Communications Planning (AKA Connections Planning or Engagement Planning) can be a bit of a confusing space. People use the term to refer to very different types of strategy, depending on which agency you're talking to. But no matter what you call it, it is essentially this: Understanding the consumer context and activity around a certain category, experience or brand, and using it as a framework to develop relevant messaging and activations. To put it simply, saying/doing the right thing, in the right place, at the right time, based on consumer needs.
Easy right? It should be -- but given that most brands think first about what THEY want to tell people, versus what people need to hear, it can be hard to reverse course. In this class, you'll learn:
Hello, I'm Amber. I'm the Global Director of Engagement Planning and an SVP at Arnold Worldwide, based in Boston. I've had all of the confusing titles mentioned above - communications planner, channel planner, connections planner and now engagement planner, so despite the irony of a confusing set of terms for a job meant to make communicating better and simpler for brands, I've been around the block and am excited to share what I've learned.
A bit about me (written in the third person, for which I apologize):
Amber joined Arnold in May 2010, and works with Arnold’s creative, strategy and account teams, as well as external partner agencies, to bring medium and message together in creative and innovative ways.
Prior to Arnold, Amber worked at Naked Communications, leading integrated communication strategies for brands like Citibank, NBC, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, and Google, and went on to drive agency innovation as Director of Digital Strategy – with a pitstop at McGarryBowen in between, leading strategy on the Verizon Droid launch. She gained in-the-trenches experience in the digital space at Deep Focus, leading strategy for the likes of HBO, Miramax, Nike and Dewar's Scotch. She also learned way too much about spot colors and press proofs while working in the studio at DDB Los Angeles – oddly, knowledge that seems to come in handy more often than you’d think.
Amber has a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Emerson College, and has served on the jury for the Content and Contact and Integrated categories at the Clio Awards. She enjoys interior design, comic books, fan culture and technology, and has been in a waterski pyramid. For real. Second tier.
