VERBATIMS
In general, to what extent is the feasibility of a marketing idea's implementation factored into its planning?
That is has vertical and horizontal sign-off within the organization. Making sure all are on-board
Retailer buy-in
that it has across-the-board and on-time acceptance
Complete buy in at all levels from entry level to senior management. Clear communication of objectives and thinking through of all possible pitfalls.
that the account teams understand the retailer hot buttons and role of store ops in getting programs implemeneted, or even approved
buy in, understanding at the retail level and retail level training
practicality; field knowledge; good idea
Forethought as to what the executional challenges are and proactively coming up with the solutions ahead of time
Research on consumers and a swell, forward-thinking argument.
Having the right ideas to begin with . Ensuring buy-in and commitment early in the process rather than trying to sell or arm-twist after the idea has seen the light of day. Foresight , persistence and a lot of sweat equity! In today's climate, ensuring a clear and measurable ROI from the idea.
Retailer commitment.
Invovlving the retail trade early on. Getting input from a multifaceted team including sales people and consumers.
Communication, consumer focused and simplicity.
Executive enthusiasm for the big idea (including enthusiasm for the $$). Thorough planning and groundwork to ensure all aspects are accounted for and engaged. Comprehension among implementation team of the overall strategy; executive review/checkpoints against strategy.
Make sure to get as much buy in up front with key decision makers so that they won't sabotage your idea or find reasons later that it can't work. Then communicate, communcate, communicate with the key executors.
buy in from all constituents up front. hungry organizations. skunkworks.
Retailer buy-in, field marketing compliance.
communication
Budget and change of management.

1) evangelists who keep up the momentum. 2) clear goals and objectives. 3) buy-in from all stakeholders, especially people at the top. 4) adequate funding.
Marketing people with the willingness to try something new. Appropriate budget levels.
Bullet-proof strategy that acts like a railroad track. You have to have a vision of where you want to be. You have to describe in detail, like it already exists.
Strong client management to keep the original objectives on course or adapt the marketing ideas to the evolving marketplace. Also, strong program management to keep the creative team on track and on time.
Retailer/Local implementer/Partner support and buy-in"
Does the idea work with the customer?
Sacrifice - are you going to do one thing well or 10 things on a mediocore scale?
Unfortunately, in most organizations, it must have support from the top - as high as President.
clear upfront project communication based on consumer input/research.
Simplicity & excitement
Commitment and delivery by everyone involved. Marketing should not be the Marketing Department's responsibility! Clear metrics established up front and used to give credibility to a marketing program with the client's senior management.
Creating an idea that is realistic fomr the beginning.
including customer requirements in the manufacturers plan. cross-functional business planning. lots of lead time. flexibility regarding the original plan.
Communication, cooperation, strong management support.
Selling it to constiuents, giving them a clear vision of what's in it for them
Consise communication between us and the retailer and within the retailers departments.
Having all branchs of the purchasing process partner in the process.
The plan has to take into consideration the client's ability to implement... a great staff, enough budget, the right inventory on hand. Big ideas are easy. The clients with the most successful plans have been thru it before and know that the idea is not enough. We can pique the public's interest...the client has to have the follow-thru when the public shows up.
Cear and concise strategy, flawless execution and the ability to gain the support of the key decision makers
Economies of production/profitability, appealing name/logo, niche that meets a need or solves a problem, brand loyalty/purchase continuity.
Staying in close contact with all parties involved in implementation - Sales, Plant Operations, other marketing communications firms - P/R, Interactive, etc.
communication to the people that need to execute. budget. a partnership with the seller and client.

