Communications Planning has never been more important.  As we move further away from the traditional TV and press advertising models, it requires true understanding of brands, markets and media to answer the big questions.  For this brand, in this market, with this budget, what is the best possible mix of channels to build preference and turn preference into sales?

For us, it's all about understanding the fundamentals of why a client is communicating in the first place, what the real opportunities are and how they tell their story to get the best possible impact for their investment.

We call this destination planning; it's a problem-solving process that is applicable to any complex organisational challenge. In our case it provides a structure in which our specialist services such as Insights, Performance, Interaction and Investment (ATG) can operate at their best, providing a platform and architecture for our clients' communication.

Once we have clarified what a client really wants to achieve, we can identify the correct steps to take. It sounds simple, but it takes someone with a singular combination of rigour and imagination to see past the obvious and plot the most effective course of action. It takes MindShare thinking.

For more information on Communications Planning, please contact Tsuyoshi Endo - Managing Partner Japan, Head of Communications Planning.

Destination Planning

Destination Planning is a new approach to communications planning: not merely an improved process, but an entirely new philosophy.  It is about establishing the right destination for your brands and business, then getting you there as quickly as possible.

Why do you need it?

Because the communications landscape has changed for good. It's bigger and more complex than ever and it isn't going to shrink or simplify any time soon. It has never been easier to lose your way but, with the right communications partners, there have never been so many smart, effective shortcuts. 

Why is it different?

It shares the brand vision of our most forward-thinking clients: a future based on ideas. It focuses all of our energy on the challenges our clients face, not on how we as media planners are going to allocate money across channels.

It demands strategic vision to establish and agree a single-minded goal, or destination. It requires ingenuity and creativity to devise, create and deliver the best route to that destination. The process is modular, scalable, and full of tools and techniques. But Destination Planning isn't about the process, it's about the output; the plan.

It was launched across Asia in 2006, with China the lead market. Every MindShare employee from manager upwards received an intensive five day training course to:

•    understand the philosophy
•    understand the techniques
•    understand how and when to apply them for each client's unique needs

Ongoing training, workshops and real-life application across all our markets will ensure Destination Planning remains the best approach in the industry.