Two-day intensive introduction to account planning

This course is especially valuable if you want to
- make a career move into Planning; or
- understand what Planning is all about; or
- refresh your Planning skills

It is one of APG's most popular courses. 

You will take part in a series of mini workshops run by Planning Directors from major UK agencies together with special guests.  At the end of the two days you will have a real flavour of UK Planning.

Day 1 morning

The evolution of Account Planning and its history since the early days at JWT and BMP

The state of planning today
-- its role in agencies
-- its role in creative development
-- its role in media and communications planning
-- its role in evaluation and measurement of effectiveness

The basics of setting strategy
-- models of communications
-- the role of advertising in the marketing mix
-- targeting
-- setting objectives

How to use research and other information sources
-- market information
-- panel and syndicated data
-- quantitative research (U&A, segmentation, product testing)
-- "strategic" qualitative research

Working lunch with discussion of issues arising

Day 1 afternoon

Creative briefing
-- "Write a brief" exercise 1 (in teams)
-- the importance of the brief
-- principles of good brief writing
-- what creatives look for in a brief
-- the importance of briefing
-- "Write a brief" exercise 2

End of day 1, closing discussion

Day 2 morning

Feedback on team’s briefs

The use and abuse of research in creative development
~ qualitative: development versus pre-testing
~ quantitative pre-testing: theory and practice

Introduction to evaluating effectiveness
-- overview of the key tools and examples (from the IPA awards) of how to use them
-- tracking, testing, modelling

Media and planning ~ how planning can inform and inspire media planning and vice versa

An introduction to media neutral planning

Working lunch with discussion of issues arising

Day 2 afternoon

Briefing integrated and below-the-line campaigns ~ tips and tools

International planning ~ a practitioner’s view