Have one of the people responsible for implementing involved in the planning and pitching -- they'll tell you the truth!
Communication and training built into the project plan; letting the experts do their work (trust)
Knowledge of resources available. Communication within the team and supporting vendor. Advance planning. Budget. Top-level approval.
Connection between client and all agencies below and above the line - roundtable/ good communication & planning of activities. having diff parties involved in dev and discussing ideas.
Buy-in from senior management. Clear/simple instructions for execution at store level. Minimum involvement from employees.
Clearly understanding objectives from the beginning and making sure that the ideas actually will meet them. Taking budget into account from an early stage.
details details details
Senior managemnet buy-in, if it's a high ticket idea. Locking in early in the year, prior to budget cuts. Easy implementation for the client..
Validation of idea with target prior to full launch. Clear communication to all stakeholders on objectives and implications of idea. Input from stakeholders on exectution of program and feedback to all respondants. Ongoing measurement of program performance against objective and control group to identify issues early. A willingness to modify aspects of program in response to unexpected results.
Getting the decision maker(s) to sign off on a brief before hand and sticking to it.
- C3 - Clarity, clarity, clarity in all communications and materials created in support of a program. A clear, simple, straightforward message/concept to begin with; ideally, one that leverages aspects of the brand's essence or equities to make the idea
Involvement
Make sure the implementation plan is specific, doable with available resources and prioritized
Budgetary support (i.e., don't expect it to deliver mega-results on a shoestring implementation budget). Buy-off from senior management is key.
Good ideas and working well with clients
A strong and defensible rationale. Courage of your convictions. Flawless attention to detail -- from concept thru post-program analysis. Trust.
Involvement of all implementation stakeholders. Establishing measurements for success. Adhering to project management discipline
Understand what needs to be done, who needs to do it, how much it will cost. Know the constraints and work within them.
advance planning and implementation lead time. novelty of the idea. consumer interest (more and more needs to be quantified).
-- Budget -- Communication internally with all relevant parties (Operations, engineering, sales force) -- Sr mgmt alignment -- Timing
Understand all of the needs and retraints prior to planning. Get everyone involved. Parameters don't have to be barriers to big thinking, but a lack of understanding will always be a barrier to implementation. If everyone contributes after the idea is formed, the idea will inevitably get watered down through concensus.
Buy-in from all interested/affected parties. Legal compliance. On-strategy. Value-added components.

good follow-through.
Criteria for judging initial idea to include: feasible within budget" and "will motivate both consumer and channel"
Feasible/practical to implement. Real costs are at or below estimates in plan. Buy-in has been accomplished at senior management level. Ideally, there is a champion" on client side.
Being sure that people knows exactly how, where and when is a marketing idea going to be implemented. Being sure that tactics are correct for this implementation and if not have corrective tactics for it.
full buy-in / commitment.
complete understanding of the executional elements to make it work brfore it gets presented Managing a clients expectations of what the idea can truly deliver and what it can't and holding to it.
Buy in at all levels. Simplicity. A good story.
Consistent with company messaging objectives. Contributes to selling. Within budget.
Incentives, value to the trade/system, retailer appeal.
a. Observe and listen to the client and their customers to get relevant ideas at the start. b. View the idea from the client's perspective so the plan incorporates the input of those who have to implement and carry on. c. Make it the client's idea -- engage the client in planning so they own the idea from the start. d. Include top decision makers so there is commitment at the top.
(1) A sound plan and (2) overall financial health of the firm, so that resources are available as planned.
1.Sign-off at highest management levels. 2. Budget stays at original levels. 3. Salesforce gets on board 4. Trade sell-in/acceptance match available timing/windows of opportunity.
Making sure that it satisfies a real consumer need and can be delivered by the product or brand. Also that it takes into consideration all factors in marketing vis a vis distribution as well as promotions.
Involvement of as many relevant parties as possible in the planning. Buy in" from as many relevant parties as possible.
The objective has to be clearly understood, the tactics have to be appropriate for the market (the channel and the customer), and there has to be a time component during which results are expected to generate the expected benefits.
Ease of implementation in the field. Clear and simple instructions.
Full compliance at all levels (internal) and all entities (external) involved. Tight operational execution.
creating a groundwork in advance to get buy-in from all.
Put it down on paper and make sure that all involbed know their role.
Don't do one in the first place.
Simplicity. Practicality, including ease of use at the retailer. Creativity in its ability to generate excitement.
Careful documentation and communication. Clear deliverables and timetables. Inclusion of all relevant constituencies EARLY in process. Brainstorming and poetry slamming (ripping into an idea trying to find flaws).

