The strategic planner's mission is to define a brand's communication strategy and to make recommendations to the agency's sales team, based on his or her analysis. To fuel his or her project, he or she conducts an economic watch, studies current and future trends in society, and examines consumer behavior. In this way, the concepts of the advertising campaigns to be set up are oriented. Equipped with a solid marketing culture, this professional is curious enough to respond to every request. This creative profession is ideal for those who want to connect brands with their audience. 

The strategic planner plays a fundamental role in the marketing and communications sector, particularly in digital. They provide consultancy services for advertising campaigns. Their objective is to offer a brand a personalized, totally unique approach, which will give life to a strategy, then to an advertising campaign adapted to consumers. Both in the field and in contact with customers, they act as a link between sales and creative staff and specialists such as social media managers, market researchers and media planners. The planner may work in an advertising, communications or design agency, a media agency, a consulting firm or a design office. The rise of e-marketing has created the position of digital planner, a professional responsible for understanding the social behaviors of Internet users on Internet and mobile media.

Whatever the subject, the strategic planner's aim is to develop a unique approach. Here are his main missions. 

Research, analysis and production of studies : 

• brand identity analysis,
• competitive benchmarking, 
• study of socio-economic and socio-cultural market trends, 
• creation of a consumer panel, 
• study of each consumer's data (profile, mode of consumption, relationship with the brand, purchasing path), 
• identification of communication periods and choice of appropriate media.

Creation of strategic recommendations :

• search for a central idea and a communication objective,
• recommendations for a formidable communication plan, drafting of a "creative brief" (copy strategy) and specifications defining the brand's needs and expectations, based on a data study,
• design of a brand platform defining the various brand strategies, 
• brief creative teams to bring ideas to life (copywriter, art director, creative director),
• monitoring collaborators' projects to ensure quality deliverables and compliance with positioning,
• study and monitor the performance of communication initiatives (reporting).

Sales support and development : 

• drawing up commercial offers (quotations, briefs, sales pitches) in response to invitations to tender while prospecting for new customers,
• presentation of the communication strategy to the customer,
• participate in the sales development of the agency/company.

Watch :

• monitoring competition, trends and consumer developments,
• monitoring prospective studies, 
• watch structuring.

The strategic planner is a keen observer, intellectually curious and open-minded. Both an investigator and an analyst, they are attuned to their environment. Often out in the field, they observe and take note of today's and tomorrow's consumers. This professional must have a creative mind to constantly renew his ideas and make original proposals. Equally inquisitive, the strategic planner is interested in what's going on around him/her to draw inspiration. Working constantly with creative teams, they have a flair for teamwork and a gift for communication. They are open-minded and good at interpersonal relations. 

Planners are required to have excellent writing skills. They write a large number of precise and comprehensible briefs. This job requires versatility, responsiveness, an interest in digital technology and the latest hot topics. Strategic planners are often called upon to present their work and various strategies. As such, they need to be comfortable and convincing orally. Rigor and autonomy are also expected. Last but not least, adaptability is a great quality for this job, as deadlines are sometimes tight and you need to be able to work in a hurry.

The strategic planner has several skills: 

• definition of each consumer's behavior,
• recommendations for a customer communication plan based on several analyses, 
• development of commercial offers, 
• oral presentation to a team, colleagues or customers,
• coordination of internal and external teams working on the same project, 
• drafting questionnaires, 
• creating and structuring monitoring systems,
• knowledge of marketing techniques and tools, 
• mastery of market studies and figures.

Strategic planners are in high demand. Today, some fifty strategic planners work for major advertising agencies. Few new recruits are hired each year, so you need to stand out from the crowd. To access this job, you need to have a BAC (A-levels) diploma. In most cases, planners come from business schools or BTS (BAC+2), but there is no specific training required. 

Experience is also built up in the field. A sandwich course is preferable. At ISAL Paris, the Master's degree in communication and branding trains future brand and digital directors for fashion, luxury and lifestyle companies. This training equips them with a wide range of skills, including : 

• defining and implementing digital strategies, 
• a fashion and management culture, 
• digital message design, 
• acquisition of level B2 in English, 
• web project management.

After several years' experience, the strategic planner can become social media manager, digital marketing manager or digital project manager. At the start of their career, strategic planners earn between €19,000 and €25,000 gross per year. Once confirmed, their salary ranges from €39,000 to €80,000 gross per year.