Writing a marketing communications plan is often a chaotic and unmeasurable marketing activity for many organisations. In an attempt to help things along we recommend adopting a logical and proven strategic planning process that whilst simple in essence, delivers powerful and evidence-based continuous improvement for your organisation.
The NAPJAC format for marketing planning is a cyclical process that begins with a clear statement of the organisation’s needs to ensure that everything that follows is aligned to targets rather than simply activity for activity sake.
Needs
These might be strategic goals and objectives, numbers, financial and softer targets through to short term tactical aims.
Analysis
Research and intelligence gathering about your market trends, macro situation and competitor activity will provide a clear view of the opportunities and threats that will help to shape the near term and longer term marketing that will most likely add value to the organisation.
Personas
Understanding the nuances, descriptions and unique characteristics of the real people behind your target markets will ensure you can become a social business, delivering true value and return instead of generic marketing and communication that misses the mark.
Journey
Plotting a clear customer experience from initial awareness through the building of faith and trust in the organisation at the point of conversion is as critical as the post-sale retention journey choreographed to ensure customers stay engaged and loyal for maximum lifetime value and advocacy.
Assessment
Digital dashboards for the gathering of information through the length of the customer journey to turn into decision-enhancing intelligence that allows for continuous improvement in everything you do. Gone are the vanity metrics and in come the real measures of success against the earlier strategic goals and objectives.
Campaigns
Selection of the correct marketing tools and channels to populate the customer journeys and giving these tools job descriptions so they perform to plan is key to the most successful integrated campaigns. All tactical and day to day marketing activity can then be seen to add value to longer term goals, stripping away the unnecessary drain on resources from pointless activity.
Viper Marketing has delivered effective planning workshops and consulting using these elements in fun, interactive planning sessions with a variety of clients in sectors as diverse as law to music. If you have a need for clarity in your marketing planning or simply some help getting started then get in touch and we’ll share some great ideas.