support from executive management
proper planning
having responsible persons from each affected group included in the planning session (i.e. marketing, sales, retail, field)
Their is a single idea that everyone believes and someone will pay for.
Making sure that the plan is designed to deliver overall objectives. If the objective is not the end goal, them most likely the program will have to be re-tooled throughout development and implementation to enusre that it is on strategy. Also making sure that all stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of the programs objective and of each person's responsibility on the team.
Making sure that the client is fully prepared to handle the result of the campaign. Keepig within budget - allowing for cushion.
Core person or group who is commited to pushing things forward. Keeping the other agencies, partners, divisions on track to meet the deliverables, while at the same time maintaining a vision and staying the course.
- return to objectives constantly.
1. realistic understanding of client's competencies, desires, and commitment to proposed idea as early in the assignment as possible. 2. agency excellence in implementation and production. 3. successful buy in and understanding among core constituents (practical, political, or otherwise).
- Careful planning -- both creative and practical - Ability to convey and convince management of worthiness of plan - Management's commitment to the idea from inception to completion (as opposed to aborting or cutting short innovative ideas.
good planning, realistic cost estimates, consideration of potential problems/obstacles and solutions to overcome these should they arise.
sound strategy. market opportunity (ie timeliness). budget.
socializing with all impacted groups prior to campaign - communicating what's coming
persistence, championing,more persistence
planning, that is buy off with as many (if not all) of the key players - any idea can be killed so easily - it is imperative to get as much sign off ahead of time as possible - once people are committed they are vested.
That it's tested and proven right for the target - AND for the appropriate retail channel..That it's culturally right for the company. That it has a senior champion in-company.
Plan and executive a comprehensive market feasability study. Involve potential partners and customers early on ... especially in the planning process before productization .
Communication. Training. Exciting unique idea. Simplicity.
Flexibility.
Ease of execution at the lowest level. Sufficient lead time on the front end to produce necessary elements. Communication. Communication. Communication.
Enough time to execute - and even when there isn't enough time it still gets done. Budget.
Is it really something that the client, wholesaler, retailer and client will be willing to do?.

Fully thought out and tested.

First, must have people who understand implementation as a part of the planning process. A simple concept, really, but too often we ivory tower plan and then fall flat on implementation. Second, must have constancy of purpose. High turnover in marketing or management roles means we're changing direction frequently and the new people have no interest in measuring what their predecessors developed, except to lay blame. By having better continuity (and therefore accountability), you increase the focus on results. Third, must have means to measure implementation in a timely and accurate way (vs. 6 months later). Obviously reward must be tied to the measurement.
Get a good brief. Know how to get a good brief. Learn how to test a good brief. Stick to the brief.
The keys to ensuring a marketing idea is implemented as planned would include a solid marketing plan that details everything about the idea from start up to execution, including all tactics, rationale, proposed timeline, budget expenditures and even estimated ROI. In other words, one needs to make sure their idea is buttoned up, fail safe (for the most part) so that a confidence level can be established to really roll out the idea as planned.
time and money
Communication and agreement between ALL parties.
A good relationship with the client - a sense of trust. Detailed plan. Solid internal communications and ability to delegate to appropriate people.
Figuring out a way to motivate the field to execute or Figuring out a way to avoid involving the field to ensure it's executed.
You need a sales organization that is comfortable selling concepts instead of deals".
Members of implementation team (grunt workers) involved in planning meeting to voice concerns on what might be unrealistic. Consideration of multiple ways to tweak idea for implementation. Open mind for variations on idea. Thorough exploration of risk/issues of plan and running ideas by all impacted areas of company (especially those that don't appear to need to know).
Make sure that it meets all the criteria first. Excellent communication with all parties involved. Implement a checks and balances system. Ensure execution.
Ideas are challanged and tried and tested.
Delivery on Strategic Objective. Budget. Timing. Support.
The most critical key is to fully understand the impact of any changes you would be considering.
Simplicity ... at the operations level (retail, point of sale). Training and incentives ... to enlist active support at the retail front lines.
Consistent, comprehensive communication. Buy in from all levels - HQ to field.
The complete understanding of what impacts a brand from conception through to consumption.
-fairness to the consumer, not trying to trick them -a dequate timeline-good budget.

