First, there was account planning, which bridged the divide between the agency creative and the client. Now, connection planning is giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "target the consumer."

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	Consumer giants like Microsoft did not advertise during this year's Super Bowl because more and more companies are choosing to advertise via narrow, focused channels in order to reach out to their consumers.

In reality, account planning does much more than build a bridge. The planner has to define the direction of the advertising by keeping up with market trends and consumer needs and has to follow through by tracking the communication to determine whether it has made a difference. Has the planner ensured a greater degree of acceptance for the advertising and the brand? Did the connection planning really matter?

Details Count!

While no one form of advertising can guarantee a successful campaign, it is true that planning insights contribute to developing effective creative and media plans. Connection planning goes one step further than account planning. It studies the media-consumption patterns of an intended audience—for example, children under 12.

Then, instead of simply preparing a media plan for the brand, it delves into what media would best reach that audience. Thus, it is less likely that you will find an ad for toys in a mid-morning soap slot when children are likely to be at school. This prevents brand communication from getting lost in the clutter.

What's It All About?

Planning is fast becoming popular among even the most traditional agencies. Few campaigns can succeed in the media jungle today without first understanding what the customer wants. In fact, agencies such as TBWA\Chiat\Day have already taken connection planning in stride.

Connection planning takes consumer media-consumption patterns into consideration. In a sense, it is more about integrating media planning and account planning with creativity. Connection planning traces consumers' media-consumption patterns more closely. This means that media planning for any campaign becomes more focused as the best media are chosen for the product at hand.

Why Bother?

In an industry kept constantly on edge by audiences' diminishing attention spans, connection planning is a tool that can help guide communications to intended audiences. Apart from the fact that contemporary television audiences have infinite choice in terms of programming, new technologies such as TiVo enable viewers to avoid watching commercials. Chances are slim that a viewer will tolerate commercials that mean nothing to her. Anticipating the consumer's desires has never been more important.

Target the Consumer.

Consumer giants Unilever and Procter & Gamble both did not advertise during this year's Super Bowl. This was also the case with Microsoft. The fact remains that major events like the Super Bowl draw large numbers of commercials for various products, all of which are delivered on the same platform and vie for the viewer's attention.

More and more companies are choosing to advertise via narrow, focused channels in order to reach out to their consumers. For example, sales of Unilever's Dove soap reportedly went up last year as a result of an Internet campaign as well as an outdoor campaign in 2005 involving just a few U.S. cities.

The responses agencies have seen demonstrate that there is no single solution for all products. Some brands simply need different platforms to stand out. Most importantly, if you give the consumer what he wants, you cannot go wrong.

On the net:

P&G, Unilever Sit Out the Super Bowl: Package-Goods Giants Avoid Clutter of Big Day, Learn to Build Own Buzz
adage.com/superbowl07/article?article_id=114588

Column: The Department—Planning, Planning, Everywhere
publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=31453

The Future of Media Agencies
www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1Y1-104947899.html

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