Development of a conceptual model to alternative brand contact planning in the South African marketing and communications industry

Abstract

This paper explores the nature, role and planning of the alternative brand contact. Based on the outside-in and zero-based planning philosophy of integrated brand contact management, the alternative brand contact is defined as ‘a planned point of contact with the brand that is experienced by consumers as unexpected and unconventional’. A qualitative exploratory research study was conducted in 2003-2004 to engage the opinions, attitudes and motivations of the South African marketing and communications industry on alternative brand contact planning. For motivated reasons, exploratory focus groups were conducted with senior account teams in a sample of integrated communications agencies. Two further phases of research were conducted, namely: semi-structured depth interviews with key clients of the senior account teams and semi-structured depth interviews with key players within the senior account teams. The key research findings were employed in the design of a conceptual model to alternative brand contact planning. The model is the focus of this paper. It is envisaged that those agencies and clients that are responsive to the explorative and experimental nature of alternative brand contact planning will find the proposed conceptual model to be of immediate strategic value.