CMN The Creative Marketing Network Inc. S*TA*R Planning Seminar Series 'Plan the Work, Work the Plan'

	The Creative Marketing Network Inc. Since 1986 expertise / experience / methodology	The Evans Corporation Home
	PLAN THE WORK, WORK THE PLAN STAR Planning Seminar Series

'Plan the Work, Work the Plan'

CONTENTS
About CMN
About Norman Evans
Consulting Services
book appointment
1/2 day	/hour
/day	/2 day
/session	online
Speaking Events

Plan Topics Include:
Advertising
Public Relations
New Media

If you are reading these words now, it is a considerable accomplishment for the creators of this methodology. That's because the noise level generated by the various marketing activities of corporations competing for attention, together with the steadily increasing din of mass media and its half brother, advertising, and now with the Internet, has reached an all time high.

When the original version of The Creative Marketer's Handbook was written a decade before the World Wide Web, in 1984, because it was becoming evident that the emerging technology companies like Apple, Microsoft knew a great deal about their core competencies likes software and hardware but were inexperienced in the world of sales and marketing. At the same time it was realized by the founders of CMN that the shift that was taking place was also affecting the way advertising agencies and public relation companies worked, after all these organizations were operating on a model that hadn't changed much in fifty years. A new way of doing business had to be found that did not force agencies into spending time and money pitching business in the dark, so to speak, but a way to establish objectives and strategies from the outset with one integrated plan, and be paid for the value of such a strategy.

TOPICS COVERED

Plan the Work, Work the Plan

S*T*A*R Planning

Looking at the present from the Future

As the Paradigm Shifts

Everyday is a Trade Show

The Future Channel

S*T*A*R® a proven methodology for over 20 years

The S.T.A.R. System® 'Plan the Work - Work the Plan'® is a proven planning and implementation methodology that defines result measured objectives. S*T*AR planning was implemented for Microsoft Canada between 1987 - 1993. Now available to all qualified Microsoft Partners.

This methodology is delivered through a series of discovery and planning sessions. These highly creative sessions are best suited for CEO's and other top executives and are designed to promote a different way of thinking about and executing marketing plans.

Over the past 20 years CMN has refined this system by working with some of the most powerful business teams in the world. Born under non-disclosure CMN works with their client's and supply chains to develop confidential, strategic, creative and effective marketing action plans.

These sessions are determined by the size and scope of the project or business. Typically these team building sessions include up to six participants and run from ½ day to two days. Seminars for larger groups may be arranged. Executive coaching in media and sales sessions also available.

The principals of CMN have led this integrated approach to marketing since the eighties. S*T*A*R has been adopted by companies like ASSET.net (currently one of the 50 Top Managed Companies in Canada for three consecutive years to present), Microsoft, ATI, IBM, NEC, Apple, AT&T, ad agencies, event and public relations firms.

1992 CMN presentation of Bill Gates portrait for the opening of Matheson Head Office
by Ron Pereira (Artist), Scott Lee, Bill Gates, Norman Evans CMN President.

Today's marketplace changes constantly, CMN assists clients to become 'agents of change' rather than followers. For example CMN was a pioneer in the area of consumer marketing campaigns for technology companies.

In 1987 when asked by Microsoft Canada, 'How would you advertise us?,' CMN's response was,
"We don't know if you should advertise - that's not how we do business. How we do business is we do discovery on all the key people. An agenda is then created and a one or two day S*T*A*R planning session is conducted. It's here that the strategies, tactics, actions, resources and desired results are planned. From these sessions we build a plan based on what we call a 'Chicken Test'. *see Chicken Test

MSFT Question: How much does it cost?
CMN Answer: $25,000 1987 dollars
MSFT Question: What is the deliverable to Microsoft ?
CMN Answer:
1. Discovery Sessions - Situational analysis
2. Planning Session Agenda
3. Planning Session I - Plan the Work
4. Planning Session II - Work the Plan

MSFT Question: When can you do it?
CMN Answer: Next week date 1987

At the end of this two day S*T*A*R Planning Sessions Microsoft signed an initial three year exclusive 'Advertising Agency of Record Agreement' to deliver strategic marketing, advertising and public relations. CMN renewed this agreement in 1990 by consistently delivering the goods.

The Chicken Test

'Have you heard of the Chicken Test? It's an interesting story……"

The chicken test emerged from actual engineering situations in the aerospace industry. A serious problem can arise when a flock of birds fly into a jet engine. So engine designers devised a test where they fire a gun that holds six cubic feet of dead chickens at a perspective new engine to simulate a flock of birds.

Legend has it that in the mid 60's Rolls Royce took five years to develop a powerful new jet engine. The problem was that they spent a quarter of a billion dollars before they finally got around to wheeling in the "chicken gun". And when they fired it up, the engine failed the test.

The moral of the story: Do your chicken test after six weeks and a hundred thousand dollars testing your ideas and don't blow your brains out and spend five years on something that is not going to fly.

Coaching for Sales and Marketing for Partners

Many businesses have owners, managers, partners and employees. Using the metaphor of sport and teams the employees are the players. However, how many of these organizations have anyone actually coaching the team to win? That's where the seasoned media, marketing and sales vet's of CMN come in. Through a series of coaching sessions the strengths and weakness', goals and objectives of each 'player' is worked on to optimize for best results.

The cost of acquiring a new customer can be as much as five times greater than the cost of keeping an existing one happy. The same is true for employees and business partners. The world is changing rapidly, so to is the way we work. With the advent of new technologies like the Internet and mobile phones, the very definition of work is being challenged. Today, more than ever businesses need to deploy every technology, new media and methods available to create quality, value and knowledge sharing.

Business can now seamlessly transfer specific knowledge to all publics, whether customers, prospects, employees, business partners, media and suppliers alike.

CMN can assist in developing your results oriented coaching plan to meet your objectives.

Niche Marketing for Partners

Narrow casting to specific constituents is more of a rifle-shot approach versus the shot gun. Too often the target is to wide to hit accurately, economically or effectively. CMN are expert in building campaigns that hit their mark every time. The professionals at CMN are always looking for new ways to increase the efficiencies of their clients' business processes.

CMN clients' are better able to work with their staff and agencies to better improve the communication. This improved communication creates a powerful 'multi-leveraged' relationship that creates a winning strategies for all parties.

NOW offering this expertise in a new seminar format for corporations, executives, partners, affiliates and entrepreneurs.