Jeff brings over 20 years experience in senior marketing and management and leads a team of talented individuals who continually achieve optimum results for clients such as Kraft, Schweppes, and Choice Home Loans. Jeff will outline how the process of Social Media measurement and analysis feeds into management decisions.

Simon will then share with us how The Online Circle's work is supporting Kraft in effectively managing their online presence, identifying and addressing risk, building on opportunity and being FMCG leaders in this communications space.

If you have a particular question please leave for Jeff or Simon and we will ensure it is covered.

There are subtle differences in the planning process and its final outcome when viewed across a broad spectrum of organizations. In general, however, most successful strategic plans contain the following four essential elements:

• Needs analysis/situational audit (microenvironment) – What business are you in? What’s your mission? Who are your customers? Your markets? Whom do you serve? What’s their profile? What’s your current situation? What do you know about your competition? Are you where you want to be?

• Environmental scan/assumptions (macro environment) – What external forces do you assume will have an impact on you over the life of the plan? What self-imposed restraints do you acknowledge? What values govern your actions?

• Strategic summary – What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your market opportunities and threats? What are your competitive advantages and disadvantages? What are your goals, objectives, strategies and tactics? How will you measure your results?

• Contingency plans – How will you account for unseen forces? What will you do if things don’t go as planned? How can you anticipate the unexpected and still achieve your goals?

From The Communication Plan: The Heart of Strategic Communication, third edition, by Les Potter, ABC.

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