Never before have such axioms as defined goals, integration, flexibility and results been so important in planning. Here are some tips for creating a 2011 program plan that reaches your sales and marketing goals.

1. Link your program to the big picture. Get past the numbers game.

It used to be that you could punch in new budget numbers for each show or event based on the previous year. Today, you have the opportunity to look at things differently.

Fifty-three percent of experiential marketers reported a decline in the number of trade shows and events that their companies attended from 2008 to 2009. Further, 39% expect to cut even more through 2011, stating that events perceived to be of low value will be eliminated.

Even if you haven’t done a stellar job of measuring and documenting your ROI in the past, you can better steer your program by linking your priorities to yearly corporate goals. Start by asking yourself a few basic questions.

• What outcome do you want to achieve? Thinking backwards starting with a clear desired outcome shapes your marketing plan and helps you sell it to your management team. Identify your goals for each event and for your plan as a whole. Most experiential marketing programs work to build awareness, motivate purchase behavior or promote repurchase. Use the marketing continuum to define the outcome you expect from your audience(s).
• Is the outcome relevant and realistic? Make sure your objectives are specific, attainable, relevant and time-based. It doesn’t mean shying away from ambitious goals. It means establishing goals that make sense for your industry and your company so that you can confidently chart a course that drives to those objectives.
• Can the outcome be measured? Marketing can be difficult to track and measure, but if your goal can’t be measured, it needs more focus. Measurable outcomes will help build a strong case for your plan as you seek approval. Metrics also keep you on course, making it easier for you to calibrate program effectiveness throughout the year. We’ll look at measurement in depth in the next section.
• How do your desired outcomes contribute to overall corporate marketing and sales objectives? Once you decide on your desired outcomes, compare them to the overall marketing and sales objectives. Are the goals similar? If so, referring to the overall objectives in your plan — even using the same language — will help strengthen the overall sales and marketing effort. Conversely, eliminating underperforming shows and tactics from the plan, and documenting your rationale, will buy you credibility with decision makers.

Defining the objective, clearly stating your strategy, eliminating nonperforming programs, and showing how your programs will support the overall organization — these four actions will elevate the value of your plan and your role.

2. Think like the CEO. Measure to optimize return.

Conundrum: Companies that measure are three times more likely to expect increases in their experiential marketing budgets, yet a third of companies don’t measure.

Conundrum: The ROI from experiential marketing programs is higher than that from any other marketing discipline, yet 37% of marketers said that experiential marketing is the first marketing discipline to experience budget cuts.

What is your single most important strategy for protecting your 2011 program plan from indiscriminate budget cuts? Hint: Keep ROI at the top of your list. Here’s how …

• Use your desired outcome as a guide to define your measurement criteria based on relevant, achievable numbers.
• Seek industry benchmarks. Familiarize yourself with the standards by which your industry measures success before deciding on your metrics.
• Broaden your measurement process. Instead of thinking “swipe and collect,” think “plan, gather, analyze and communicate.”
• Use a variety of vehicles and frequencies to communicate results. Doing so keeps your program top-of-mind with your internal customers and makes it easier to justify budgets for the following year.
• Understand your internal stakeholders: influencers and decision makers. How would they use the measurement data from your trade show or event to confirm product assumptions or make planning decisions? Distributing data that assist different stakeholders in your organization will extend your program’s positive impact.
• If you need help creating efficiency in your budget, invite your experiential marketing partner to work with you on strategies to reduce and avoid costs in your planning cycle. If you do this, they’ll be equipped to give you cost-containment ideas throughout the year.

3. Reach out by reaching in. Integrate for stronger impact.

You’re probably already collaborating with your sales team and brand managers on planning. If your organization’s marketing and PR departments are segregated, invite members from each department to help with planning. Consider meeting for a strategy session to define your joint desired outcomes.

Chances are, your marketing communications and PR departments are looking for ways to roll out their new initiatives. Shows and events create solid milestones for them to introduce their programs.

Does your marketing communications department have a social marketing strategy? You might use components of it to promote and extend the reach of your trade show and event program, and at the same time help contain costs.

Does your PR department lack a suitable venue for promoting corporate initiatives to clients and prospects? A trade show or event is the ideal setting. You’ll ensure strong attendance and avoid the cost of a second event.

Don’t rely completely on your manager to come up with integration ideas. Create them by collaborating with your peers. You’ll end up with a stronger overall marketing program, and you’ll likely cut collective organizational costs.

4. Use technology as a virtual staff member. Maintain program control.

If you have a large program, or you anticipate staff reductions due to cost cutting or attrition, consider automation as a key strategy. Be sure you have a system in place that keeps all of your logistical program elements in order and that lets you focus on achieving your strategic objectives.

Marketing is deadline-driven. Having a calendar that includes all shows and events with time-based tasks and due dates will make your job easier. Knowing what and where your physical program assets are is critical to program management and will help you avoid duplication — especially important when your staff has been reduced.

5. Expect the unexpected and check back. Stay flexible and relevant.

Winston Churchill must have been thinking about marketing when he said, “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.” A thoughtful, prioritized experiential marketing plan that anticipates change is usually the most successful.

Are there rumors of a facility move that might require an open house? Do your organization’s growth plans include a diversification strategy, for which new events and conventions might be generated?

Stay flexible by reserving, prioritizing and referring back.

• Reserve space in your plan and budget for unanticipated programs that might result from strategic organizational changes.
• Evaluate and prioritize all of your shows and events in advance so that, if and when your plan changes, you are prepared to make choices quickly.
• Refer to your plan often to review your priorities. Hold “calibration meetings” throughout the year to stay on track and continuously sharpen your focus along the way.

Economists project that the recession will continue through 2010, and they are treading lightly on a forecast for 2011. As marketers, our primary hurdle to a smooth planning season is the following conundrum:

We work in a marketing discipline that delivers a high return on investment, yet it’s often first on the budget-slashing block.

That might seem like bad news, but it creates an opportunity to get more inventive, more strategic and more thoughtful about how we do things. A good basic plan contains four elements: identified outcomes, integration, flexibility and meticulous measurement. The right plan will deliver the proof of the value of your marketing programs. And the right plan will guide you through any economy.

If you need assistance with your 2011 planning, or would like to learn more about how an Outcome Communications™ session with Access TCA can work for your company, contact us.