Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Looking professional - that often has more to do with the format, what paper you print on, etc. than it does with the content.

Naming who you are spending money on versus not - that depends on who the audience for the marketing budget is, and whether they need that information. In many cases, general categories are enough.

Is this for "show" or for "go?" If the budgeting process is so that YOU can figure out how to get the best result on a fixed budget, then the format is less important than the thinking. If it's to convince management that your proposed budget is the right one, then you may need to play to the audience and worry a bit more about the format. (Content and smart thinking are still important, but you need to "sell" your thinking to someone else, so you have to understand THEIR thought process too.)

And if you think naming the suppliers specifically will help sell your point of view, then name them. If you think management would prefer to just focus on the objective and strategy, then leave 'em out.

If you know who you'll spend the $$ with-- list them. Some items you won't know at this point in the budget process. Things like printing- -which you might have several bid on the project.

Remember the point of the budget isn't just to craete a wish list for spending-- and make it pretty. Your reviewers will want to see expected results for the spending.

Call out also line items that you think you can save over budgeted areas. You have a quote from "x" but you feel you can negotiate better terms because...