Before creating an advertising plan

Creating an advertising plan is the first thing to do before plunging headlong into any advertising activity. Start by asking a few tough questions, and don't do a thing till you have the answers. It might seem difficult at first, or even a waste of time; go through the exercise nonetheless, and voila! see what a difference it makes to your advertising strategy.

Question 1: What do I hope to achieve through advertising? That, my dear friend, is the million dollar question. Advertising can yield different results, depending on a number of variables, such as the intensity of the campaign, message type and quality, medium of exposure, length of the promotion and so on. Turn that statement on its head - and you will know what needs to be done to achieve the results that you need. For example, if you wish to build awareness for your brand, or create long term relationships with customers, creating an advertising plan that is high on "quick burst" tactical measures like a "limited offer till stocks last" won't do. Although, that may certainly help clear slow moving stocks!

Question 2: How do I go about achieving these objectives? This is largely for the advertising agency to answer, and their recommendations will depend on considerations of cost, timing, frequency and urgency of the message, competitive action... and so on. But before they come up with ideas, you need to clearly specify the target audience and its key characteristics. Creating an advertising plan involves deciding media, message and method. There's a wide variety of media to play with - ranging from radio to direct mail and event marketing. Each has its own charm and pitfalls, which you will be well advised to familiarize yourself with, before making a choice. The message is a lot harder to deal with - many advertisers try to be everything to all people, and that's the worst thing to do. Keep the message focused, make it simple and ensure that it answers an unmet need or highlights the unique benefit that only your product offers. Once that is out of the way, the campaign execution will follow naturally. Deciding the intensity, frequency and timing of the campaign is an equally important aspect of creating an advertising plan. If your sales cycle is highly seasonal, it is best to time the activity just prior to the beginning of the season and run it through its peak. On the other hand, companies that sell fast moving consumer goods, that are needed pretty much all year round, need to invest in more sustained advertising activity.

Question 3: How do I measure results? And that is the worst one of all! Advertising is notorious for its immeasurability. A campaign's effectiveness may not show up as a sharp spike in sales, but can you deny the heightened brand recall it creates in the mind of potential customers? Likewise, a direct marketing effort certainly costs more per "unit" than a print ad, but may result in higher immediate sales. Discuss deliverables with the agency before they go about creating an advertising plan for your company. After all, there's no fun in spending big bucks and turning out a creative campaign if you don't know what's really in it for you!

Having answered these questions, you will be ready to start creating an advertising plan. If your advertising requirements are significant, you might like to ease the process by investing in specialized software like Advertising Plan Pro from PaloAlto Software. And if you have more questions, "How to Develop a Successful Advertising Plan" by James Walter Taylor, will certainly provide the answers.