Then, putting together an annual communications plan can help. Marketers can gain a sense of focus, as well as help executive management support and fund the objectives of a marketing program. This might also help you resist last minute or “seat of the pants” efforts because they just don’t fit in your plan. A clear communications budget can help you add those last minute ideas, which inevitably pop up throughout the year, because they fit in with your plan. Marketers can monitor, evaluate and adjust the plan as necessary. You will have the tools and timetable needed to address your marketing objectives and give your day-to-day work order and control.
Here is a suggestion of what a corporate marketer needs to put a written communications plan together.
- A meeting of the companies stakeholders should be planned to discuss approaches, ask questions, and discover challenges or issues. The representative from management, sales and operations should have consulted with their team prior to understand their business area’s unique challenges.
- Begin to define your market and company’s current position from an internal and external perspective. Include a company description, annual sales, the number of employees, and an industry overview. Develop a customer profile as well as a competition profile. Begin to list your strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. What are your target markets?
- Next, begin to outline the marketing objectives. What are the goals for the long term, 24+ months? Goals for short term, 6 – 12 months? Who are your current customers? Do you have customers that you want to target? Do you need to segment your target audiences? Is the communications strategy unique for these target audience segments? What is your current awareness in the market? Do you want that to change?
- The first three steps are to keep you focused on your marketing goals and objectives. Now the various communications tactics are planned to achieve these goals and objectives. What are your advertising vehicles? Do you need a media plan, broadcast, print, out-of-home and online? What is the timing of these vehicles, when and how often? What are your promotional vehicles? Does website, collateral, direct marketing, broadcast promotion, interactive, social media, guerilla marketing and promotional products need to planned this year? What are your media relation vehicles? How much media contact, public relations, and articles need to be planned? What are your analytical vehicles? Do you need database, market research and tracking planned? By attaching dollar amounts to each item, you will be able to see the communications budget needed for to achieve your marketing plan.
As an advertising agency, Brigham & Rago is here to help businesses develop marketing communications plans to keep or capture new market share. We are ready to consult with you, then based on our experience and the information we gather, help put together a communications plan. We believe this plan will be a framework for a powerful marketing communications program. Our goal is to help you meet your marketing objectives by assisting in implementing and delivering a clear, consistent message. Call 973-656-9006 to set up a meeting to discuss your next communications project. Visit our online portfolio to see examples of work we’ve created for our clients.
