Campaign development

1. Testing the brief through independent research should help to clarify the situation before a strategic approach is considered. Independent research on product sectors or interest areas may be obtained from independent research organizations such as Mintel^*, and forecasting or trend information is available from organizations such as The Henley Centre. Focus groups may be used for qualitative analysis, and one’s own straw polls or ‘dipstick’ research may also be carried out to test the validity of the brief or a general approach.

2. A simple starting point for developing a situation analysis is a careful examination of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the product and/or organization – SWOT analysis. Think of this analysis as the ‘balance sheet’ of the proposition from which the key messages and a strategic approach may begin to be developed. In developing a strategy and/or an approach, keep it as simple as possible and consider not just the current status, but also the future direction of the organization and/or its product.