Media Strategy (HALF DAY, TWO DAY)

Marketers face a changed environment. Consumers are now media producers, programmers, and distributors. The convergence of media and technology is affecting the connection between marketers and consumers in unprecedented ways. Marketers capabilities therefore need to change as new technologies transform the media value chain. In this course, you will learn about effective strategies that can engage the consumer in a conversation with your brand and maximize the value of your media budget. Most importantly, participants will have time to address their own consumer and competitive challenges to better understand how to develop the most effective and impactful media plans for their organizations.

The key to great media planning is to be media agnostic. Media plans are not just concepts, it is a creative enterprise that can drive campaign ideas as well as identify new platforms where the ideas can thrive. Media planning must therefore be thought of as the engine that drives a solid strategic approach. The plan is your investment strategy. It is where your budget is spent to achieve superior results. As such, the course will also explore best working practices between marketers and agencies to best ensure that strong strategy is converted into inspired, well integrated media plans.

In this course, you will learn about effective strategies to engage the consumer in a conversation with your brand and maximize the value of your media budget. Where are your customers today? What media fits their busy lifestyles? The goal today is about integrating a plan across multiple consumer touch points. This course provides insight into how to build a customer-driven media plan that connects with your customers across multiple media vehicles and platforms. Participants will address their own customer and competitive challenges to harness the best thinking to developing the most effective and impactful media plans.

Who Is This Course For?

Designed for a wide range of executives who control budgets focused on connecting with consumers, this workshop is highly beneficial for those who have brand authority to maximize brand sales. This course is particularly valuable for junior to mid-level media and marketing managers who wish to elevate their understanding of media planning, directors who are responsible for overseeing the development and approval of strategic media plans or others wishing to gain a greater understanding of the principles behind effective customer communication planning.

Key Takeaways

Understand how the media business and agencies work. Know how to work with agencies to develop the best media plan for your brand.
Understand targeting - demographic and geographic - to better match the media you choose to the media your customers use.
Focus on customer-centricity as the starting point in brand communication
Understand the difference between marketing and media strategy. Grasp how to select the best media strategy for your brand.
Learn about the new range of digital media platforms available to reach your customers
Know how to evaluate a media plan and a media buy
Understand what integrated media planning is and does. Know how to evaluate various media mix options in planning and buying.
Learn about the characteristics and trade-offs of different media channels and platforms
Integrate metrics into your media planning, buying and evaluation. Know metric options available and how to build a results oriented component into your campaign

Suggested Module Alternatives for ½ Day Workshops

Option 1: Modules 1,2,3,4
Option 2: Modules 1,2,3,5
Option 3: Modules 1,2,3,6
Option 4: Modules 1,2,3,10

*The training agenda for any on-site program is finalized following a discussion with the training instructor to ensure it is relevant for your team.

Training Module*	Takeaway*
1. Introductions to Session and Instructors	Objectives for the session. Goals of participants. Understand how course differs from textbook learning to teach applications of managing media as a critical part of building brands with best impact and efficiency
2. The Language of Media	Understand and be comfortable using the most common media terms Be able to communicate with your agency Provide the direction needed to get the plan that will accomplish your objectives
3. The Media Planning Process	Defining target audience(s)/Segmentation Inputs that create development of an effective media plan (geography, seasonality, competitive environment, consumer buying habits, etc.) Understanding the constraints and realities of budgets Understanding media research Understanding what a media plan can accomplish Appreciating what a media buyer does and what makes a plan effective and impactful
4. Integrated Marketing Communications: Media Channels and Platforms	Traditional Media: Understanding which they are and how they work Non-Traditional Media vs. New Media: What are we talking about? Explore how the different channels can affect consumer behavior and how to make them work together as part of a cohesive, integrated media campaign What makes effective IMC? Understanding media cost variables Managing the media toolbox
5. Media Planning and Buying Philosophies	Approaches to developing media plans Understand what a media plan is and the common mistakes to avoid when building one Know what to expect from your agency, how they go about creating plans and what is the best approach for your brand Alternative ways to buy media
6. Effectively Evaluating a Media Plan	Establishing communication goals for the brand, issues with measurement, ROI/Marketing mix modeling Know why each medium is part of the plan Understand how scheduling is determined Know how to compare media plans and select the best one Be clear how to measure the value of the plan you select Managing and coordinating marketing and media agencies
7. Summary and Questions

Training Module	Takeaway
8. Recap and Takeaways from Day One	Key concepts reviewed
9. The Media Environment Today	Key changes and challenges How to stay ahead of your competition What media are having the biggest impact?
10. Managing the Media Process: Effective Agency Management	Know how to manage the different “players” in the advertising process including media agencies, creative agencies as well as the sales community Understand the different issues that can come into play as part of this relationship and how to best address those issues
11. Deep Dive into Digital Media	What are the digital media? Understanding owned media assets Integrating digital media with traditional media Evaluating a combination of digital media vs. traditional media in your plan
12. Social Media	Understanding the power of buzz and viral marketing Developing social media strategies Harnessing social media for your brand Managing paid versus unpaid media Social media metrics
13. Mobile Media	The evolving mobile media environment Case studies in mobile media Setting a mobile media strategy for your brand
14. Media Measurement and Metrics	Media test marketing Measuring what you spend Selecting metrics to work best for you Reading and evolving the plan based on learning
15. Summary and What’s Next?	Key takeaways Changing the way you manage media planning, buying and measurement

Media Strategy (HALF DAY, TWO DAY)

Scheduled Classes

On-Site Available

Upcoming Classes

$5,000 Training Credit

Marketing Your Way