Look at this as less of a checklist and more as a guide to the kind of information that should be included:

I. Identify your consumer target (research director helps write)
• Who is your identified consumer target? Go beyond who’s already buying the product to think about reaching a group that’s not currently using it but could. Be sure to come up with a “name” for your primary and secondary target audiences. Should there be both consumer and business-to-business targets? What key insights does your agency know about your target consumer? How can you describe the target audience? Be sure to cover these aspects:
o Demographics (list your information sources)
o Values/attitudes (list your information sources)
o Behaviors (list your information sources)

II. Campaign strategy (the rest of the agency helps write)
• What are the ultimate business objectives to which the campaign must contribute?
• What is the competitive advantage of your product?
• What is its unique selling proposition (USP)?
• What is its current and desired brand personality?
• How will the product be differentiated from the competition?
• What is the brand’s current position and what is the desired position?
• How will your product be branded? What is your branding strategy?
• What emotions or values do you want to link to the brand?

III. Timing — how will the campaign play out? (media director helps write)
• When will the campaign start and end?
• What days of the week will have more emphasis?
• Will the campaign focus on a certain time of day?
• Will the campaign be more prominent in a certain region or group of cities?
• What is the big picture idea for how your budget will be allocated? Will you emphasize certain campaign elements over others?

IV. What creative concept do you want to own if the campaign is successful? What is your “Big Idea”?
Creative brief (creative director helps to co-write creative brief)
• What are the three key issues that this campaign must address?
• What do we expect our target to do, feel or understand as a result of this advertising?
• What is the key insight that we have into our consumers?
• What is the strategic “one thing” we need to communicate?
• What tone will the campaign strike?

V. The memo should wrap up with answers to these questions — the answers should be no more than one line and not use “and” to connect multiple things. The more simply you can answer these questions, the more effective your campaign will be. This will be the blueprint for you moving forward and will shape your creative brief.
• Who are you talking to (who is the “who”)?
• What is your main message?
• What is the key word?
• Why should they care?
• Why should they believe you?
• How should they feel?
• What do you want them to do after seeing the campaign?

 

[Additional Sections – Pete’s Section Only – Pilot]

VI. Social Media Strategy [put this section after the media section]

• Working with the Media Planning & Buying Director, specify the amount of paid working media will be allocated to social media (also include % of $20 million budget). Why is this amount sufficient for your strategy?
• Specify which social media platforms you will use to reach your target audience groups. Based on what you know about your primary and secondary audiences, about how much of the paid media specified in the above will be roughly allocated to each platform? Why?
• Identify 2-3 preliminary examples of social media influencers your campaign might seek to partner with. For each, explain 1) why they are relevant to your target audiences 2) why they are a good fit to partner with your client’s brand 3) current subscriber counts across platforms 4) recent partnerships with other brands and examples of posts 5) 1-2 examples of how your agency could specifically activate with the influencer
• Specify 1-2 preliminary examples of advertising opportunities for each social media platform you intend to use. This helps show your client how you will activate with the target audience

VII. Public Relations Strategy [put this section after the social media section]

• The PR section of your Strategy is a preliminary view of the social, cultural, environmental, and ethical considerations of the Campaign for your client. Explain some of the high-level themes potentially impacting the campaign that you want your client to understand
• Specify the Key Stakeholders for your Campaign beyond your Client, Consumer, and Customers. What groups might be positively or negatively impacted by your Campaign?
• Specify the key social, cultural, environmental, and ethical considerations your Client should be mindful of as the Campaign is released to the world. What trends or events could impact the success or failure of the Campaign?
• A “Predator Session” is a brainstorming meeting between the agency and the Client, led by the PR team, to anticipate the range and impact of “Predators” (bad actors) who may seek to disrupt, discredit or derail your Campaign. Conduct a preliminary session with your team to provide an initial POV of Predators and their motivations