Lecture Logic: The Brand/Agency Brief

By Erica Wenham, Monday 14 January 2013.

Managing The Commerical Communications Process (Week 14)

CW2 Brand/Agency Report

The Brief for the Ad Venture Competition & Brief was revealed to us this afternoon and is due to be worth 20% of our overall grade for the module. The brief and specifically set tasks are outlined below.

The Brief & The Tasks

• Evaluate the benefits and limitations of the role of branding
• Analyse the methods by which resources are allocated to individual products & services in line with corporate objectives and needs. Demonstrate a thorough appreciation of the Client-Agency perspectives of the creative process and an understanding of the roles, responsibilities and inter-relationships of all the key Client, Agency and third parties involved

Advertising and PR agencies are connected to the development, promotion and protection of client brands. Your task is to evaluate how a modern day agency carries out these tasks on a given brand and how this reflects in the work the agency produces for that brand and what impact this has on that brand as a business attribute of the parent client. You should select a UK agency and then choose one of its brands (Apple, Coca Cola and Nike are excluded from this). Having done this you should carry out the following,

1. A brief history of the brand and a detailed profile of their target audience with reference to Mintel and other research sources. This may include reference to IPA or other effectiveness awards papers
2. This must be made in context of the market or sector the brand is in and the position of that brand in that market. Here you should use and make clear reference to brand maps and other models. This should include a clear reference to the financial performance of the brand and its parent company
3. The brand identity and brand image. Here you may use case study material, but you should also refer to academic sources such  Kapferer,  de Chernatony and Olins.
4. Review of creative work using material from Creative Club and with comments that connect this to 1 and 2
5. Draw conclusions from 1 to 4  and match against the current agency’s own positioning/mission statement, and organisational structure and working practices
6. Critically evaluate (i.e. not a bland description) how you think the agency contributes to the current position of the brand
7. Set this within the context of wider issues impacting on the Agency Sector. This part must contain reference to Industry papers in WARC, trade press/ blogs, and guest speaker events at the university, including Adsoc, CIM and PR speakers, or other meetings you can attend or observe.

As a result, I have chosen to base my CW2 on the John Lewis own-brand, and their PR agency; Rain Communications. Keep a look out for further posts relating to CW1, John Lewis and Rain! I am fortunate enough to also be working with the agency on a two-week placement during Easter so I am extremely excited to start! I will also be reviewing my work experience there in a few weeks time.