The next time you need to brief your merchandising agency for a project of work you would like them to undertake, you power like to consider the following structure. I have been exploitation this for many years and it is generally well received by agencies as it gives them a clear understanding of what it is they need to do for you.
A good agency brief breaks down into the following sections.
Situation
MARKETING WITH WISDOM
Where are you now? This could admit an overview of the whole business and the current merchandising situation. It power admit company turnover, market share, trends, market reach in terms of geographics and applications, typical client visibilitys, previous merchandising campaigns and their results, brand perception and perchance a SWOT analysis to provide a shot if internal and external issues facing the company.
Marketing Objectives
Where do you want to go? What's the new position you are aiming for once this merchandising activity is afoot or completed? An explanation of the organisations aspirations and any existing marcoms objectives.
Marketing Strategy
Explain how the company intends to accomplish its objectives in the widest sense and admit any other elements from the merchandising mix that form part of that scheme. This will help the agency to develop and integrated merchandising communication hypothesis approach to the market.
Marketing Tactics
Include here details of the plan of action elements already in place or planned as part of the above scheme. For example, the merchandising scheme may refer to the use of PR or exhibitions and why those activities support the scheme, but here more detail can tend to the actual Public Relations activity undertaken or the specific exhibitions used and why they have been hand-picked as appropriate to the scheme.
Target Market
Define likewise as possible the visibility of the target audience. Why do they buy your product/service, what problems are to be solved, what is the commercial enterprise implication of these issues to the target client, why does your offer meet their necessarily and how power it do so better than anyone else?
Money
Describe the budget and any penalties for overspend.
Minutes
The timescale and any deadlines such as an exhibition where the results of this brief are needed.
(Wo)Men
Who is involved in the deciding process and what are their roles? Who should the agency contact if they have further questions? Who does the agency report to?
Measurement
How will performance be evaluated?
This approach to developing the briefing document falls into a neat acronym which makes it easier to remember - SOSTT + 4M's.
