Factors That Undermine Media Agencies’ Strategic Communications Plans

Strategic communications is a central cog in the wheel of media agencies‘ campaigns. A well designed strategy and plan can boost brand value, enhance customer and partner relationships and build a company’s reputation. However, it is not too difficult to sabotage your own communications plan. Here are a few things that media agencies should avoid doing.

Insufficient ties to business outcomes

Sometimes media agencies’ communications are viewed as something akin to legal counsel. Other times they are used only for brand visibility. They should be viewed as a way to build and enhance relationships. They should be closely linked to the company’s values so that an accurate and cohesive picture of the company is shown to the public.

Creating public awareness

The point of media agencies‘ communications plans is to expose the company’s values and mission to the public. There needs to be external insight and targetting. A good idea is to start with an audit to establish how the company is seen externally.

Marketing channel conflict

Media agencies may want to promote the higher order benefits of a product while the direct marketing team will promote discounts. If these two teams do not communicate effectively, the two campaigns may end up in conflict with one another.

Lack of communications guidelines

Media agencies need quality guidelines in which to operate. If the communications material is not created to the right quality standards, a lot of time can be wasted sending content back and forth for approval and editing.

Transparency

There is no need to keep media agencies‘ strategic communications plans a secret. If employees are aware of the campaign and what is being promoted they are more able to contribute constructively. People talk so the trick is to steer that informal conversation in the right direction.

Media agencies and their clients need to communicate with one another in order to make a strategic communications plan work. A lack of openness and lack of strategy can mitigate the success of any public relations strategy.