I love it when a plan comes together…

The A-Team were Saturday evenings in the 1980s as far as I was concerned.  

The ability for this ‘band of renegades’ to overcome whatever situation they faced – and neatly done in the 1-hour episode – was all down to their planning as far as I could see.  

Nothing fazed them and the team’s cigar-chomping leader, Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, would so often say the immortal line; “I love it when a plan comes together”, that it became, one of the many, famous catchphrases from the show. 

Perhaps that’s where my love of a plan comes from. The A-Team to the NM Team – this time with an added sprinkling of PR and communications.  

Whatever it was, alongside my love of lists, PR planning is pretty central to most of what I, and we, do for our clients here at NM towers.  

From the start we look to build a strategy that defines our clients and their communications. Taking account of their vision, mission and values allow us to define the content pillars and from this the tactics we use.  

A plan on a page that informs our writing and ensures we keep on the right tracks.  

And from this document comes the detailed tactical plans, highlighting everything from the communications campaigns to the individual press releases, media engagement and social posts. Set out to create a schedule of activity and acts as a record of what has, or sometimes hasn’t, been done.  

A plan coming from a plan.  

In essence they provide the structure and the order for many of the increasingly complex communications projects we support our clients with.  

For example, it could be running an open day, to help journalists get insight into a client’s new products and services. My colleague Simon Kinnear sets out his top 10 tips for running a media day and these will help with anyone’s plans for running such an event.  

Or it could be helping a business launch its European office, with PR and content as the central tactics to creating awareness and building relationships with key target media. Using the UK’s largest packaging exhibition and the perfect platform for their launch plan, acting as a focus for engaging with journalists as well as forming a basis for ongoing coverage. 

Perhaps it’s providing the full package for a client developing a proactive social media campaign to generate both interest and, importantly, interaction with potential customers. An ongoing content plan ensures regular posting and build audience engagement. 

Try organising any of the above without using the word plan – it’s impossible! 

So, planning is key, and creates the platform for us to build the content and communications that make a real difference for our clients. I’m therefore fully behind the esteemed words of Hannibal and team and ‘pity the fool’ who would argue otherwise…  

Now where’s that spanner, bit of pipe and acetylene torch, I’ve got a plan to build and get us all out of here.