Budget. People. Buy in from all involved. Understanding the goal. Customer input and feedback. Consistent product.
Multiple status meetings with all parties involved - meetings must be brief, targeted, effective. Any revisions made are communicated to all parties involved. New plans are delivered from each fraction of the whole (subgroups) with indications of how their portion of the plan is changed due to revisions. New whole plan is compiled and distributed to subgroups and this process continues until launch.
full communication. involvement at all levels. central authority to report on incremental steps. regularly scheduled progress meetings.
Executive management buy-in and active support is the single most important determinant regarding execution.
Partnering/early consultation with any 3rd parties involved with the implementation. A good business plan. Team approach, lots of input.
turn key for everyone who touches it. full compliance and enthusiasm. full support from company. all partners informed and ready to take on.
A good idea and a champion with both vision and practicality seem to be needed.
Knowing the objective and goals. Knowing the industry, market, and the product. Planning well. Having the message and method of delivery figured out well. Knowing the budget.
Targeted. Budgeted appropriately. Turn-Key.
clear inital brief, strong involvment of agency for the correct plan, strong cooperation by selling dept. side, focused advertising and below the line investment.
Buy-in from other departments. Operationally feasible. General business disciplines and controls.
Clear buy in of the idea, especially by those expected to conduct the implementation. Support beyond just the marketing organization. Good IT support necessary to meet technology dependent time commitments is one example.
An internal compliance plan. A retail compliance plan. Follow through on both of these.
up to date marketing plan
Strong contingency plans and flexibility.
Getting staff/organizations involved to buy into" the concept & feasibility of the plan ; get them to see the benefits and to understand their role in the plan."
Early acceptance and enthusiasm by clients.

absolute compliance and support by every member of the organization.
We present marketing ideas/proposals with a solid implementation plan--but it isn't until we meet with the clients that a final implementation plan is determined. From there, we address factors that impact implementation as they come--which could be anything, from weather to the economy to client turnover!
A proper timeline with approved goals and objectives. 100% buy in from marketers (firm), client and retailers (if involved).
Strategic understanding and goal setting, along with clear timelines and expectation/assignments that lead to success.
As an agency, we do our best to make sure the idea is implementable prior to presenting it to the client. THe client, however, will not take the added steps of ensuring that they have the back end support, and financial where-withall to do the same.
careful planning. print buying and fullfillment. internal communication and explanation to front line sales force.
Packaging, POS, Pricing.
Total power.
Making sure that the people outside of marketing and sales who could make it happen in the company (IT, operations, admin) knew what the consumer need was and the benefits--ideally to get consumers to try prototypes and then video tape their responses. People in the company could connect with real people who wanted the stuff.
Built multi-disciplinary, both inside the company and w/ key suppliers. Flexibility to be channel/account and market sensitive.
a simple, unique and great idea. clear, consice communication build up of excitement around the idea. showing the WIFM" - what's in it for me- portion to whoever that may be.
Subdivision. Micro definition. Ability. Motivation. Management. Celebration
Money. Upper Management full support (so they don't pull the plug at the last minute). Collaberation with all involved parties.
1. Good project planning with the end result in mind. 2. Good collaboration with all of the players involved. 3. Really, really, really knowing the market.
Placement. Demos (in some cases). Display. Promotion. Comunication to all levels. True consumer testing before retail delivery.
Knowing the needs of all constituencies involved in execution.
analysis, planning, understanding

Clearly defined goals so everyone knows where you are heading. Broken down into steps that can be followed and recognized if not accomplished. Having a gate keeper to assure follow through. A general belief that the plan will work and make a difference.
Securing buy-in and ownership from all participating parties prior to implemtation. Managing the budget closely to ensure you can afford all that is planned.
1) Thorough planning, 2) Setting realistic expectations with all stakeholders in advance, 3) Documenting an acceptable ROI, 4) Incorporating some flexibility (e.g., timing, gradual roll-out, etc.)
fully thinking through the idea prior to presenting it in the marketing plan; getting buy-in from channel partners prior to presenting the plan to senior management to iron out the kinks; holding the budget for the project; keeping the strategy from changing; ability to show how it can be measured
Getting early buy-in from all of the key constituencies who will be necessary for the ideas success = marketing, consumer, sales, trade, packaging, etc. Have a continual process of involvement for all key team members across these disciplines to keep the project on track, avoid wandering off or moving away from the commitment of the key players.
Get buyoffs all around, especialy above; retain control; keep focused; don't let anything slip by you; frequent status meetings
committment, resources, urgency, need, consistency and heroes
1. 100% buy in from all involved in the planning 2. Once you implement don't try to change or enhance the plan. It only devalues your product or idea. 3. Do your research to support and justify the idea
Clear instructions for all involved in implementation. Measures. Milestones. Contingencies.
study and planning
Senior Executive buy-in. Key stakeholder buy-in. An obvious sound and strategic idea. Has a champion who pushes it through.
Involve the people who will have to implement it early in development so you can identify potential implementation problems and solve them up front, and also so you have the tactical do-bees' buy in and support. Have a little respect for the people who have to make the big idea come to life and for the consumer who ultimately will experience it.
Project Management. Clear and concise briefing.
Good medianeutral conceptual foundation. Client ownership of said concept. Ability to execute the leap from concept to idea to actual work.
- good ideas - feasibility - financial background
COMMUNICATION - internal & external
focusing on customer real needs

A feasible marketing idea. A client that believes in the idea. Proper management of the implementation.

Building in human support factors. Real consumer motives are factored in at the start. Critical paths forecast the points where energy/momentum can slow and where third parties can slow the process.
1. Ensuring that the idea supports or extends from the core brand values. 2. Making the idea solid (taking all the challeneges into account in the planning of it) - using lots of opinions from different members of the organization. 3. Getting buy-in from the players and their management 4. Testing the idea to gauge the emotional reaction of the consumer 5. Mapping all the processes that are required - including disaster recovery
involvement of sales + testing !
Good communication and building genuine buy in to the concept.
1. excellent internal communication. 2. excellent external communication with vendors and partners
has to be an idea that appeals to every decision maker from the originator to the ultimate consumer
Know your business in the first place. Identify downstream obstacles at the beginning of the process.
clear goals, resources, focus, metrics, execution.
Agreement on individual milestones and measurements.
Initial buy-in by all stakeholders.
Bring the retail partner in from the beginning - even in the upfront consumer insight work.
Making it simple so that the sales force can take it and sell it, and it is simple for retailers to execute as planned. Or make it flexible, so that it can be executed in a number of ways and still meet the objective.
A realistic plan. Total commitment by both the client and provider. Strict adherence to launch schedule.
a willingness to stretch conventional marketing approaches
Perculation of the strategy to all the levels within the organization, and to all channels.
Communication! The only way to guarantee implementation is to over-communicate to anyone who might have any contact with the marketing scheme and/or the targeted consumer.

committment by the implementors (salesforce, vendors)
1) has to be an idea, a concept 2) should be clear stupid proof.
a partnership with the client so that they take ownership of the vision, price, clear objective, ease of use by consumer
Cost, logistics, timing and will.
Keep it simple. Promote it well. Train the people ... and develop excellent training tools.
Involve those who implement in the planning -- everyone has to have a buy-in.
Having the money/resources necessary to execute with greatness.
1)Simple and clear final objective for marketing plan. 2) Well thought out logistics for plan.. 3)Total buy-in from plan participants.
proper sell-in with KEY influencers and decision makers
Management buy-in and full support or champion. covered within Budget. Metrics in place to measure success: i.e. ROS, Brand awareness/consideration
Involvement of the sales force in the planning and training
Involve all parties from the start. Set specific direction and milestones. Promote value to all parties. And be open to changes and detours that are inconvenient but still get you to the goal.
Disciplined implemenation process. Checks and Balances along the way. Ensure sufficient time and resources are allocatted to implementation.
Selling the idea as this is a great concept if implemented as outlined - if there are too many variations the idea won't be as effective or have impact needed. Make sure the decision makers are participating at each mtg.
Understanding of both the brand and the retailer and their relationship with each other.
1) Proper collaborative planning process (includes execution). 2) Agreement to criteria of results measurement.
1) Proper collaborative planning process (includes execution) 2) Agreement to criteria of results measurement

1) Proper collaborative planning process (includes execution) 2) Agreement to criteria of results measurement
1) Proper collaborative planning process (includes execution) 2) Agreement to criteria of results measurement
simplicity. wow factor.
good/proven partners; marketing and sales co-ownership
Complete operations follow through for a thorough back end read of success or failure.
A plan that anticipated challenges and has dealt with them. A realistic plan. A plan that included adequate input from anyone who would be critical to implementation.
Good inital plan and stable/controllable environment. If the environment changes, it may be best to be flexible and adapt the plan. Or - a better way may become apparent - again, it would be best to remain flexible.
Depends what you mean by 'as planned'. Plans are usually continually revised. Sometimes the end result is much improved over the original plan. Occasionally, some plans do not seem to work out, and a less optimal plan B must be worked out. Many plans, particularly those that are repeated from a prior year, are executed per original plan. Keys: Stay on top of deadline dates, involve all key stakeholders upfront in the development of the plan, make sure it is clear who needs to accomplish what.
Adhering with the 'spinning wheel' principle -- i.e. that the entire organizatoin will be advancing it all the time.
ALL functional groups and internal/external resources needed to successfully implement the program are engaged and clearly understand their role/responsibilities for execution with excellence.
involve all key stakeholders upfront in the development of the plan
That is has vertical and horizontal sign-off within the organization. Making sure all are on-board
Retailer buy-in
Not only upfront planning (including 'what if') but communication - to all stakeholders - all the way through the process.
The major factor is if all departments within the company are behind the marketing idea/concept. If not everyone is on board with the plan the marketing idea will fail before being presented to the market. Another must is retailer support for the idea.
1. Getting full buy in by the senior-most sign-off. 2. Appointing a 'bird dog' who does not let go of the idea until it is executed.
too different in each case

Good communication and a shared vision and understanding of the expected outcome.
Clear articulation of the idea itself. This prevents the ankle-biters from chipping away at a great concept. Full commitment from all parties.
Committment of all parties involved. Aspiration and willingness to grow the business. Prioritizing brand equity and understanding its importance.
1. Research 2. front line staff buy-in 3. Departmental cooperation4. Not heavily reliant on manpower hours (doesn't create a ton of extra work)
Taking ideas well beyond the concept stage, not necessarily by the same team that generates them. Ideas need to be critically evaluated against criteria for success, which might include addressing consumer needs, ease of implementation, retailer/channel compliance, competitive insultation, etc. Ideas which make it through the screening need a champion to get it through the system.