You join us at the beginning of one of the quarter final qualifiers for this years MasterPlannerBuyer: The Professionals. Greg Wallace and Michel Roux Jr have always shown a proclivity for media dress with their excellent array of suit jackets worn with jeans. Now they have officially swapped choux pastry for pointy shoe pastry, a raspberry reduction for a rate discount and cooking for booking.

3 aspiring PlannerBuyers have been asked to produce a classic digital plan – with added elements of their own ingenuity. They come from across the industry, only 1 can go through at this stage and the competition is really hotting up.

The winner stands to win, literally 4 pints and a chance to be in an industry magazines annual 30 under 30 article. Its high stakes for a junior plannerbuyer.

Up first is Mike from Mind Contacts Digital:

Greg:

“ Son, that’s a nice looking digital plan. Well presented. Just the kind of thing we’re looking for on MasterPlannerBuyer. Lets have a closer look.

Excellent. We’ve got the initial crunchiness of network display. Full taste of the search there – very good. Oh, and what’s that?– yes, a lingering hint of online video. “

Michel:

“ Mike. There is a wrong formula on that part of the spreadsheet. Lets forgive that and put it down to nerves as it does look top class – not cut and pastried from a prior plan.

Yes, that network and search does work excellently together. Equally so, the online video is excellent but I’m not convinced that they’re anything more than separate ingredients on a spreadsheet. “

Next, its Dave from Level 42 Share:

Greg:

“ Its not worked has it, Dave? I can see that your display rates there are way too high. That’s not been properly negotiated so we’re going to have to put them to one side. We can’t book that.

Aside from that, not bad my friend. Those site skins and roadblocks are a nice touch”

Michel:

“ Yes, Gregs right. I wouldn’t present that to my client because those rates are overdone. Good try with the innovation. You have to focus on the basics of negotiation though, if you want to progress in this competition. “

Finally, we have Susan from Universal Vizinniti:

Greg:

“ Crikey Susan. I could pinch that and pass it off as my own straight away. It is beeeautiful.

Wow – you’ve got that network display just crispy enough, great texture. Then the biiiiig, riiich flavour of that month long site sponsorship comes though. Corrr! And you’re left with the delicious aftertaste of lots of free added value. That’s top planning, Susan “

Michel:

“ If I have to be picky, I’d say that you didn’t perhaps demand enough measurability on that site sponsorship. Overall though. This is a well presented, balanced plan. I like it. “

The Verdict:

Greg:

“ Planning doesn’t get tougher than this. We need a PlannerBuyer who can take it to the next level. Someone who can fiddle with a spreadsheet but then really make it look like they’ve done a lot.

So, who’s the flash in the plan? Who knows their pie in the sky from their ROI? Who is Media Week and who is Media Weak?

Michel:

“ Susan, you’re going through to MasterPlannerBuyer quarter finals. Well done “

The Response:

Susan:

“ Planning for Greg and Michel is all I’ve ever really wanted to do. Hopefully, I can take this plan and use it again and again.

One day, I want to set up my own agency. I’m aiming to get the coveted place in the 30 under 30 article and not disappear into obscurity like everyone else who has ever appeared in it.”