The success of a marketing campaign relies on a series of controllable and uncontrollable factors that will determine the end result.  However, there is one particular element that most marketers overlook all the time. Strategic Planning.

Strategic Planning is an organization’s process of defining its strategy or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources—including its capital and people—to pursue this strategy.

The SWOT analysis plays a big role in this process. Knowing what your business Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats are, will help you respond and be prepared for the outcome of your communications campaigns, changes in market, and competitor’s responses.

It is crucial to understand where you are now in the market and where you would like to be. If you are not new in the market, consumers’ brand perception is very important, too. Most of the time, conducting a focus group will help you prove that your marketing efforts are in the right direction and will help your ad agency understand the psychological aspect of your consumers at time of purchase. This is very valuable information to have, especially for the creative team of your agency. [Read more…]