LEVEL 03
Plan levels vary according to allotted strategic services & uniform discount rates on all deliverables. However, when seeking strictly deliverables, visit A la Carte, or, items of which are downstream of our deliverables, visit Additional Capabilities.
Phone Access – 8hrs/month
Phone Access is a chance for us to discuss any “general” marketing questions or topics. If you would want us to do research from our discussion, and it is not one of the deliverables that we normally do, we can explore how to meet your needs. More details? Inspired to start?
On-site meeting(s) with Company Stakeholders – 3/month
A “gathering of the minds” meeting, as well as, an opportunity to get everyone hearing the same thing – at the same time. Before meeting, we will determine our “marching orders” and exact customized preparations (up to 2 hours of research and preparation time). If more time may be required (in addition to the 2 hours), we may focus on the highlights, or split the topic and settle on 2 meetings. Topics should center on items that are considered “non-deliverables,” unless, they are to further to discuss already completed deliverables. More details? Inspired to start?
Off-Site Meeting(s) with Client’s or Prospects – 2/month
We serve as a marketing planning adjunct to your existing services in an effort to nurture existing client relationships or start new ones. While, naturally, we are our own company, our mindset is to show our strong and seamless partnering with you, and our shared focus on your target audience’s needs. More details? Inspired to start?
Overview/Assessment of Internal Processes for Clients – 1 time only
After reviewing your research and planning development process and methods, we will provide a detailed analysis, equally, showcasing weaknesses and suggested improvements. For example, there may be pertinent gaps in your research data and methods and / or tools that could aid in filling these gaps. More details? Inspired to start?
Overview/Assessment of Your Company’s Market Position – 2 times
The first overview assessment is our “general” assessment; whereas, the second assessment is if you were to decide to leverage our “general” assessment to then attempt the positioning strategy process from which we could then review these “results.” Nonetheless, in all cases, the objective with this “exercise” is to ensure that your messaging is aligned with your most effective “platform source.” It may be a matter of tweaking one or the other, or even both. Nonetheless, you will have an “outside-in” perspective, which means an unbiased look and assessment of what we consider to be the most valuable strategy to leverage. More details? Inspired to start?
Online Marketing Tools – 2 New Tools & Training/Month
Adding online tools to your marketing arsenal can expedite meeting your goals as you are able to wield them in ways you may not have imagined or realized. For example, useful tool categories include research, automation, CRM, business management, marketing tactics, and analytics. Being familiar with these tools, we can recommend those ones exacted to your needs – most “useful” now. More details? Inspired to start?
A - Market Overview / Situational Analysis
An overview of the organization to ascertain the factors and the resources to build-on and the challenges the organization faces in reaching their goal. Both an internal (within the organization’s control) and an external analysis (outside of the organization’s control) would be conducted to “uncover / illuminate” the organization’s market opportunity. More details? Inspired to start?
B - Competitive Analysis
Identifying competitors’ and their strategies ultimately means seeing more clearly your optimal business direction(s) and brand positioning strategy in relation to said competitors to avoid competing directly with them. In turn, this will maximize your chances of success by not having to counter any attacks as you compete for the same claims and target audience, but rather, focus on how you are different and superior for your most receptive target audience. Still, this does not necessarily mean forego targeting the same audience as your competitors, and, certainly not alienating any potential target groups. Using best practices, we are, in effect, “reverse engineering” your competitors’ creative material to arrive at our strategic assumptions. Now, we have learned what we need to know in order decide your brand’s strategy and business direction (your most receptive and accessible target group or groups). More details? Inspired to start?
C - Consumer Analysis
Target group characteristics, for example, their beliefs, motivations, values etc. are one of the many needed “data points” to effectively vet your brand positioning and future marketing strategies. Our analysis means we both, first, identify and then describe these target markets, generally individually and sometimes as clusters. Ultimately, we would want to choose the target group that would most benefit from the product or service that you are offering when seeking efficient and effective marketing measures and sought-after outcomes. More details? Inspired to start?
D - Brand Positioning Strategy
Once the above listed, a-c, are complete then we can advance our efforts in developing a brand positioning strategy. A brand positioning strategy clearly delineates what the brand does in support of its defined target groups. Evidentiary, having done the necessary “legwork” (items a-c), a positioning strategy occupies a distinct place in the consumer’s mind that is furthermore desirable and favorable / relevant. In short, it is an articulation of the “heart and soul” of the brand. Ultimately, we will chose a single word from this statement, that above all else, the brand most wants to be known for – its brand promise / the “word-to-own.” More details? Inspired to start?
