Why do we need planning?

It’s a poser put forward by Richard Bagnall, Chairman of AMEC & Co-Managing Partner, CARMA, at the start of this lively discussion on the new AMEC Planning Resources added to the AMEC IEF tool and launched at the AMEC Virtual Global Summit on Measurement.

We’ll come to his answer, but first he follows it with two more big questions. The first: “What is the business impact that you’re trying to achieve and how can communication realistically contribute towards that?” The second: “What is the human problem that you’re trying to solve?”

These are the questions that form the foundation of the interactive tool named the Integrated Evaluation Framework, as educational resources are launched to support planning for communications campaigns.

Answer the first by ditching the generic and finding your specific, advises Allison Spray, Managing Director of Data Analytics, Hill+Knowlton Strategies. What is the business imperative that you’re trying to meet? Start at the end to think about what you want your target audience to do differently, then work back.

Define that audience, advises Alex Judd, Head of Impact and Planning, Clarity PR. They’re not just a demographic, a job title or an age range. They are complex human beings, so uncover their pain points, motivations and desires. Then you’ll find your campaign start to come to life. Drive that audience thinking with real insights.

As Jeremy Bullmore once said, a good insight is like a refrigerator – the moment you look into it, a light comes on. It’s not an insight to observe that people feed their dogs at breakfast or dinner time. But it is an insight to state that people feel guilty when eating in front of their dogs. It’s that kind of ‘a-ha!’ moment that we’re looking for.

Ultimately, says Deb Camden, Principal, PRISM Communication Architects, if it can’t be measured, it can’t be managed. And without clear targets we will never know whether we’ve been successful in achieving what we set out to do.

If that taster of the AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework has whet your appetite, take a look at the new AMEC Planning Resource section in the leading tool, the AMEC Planning worksheet and all supporting materials.

So, back to that question that we started with, and an answer from Richard. “It’s the difference between PR and communications people being busy fools doing activity for the sake of activity, and actually being able to prove their value. But we can only prove our value if we define what it is that we’re looking to achieve, and by doing so in a way that’s meaningful and relevant to the organisations that we work with.”

So, don’t be a busy fool – start using the AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework.