Strategic research, analysis and planning
Like every good plan, every good story has an analytical background. In literature, this is researched background information that plays some or even the leading role in the story. In marketing, this includes technical and economic information as well as demographic, demoscopic and emotional information. This is the connection between storytelling and planned communication: it’s always about people and how you can reach them.
Marketing planning means analysing markets, products and their consumers. At the same time, as in any good business plan, you’d explore niches or undiscovered territory. This is the groundwork, the gathering of facts and drawing initial conclusions.
It becomes crucial once you draw deeper, more meaningful themes from these initial conclusions. And those need to be analysed and evaluated as well. At this point personal and emotional information come into play in order to understand the issues. And by doing that, the creative process is already at work and the story is emerging.
“Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed”
Dan Zarella
When writing a novel, the storyline emerges from the facts of the subject matter. Dramatic structure arises from the resulting situations and reactions of protagonists and antagonists. The success of the story is determined by the number of readers engaging and identifying with it.
Marketing is exactly about the same thing: the reaction of consumers – the target group. Who are they, what makes them tick, how does the product fit into their lives? All of this is initially based on data, empirical evidence and analysis. However, the success of a strategy depends entirely on the human conclusions drawn from research and analysis, and how the resulting story is told.
Communication is a living organism
Any analysis, like any book research should always include a core story, a summary of the big picture. A kind of elaborate blurb or basic brand story, constantly updated during research and analysis. This applies in particular to everything that has a decisive influence on the target group and communication, quite often also changing it. In literature this is a 2-3 page synopsis. In marketing analysis it is a Key Findings sheet similar to an executive summary. Or simply a treatment with all the key factors already forming the preamble to your strategy.
Communication is a living thing – an organism. Everything we research and then implement lives, develops and changes. It is up to the analyst to understand, inhale and embody that. In consequence, analysis is anything but dry. On the contrary, creative work is already being done right in the moment of analysis. And this is done by people, not machines.
The result is not only the foundation of a good (business) plan – in addition to marketing aspects, in almost all cases it already defines the basic strategy and tonality of the campaign and its production.
ANALYSIS FAQ
Data, Facts & Figures
Q&A on storytelling in market research, strategic analysis and presentation of market data. To better plan marketing and communication campaigns:
