The definition of a strategy is ‘a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim’. A media strategy is rarely straightforward, with myriad potential objectives for comms often competing for priority. This can range from long-term brand building to short-term commercial success, and anything in between.
UM Birmingham's proprietary Growth Accelerator tool serves as a strategic framework to tackle any new brief, with seven important steps that guide the way from briefing to evaluation. This way of working can make even the most complex brief feel less overwhelming, with each step helping to pave the way to the very best recommendation for every one of our clients.
Insight & perspectives
Insight is the foundation of any successful media strategy. It can help reframe business problems into new, unexplored opportunities for impactful comms activities.
UM Birmingham uses a variety of insightful resources to explore every challenge from five different perspectives: culture, consumer, category, company and connections.
We have access to a plethora of industry and proprietary tools that shape our analysis. A combination of bespoke qualitative surveys, quantitative analysis and desktop research forms the backbone of any robust and actionable media strategy.
Channel planning
At UM Birmingham, we take great pride in placing effectiveness at the heart of what we do. Our bespoke Growth Accelerator tool informs our decisions along the channel planning process, from channel selection to budget allocation and flighting.
While tools and models help to validate recommendations, it is the UM human touch that means that every plan developed by the team is uniquely tailored to meet the individual objectives of each client.
Being part of McCann Birmingham means we're fluent in the wider language of marketing beyond media. This allows us to collaborate closely with other marketing disciplines to deliver a communications recommendation that makes an impact at every stage of the consumer journey, whether through paid, owned or earned media. This enables us to deliver truly integrated media solutions for our clients.
- Understand Your Challenge
- Discover & Inform Strategy
- Imagine Strategic Spark
- Architect Channel Planning
- Invest & Implement
- Analyse & Optimise
Strategic processes
A single provocation or unexpected insight can spark a strategic platform that will guide our channel specialists. UM’s Futureproof philosophy underpins the strategic planning approach.
Brands make the biggest impact when they reach consumers in moments of heightened relevance, so we plan media activity to harness these opportunities. These moments can vary in frequency and scale, so part of the strategic process is to map potential moments. This helps us to identify the best opportunities for a brand’s message to make a difference.
Creativity is our secret ingredient. As part of McCann Birmingham, UM Birmingham has access to some of the best creative brains in the business which sets us apart when it comes to implementational creativity. Brainstorming sessions within the UM team, as well as the wider agency, help to pressure-test any media strategy and serve as a kick-off to the implementational planning work.
GET IN TOUCH
We'd love to answer any questions you might have and see if there are any opportunities to work together. Let's create an exceptional media campaign and make meaningful connections with your audience