Be creative and able to think
around the problem
Be persuasive and
diplomatic
Capacity to package
information in clear, concise
and impactful way
Source: Kocek (2013) The Practical Pocket Guide to Acoount Planning and
http://royalsocietyofaccountplanning.blogspot.com
Superior oral, written and interpersonal
communication skills and presentation skills
Job Descriptions & Responsibilities of
Account Planner
•Core Duties






Own various qualitative and insight-based deliverables
to drive customer understanding
Develop single-minded creative briefs that inspire
Creative and UX teams
Be a part of daily strategic discussions
Act as liaison between Media Planning and Creative
Play an active role in Customer presentations and overall
strategic guidance through the life of a campaign
Produce intellectual property in the form of White
Papers, Reports, Blog entries and Social Media Content
Tasks
Develop concept statements/messaging territories
for upcoming brand campaign to be tested in focus
group
Field an online user experience survey to
understand consumer’s online behaviour
Work with the Client to develop a strategic process
(from assignment definition to research decisions to
insights to positioning) to improve the quality of Client
briefs and insight work
Identify trend and provide recommendation
whether or not this trend could be used to Client’s
advantage
Identify new ways for the Client to personalise their
brand positioning in the digital age
Identify celebrities for upcoming brand
Basic Account Planning Process
Duties of Account Planner
Account Planning Process
Duties of Account Planner
CLIENT BRIEF
A Good Client Brief
•LEAD TO BETTER, MORE EFFECTIVE AND MEASURABLE WORK
•SAVE TIME AND MONEY
•ENABLE YOU AND YOUR CLIENT TO CHECK THE VALUE OF
YOUR WORK
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN?
A good client brief should include information on:
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
WHERE DO THEY WANT TO BE?
WHAT DO THEY WANT TO DO GET THERE?
WHO DO THEY NEED TO ‘TALK TO’?
HOW WILL THEY KNOW THEY’VE ARRIVED?
THE APPROVAL/SIGN OFF PROCESS
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN?
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- How you and your client are going to manage the
project.
The basic facts of the project/common information
should include:
• Date; Project Name, Project Type,
• Company: PLC/Group Company where relevant,
• Brand: Name/Variant
• Client Contact Information: Names/Titles and
Contact Details
• Agency: Agency Name and Contact Details
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN?
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
 Describing the current position of the brand, its
background and the key issues it faces defines
the start point for the assignment.
 The brief should try to contain the product or
service description, including key attributes and
benefits, information on its market position,
(volume and value) and other data relevant to
the assignment.
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN?
WHERE DO THEY WANT TO BE?
 The clients goal/objective, e.g. to improve
sales, usage, awareness, image,
reputation, profitability, customer profile
etc.
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN?
WHAT DO THEY WANT TO DO TO GET THERE?
It’s unlikely that the project you are
assigned to work on will achieve the defined
objective alone,
so it’s essential that you have a full
understanding of the total marketing and
communications strategy – and the marketing
already in place.
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN?
WHO DO THEY NEED TO TALK TO?
 All marketing activity is designed to elicit
some form of response from a particular
group of people.
•These target groups should be defined and
prioritized as accurately as possible via
demographics, lifestyle, product usage,
attitudes, etc.
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN?
HOW WILL THE CLIENT KNOW THEY HAVE ARRIVED?
•How will it be measured? When will it be measured? Who will measure it?
This is vital to the assessment of the clients return on investment (ROI)
•Practicalities These include:
•Timings: What/when are the key project milestones and key delivery dates?
What are the booking dates or deadlines for any associated internal/external
activities
•Fit with other marketing activity: for example is there a sales conference
whose deadline precedes media copy date or website functionality? What if
any phases of pre-testing research are planned? What are the logistics of any
production required?
•Other considerations: For example, are there any agreed creative ideas to
work with, Does the brand or corporate identity have guidelines or other
mandatories? Does the client have any other complementary activity
planned, e.g., trade promotions?
WHAT A GOOD BRIEF SHOULD CONTAIN?
APPROVALS
 The final piece of detail needed
in the brief is who has the
authority to sign off the work
that the agency produces.
This person (or people) should also
be the one(s) to sign off the brief
before you start work on the
assignment.
Example: Client Brief
Client Brief
Client:
Brand:
Launch Date:
Target (Who is the target audience):
Communications Objective (what message
and outcomes do you want):
Marketing Objective (sales / awareness /
messages / brand image etc):
Desired Consumer response (what we want
consumers to react / think):
Goal (What’s the best possible outcome?):
Key Messages:
Background (context about your
Style and Tone:
company/brand so far – how does this work
fit into your recent marketing history):
Mandatory thing to include e.g. logo /
Considerations e.g. mobile vs email /
Purpose of the brief (which part of the
Specifications:
marketing will we be doing – mention any
other suppliers or internal teams delivering Metrics (How will success be measured?):
part of the work):
Budget & Delivery timescale:
Example: Client Brief
Client Brief
Client:
Brand:
Launch Date:
NOTE: we do not specify any particular type of marketing tool. This is because we
believe a wide range of marketing can help with your brand’s situation. But if you feel
very strongly that you are looking for a particular type of solution, please write it here
Brochure / Print
Digital / Website / SEO
Email / Direct mail
Advertisement
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Social Media
Graphic Design / Branding
Content Marketing / Copywriting
Contest / Promotion
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