Y&Rubicam McWhopper

The final report should consist of a well-integrated and carefully documented proposal that presents strategies, creative platform, media schedule, estimated expenses and any research that may be required for your product or service. Think of yourselves as an advertising group in a client firm (in house agency) or advertising agency (external) that is preparing a promotional or an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) plan to present to the executive committee of your client organization.

As part of this project, you are required to prepare an oral presentation (pitch) for the class. The presentation will be evaluated on the basis of over-all communication effectiveness and creativity. The presentation should, as a minimum, address the following topics:

1. Background, objectives and budget: What business is this company in? What segment(s) do you want to reach? What explicit objectives should be set for the advertising program? What is the budget for the entire project?

2. Creative: Develop an overall creative strategy for your client. This will require an assessment of competitive activity, judgments as to the important points of appeal or differentiation, and consideration of alternative theories of communication and attitude change given in your text.

3. Media strategy and creative program: You are to recommend the overall promotional and media mix to be used. Include a breakdown of estimated expenditures by alternative media and/or activities (e.g., contests, prizes, promotional materials, etc.) Justify why you have chosen specific media or promotional activities.

4. Be Innovative and Have fun with this project! This is one time when length is not necessarily an advantage--but the unusual is. Successful promotional plans/advertising campaigns stand out from the clutter (among other things), so be creative, take a chance, and prepare something different.

In summary, this project requires an oral presentation that is accompanied by a written report to be turned in on Monday, November 27th by 8:00am.

CAMPAIGN PLANBOOK PROJECT IN DETAIL

Study Projects: to be done by 4 people

Develop a CAMPAIGN PLANBOOK or an IMC or advertising (campaign) plan for a business of your choice that is more tightly focused on solving a particular marketing communication problem in a specified time. Such a plan typically includes a variety of marketing communication (marcom) messages carried in different media and sometimes targeted to different audiences. The final report should consist of a well-integrated and carefully documented proposal that presents strategies, marketing mix, market segmentation, target market, consumer behavior responses, media schedule, estimated expenses and possibly research that may be required for your product or service.

The following outline traces the steps, and the decisions they represent, in a typical campaign plan.

Elements of the CAMPAIGN PLANBOOK:

· Executive Summary

The ES is a 1 page single-spaced summary of the entire project. It should summarize the main sections of the plan and should explain the purpose and vision of the plan. The ES “sells” the plan to interested stakeholders: managers, salespeople, stockholders, etc. An executive should be able to read the ES and get an overall grasp of the project without having to read the entire plan.

· Situation Analysis at the Client Company

· Background Research

· SWOTs

· Key advertising problem(s) to be solved

· History and Current Scenario of the Client Company Highlighting the Need for IMC

· Situation Analysis at the Advertising Agency

· Structure

· Background and History

· Current Clients

· Proposing how will it fulfil the client’s gaps and needs – Traditional and Digital advertising

· Key Strategic Campaign Decisions

· Objectives

· Target Audience (or stakeholder targets in an IMC plan)

· Brand position: Product features and competitive advantage

· Campaign Strategy: Key strategic approach and marcom tools

· Media Strategy (or Points of Contact in an IMC Plan)

· Media objectives

· Media selection

· Media planning and buying:

· Vehicle selection

· Budget allocation

· Scheduling

· Message Strategy

· Key consumer insight

· Message objectives

· Selling premise

· Big idea

· Message design and executives

· Other Marcom (Marketing Communications) Tools Used in Support

· Sales promotion

· Public relations

· Direct marketing

· Personal selling

· Sponsorships, merchandising, packaging, point-of-purchase

· Integration strategy (maximize synergy)

VERY IMPORTANT - In addition to the creative strategy, you will be expected to create an advertising piece for traditional print, radio and TV - video (less than finished is fine!) campaigns with various Story Boards along with the use of INNOVATIVE ideas for digitization – i-phone apps, and/or i-pad apps, and/or android apps and/or Facebook/Twitter/YouTube support, and/or an innovative creative.

The team term project will consist of both presentation and report. The presentations can be as creative as you like so long as they cover the essential issues required in the analysis. The presenting team will each turn in a 10-15 page paper and will also deliver a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation, not including Q&A and discussion time. Papers and presentations are due in the Digital Drop Box on Monday, November 27th by 8:00am.

Agency List from AdBrands Website –

Leo Burnett; Y&R Brands; Euro RSCG; McCann Worldgroup; JWT; DDB Worldwide; Ogilvy & Mather; Grey Group; BBDO Worldwide; TBWA Worldwide; TBWA\Chiat\Day; DraftFCB; Wieden & Kennedy; Publicis Worldwide; M&C Saatchi; CP+B; Saatchi & Saatchi

Please pick any ONE advertising agency from the list provided or any other (from your own interest) and visit the real Web sites of the agencies that you want to work on.

Peer Evaluations

It is expected that every member of a team will participate fully and appropriately in the research, analysis, preparation, and delivery of team assignments. As mentioned above, you will complete a peer/self-evaluation for team assignments. I pay a lot of attention to these in assigning final grades for the course.