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Developing a Creative Strategy

Guest post by: Scott Van Wagner

Article Overview: This article deals with the development of a creative strategy related to marketing communications. It provides a practical step-by-step approach to establishing a creative strategy.

Developing a Creative Strategy

The key regarding marketing communications and developing a creative strategy for a Brand is establishing and following a well defined creative process. For a message to be compelling, it must be highly focused and precise. This requires making difficult choices and excluding potentially attractive options that are both logical and plausible.

A creative strategy defines the strategic choices required to develop a marketing message. The creative strategy identifies what you will say about your product or service. It links directly to your positioning statement and how you want consumers to think about your Brand.

The creative strategy guides and directs the development of current and future marketing communications such as; sales messages, brochures, and advertising. A well crafted creative strategy becomes a potent management tool for directing the activities of advertising agencies. It clearly articulates how the product or service will be positioned to customers and against your competition.

Components of a Creative Strategy

Overall Objective

The purpose of the marketing communication: what problem is to be solved; what action or change do you want to see as a result from the communication.

Target Audience

To whom you wish to communicate your message? Knowing this group defines what information to convey, how to say it, and how to deliver it.

Promise

A single idea or capability that highlights why the target audience should take the action you desire. The promise should seek to summarize the benefit the target audience will receive.

Support

Facts, quotes, and perceptions that support the promise you have made to your target audience.

Positioning

Positioning is all about explaining how your product or service is different from your competitors and how you want the target audience to think about your Brand in comparison with other Brands.

Tone

This is an emotional guideline that helps select vocabulary and style of presentation.

Net Impression

What is the message you would like the target audience take away with them after having been exposed to the communication?

Execution Guidelines

Is there any overall direction that need be considered when developing the creative strategy? Similarly are there any constraints on the forms and/or content of the execution? These are optional considerations but should be referenced if company policies exist that would provide limits on what is considered acceptable.

In order to prepare a creative strategy, it is necessary to learn why people buy your product or service, and which benefit has the largest impact on the target audience. Understanding what that benefit is and why it is important allows you to develop the promise and support sections of the creative strategy. In the end following these steps in the development of your creative strategy will simplify the task and provide a more focused approach leading to the results you are looking for.

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Article Tags: Communications, Creative Strategy, Marketing, Marketing Communications, Marketing Strategy, Positioning
Referred by: http://www.connectuscanada.com



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