E - Creative Strategy*
The research and analysis, as well as, the objectives and strategies performed in a strategic marketing plan can be succinctly summarized and organized in a creative brief. For example, it would include the desired reaction of the target audience, including how should the ad make them feel and think, and what should the ad make them do (behave). As part of the strategic marketing plan, as described below, a creative strategy is an included “section.” More details? Inspired to start?
*Creative Brief deliverable can begin if the brand positioning and marketing strategy are intact. If not, we can assist in deciding possible next-steps.
F - Objectives and Strategies (based on us having done the brand positioning strategy within the past 120 days)
From the past 120 days (having developed the brand positioning strategy), we will leverage the research performed to then look at the chosen category (luxury sedan, smartphones etc.) or promoted benefit (entertainment, performance etc.) in which we positioned your brand. Then, we would want to consider the faction of the broadly defined (athlete, family etc.) consumer group that would address the corporate objective (maintain, increase sales etc.). More consumer research is generally required to further assess these consumers’ needs, and in turn the attribute(s) to leverage. While a brand positioning strategy addresses a broad consumer need (say, performance) a marketing strategy (unless promoting the brand positioning strategy) has a more specific audience in mind, with a specific response in mind (excitement, consideration etc.) and an exact need to fulfill. Hence, being able to select the attribute(s) to leverage to elicit the sought-after response. The brand positioning strategy is now called the “brand character” when part of the creative brief – in turn, the “look and feel.” The other objectives and strategies* all ladder, ultimately, feedback to your topline corporate objective: annual sales revenue goal. More details? Inspired to start?
*Advertising Objective and Strategy is included based on having a “Tactical Marketing Plan.” With this section, if included, we would decide on each tactics individual directives. The Creative Strategy is an additional cost, if requested.
G - Objective and Strategies (based on us not having done the brand positioning strategy or outside of the 120 day timeline)
Before developing objectives and strategies, because we had not developed the brand positioning strategy, in this case, we would want to better understand your decisions that had led-up to its final-form. In addition, we would want to know the competitors that we should include in doing our research, up to 5. If we can effectively leverage what is completed, simply from the point-of-view that it is a well-defended brand positioning strategy then we can use this as our initial foray into doing our own research to, in turn, develop the objectives and strategies section of your marketing plan. We would need to, in essence, do all the same aspects as we would in developing a brand positioning strategy, where, the difference is that we know more specifically “where to look” in terms of consumer groups and benefits, and competitors. We can then determine the need to fulfill, and then the attribute(s) to leverage to elicit the predefined response(s). The brand positioning strategy’s predefined emotion needs to be expressed (felt), along with its other aforementioned components (defined consumer group, and category or benefit), while equally addressing the predefined consumer audience’s need. The brand positioning strategy is now called the “brand character” when part of the creative brief. The other objectives and strategies all ladder, ultimately, feedback to your topline corporate objective: annual sales revenue goal. Where and how to turn (objective and strategy) at every intersection is methodically mapped-out. With each “turn” influencing the next or, said another way, influenced by the one that came before it. So, in other words, marketing is based on corporate, and communication is based on marketing – all the way down to advertising. * More details? Inspired to start?
*Advertising Objective and Strategy is included based on having a “Tactical Marketing Plan.” With this section, if included, we would decide on each tactics individual directives. The Creative Strategy is an additional cost, if requested.
H - Strategic Marketing Plan
A better value than doing A-F (one-at-a-time) is to choose this option, and, receive additional work: objectives and strategies (corporate, marketing, communication, creative, and advertising).The short answer is, as described above, all sections A-F are included. In essence, A-E clarifies the most opportune direction to advance your market position and the necessary brand image to do so. What is in addition is how to effectively execute on this new found knowledge to have a direct impact on your corporate objective, namely, your objectives and strategies: Starting with the Corporate and ending with the Advertising (if you are to include a “Tactical Marketing Plan,”). The objectives and strategies in-between the Corporate and Advertising are as follows: Marketing, Communication (not included is the “Tactical Marketing Plan” or the communication tactics), Creative, and Advertising. To learn more about the “Objectives and Strategies” see F. More details? Inspired to start?
I - Tactical Marketing Planning
Here, we are deciding on the actual activities or tactics (the actions) that will work together to reinforce, complement and leverage one another in an effort to expedite improving your competitive position while conveying your brand image. Seeing and considering many different venues from online channels to platforms to tools, and, naturally, offline channels, as well. Having an understanding of what channels are most useful for which purpose as it relates to specific objectives and strategies is critical is maximizing effectiveness and efficiencies. More details? Inspired to start?