by Miriam Hara | Jul 10, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Business Success, Latest, Marketing, Uncategorized
Earlier this week, I focused on you being the multi-tasking maestro as the business or team leader. It’s equally important to encourage your team members to multi-task.
I’ll repeat my definition of multi-tasking. I’m not talking about one person being asked to wear too many hats and spread themselves thin. That leads to resentment and overtired team members who lose motivation. I’m talking about encouraging people to step out of their defined roles, even momentarily, to try on a new hat, or a few new hats. I’m talking about team building.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]Getting people involved in tasks they don’t own can lead to shared ownership[/inlinetweet], bigger ideas, better ideas and a richer outcome. It benefits people on a personal level. They’re learning new skills, they feel involved, they feel appreciated. A richer outcome is also better for clients.
I remember when secretaries went the way of the dodo bird and many professionals exclaimed: “I don’t know how to type a letter or make a presentation!” Now, almost everyone in business creates their own PowerPoint presentations. We learned to multi-task. The world changes; today more than every before, it changes quickly. If we’re smart, we change with it. If we want to survive and thrive in business, it’s not an option. And we need to encourage our teams to change too.
Speaking from an advertising perspective, back in the ‘50s on Madison Avenue, Bill Bernbach, of Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) put together the first creative team: an art director (artist) and copywriter. He chose the teams with complementary personalities in mind. Fundamentally, this was an exercise in multi-tasking; putting together people with different skill sets — art and copy — but with similar mindsets. Mindsets that understood the advertising world and conceptualized visually and verbally. Getting them to work off each other, getting the writer to think visually and the designer to think verbally, built confidence, trust and ultimately the clients benefited from the results. It was brilliant. It worked and it works still. Today, the scope is even larger.
Agencies haven’t been just about print for years, they’re constantly evolving: digital/internet, mobile, guerilla, broadcast, outdoor, public service, to name a few. A lot more people are involved in the marketing strategy and the advertising that results. Everyone’s talents can be tapped, everywhere. Who says only a copywriter can write a good headline? Experience tells me the IT people often read the advertising copy and have ideas. Project managers work with clients all day long. Who better to be included in brainstorming than the people who know your clients best? Admin personnel? Absolutely. After all, if you’re admin in an ad agency, your creative side asserts itself sooner or later. It can’t not. Everybody has a creative side. (If you think you don’t have one, you just haven’t had a chance to explore it.) I’m not saying when you’re stuck for a headline call the IT guy — he’d probably look at you like you’d lost your mind. I’m saying be open to the idea that everyone has more to contribute than you, or they, might think.
Social Media is an ideal example. It’s a prime area for promoting multi-tasking. I’ve said this in other posts: Social Media is its best when all departments are involved. Everyone in an organization has something to say, saying it just needs to be encouraged. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]The more employees know about how an organization operates, the more involved they can be;[/inlinetweet] the more they assume a personal stake in the business’ success and feel free to contribute, the more successful the organization will be. When someone in Admin or HR writes a Social Media post, that’s multi-tasking. You’re asking them to step out of their assigned role and try something new. You’re building a stronger team.
As I’ve also said before: [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]To be in marketing and not be a multi-tasker is dangerous. It’s also not as much fun.[/inlinetweet] If you approach it the right way, give expanded opportunities to learn and contribute, I’m sure your team will agree. At 3H, it works well.
What’s your take on multi-tasking, at least my meaning of it? Are there ways you’re using it in your business to build teams? Let me know.
by Miriam Hara | Jul 6, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Business Success, Latest
At least in the creative world and in the advertising business, multitasking is key, especially for small businesses. Multitasking breeds an inclusive culture and by extension, it builds a team. Multitasking demands sharing information, a crucial aspect in any business. The silo mentality — departments holding back, not wanting to share knowledge or information with other departments — kills success. It’s a problem in big companies, but it exists in small businesses too. Multitasking prevents that mentality taking hold. It also stamps out the ‘blame’ culture. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”null” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]When a team multitasks, it works together, everyone shares knowledge, info and responsibility[/inlinetweet]. The business, the team and your clients can only benefit from this kind of culture. As team leader, you have to take the lead in encouraging multitasking. But first …
Are YOU a multitasking maestro?
I think of marketing, particularly those of us in marketing handling brands, as orchestrators or maestros. For those who run agencies, like me, the same moniker applies. In marketing, brand people are bombarded with priorities and deadlines. (You can thank technology for that!). To NOT be a multitasker, to not be able to juggle all the balls, is dangerous.
I’ll define multitasking as I mean it. I’m not talking about wearing too many hats and spread thin to the point of burnout. I’m talking about being able to move fast and easily from one thing to another, throughout the day. Nothing piles up, okay, almost nothing, nobody’s perfect.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]As the main lead in a business, multitasking is a skill you have to have.[/inlinetweet] If not, you’ll drop a few balls, miss a few deadlines. Issues around projects arise regularly, you need to deal with them as they arise, rather than waiting until they get overblown. You need to think big, but still get the small things nailed down. Sure, you have your own particular projects on a given day, but you need to be right there for your people too. They need you. So do your clients. You’re there for everybody. Remember! You’re the maestro.
Client expectations about what agencies need to deliver has evolved. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]Clients demand their agency people walk the line and maintain the pace. They demand multitasking. [/inlinetweet]Technology demands it too. If you aren’t a multitasker, you’re hurting your team: Forcing them to work longer hours, i.e. numerous redos, and work under undue pressure. Sometimes pressure is good for creativity, undue pressure is not. Demands come from clients fast and furious and if you plod, you frustrate the team, your clients and eventually you lose business. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]The success of an agency depends on being nimble, being a partner, working the way the client works.[/inlinetweet]
To be in marketing and NOT a multitasker is dangerous. For someone like me, who thrives on the business and excitement of the industry, I admit, it’s also more fun.
There’s lots to say about multitasking, so I’ll follow this blog with another that deals with encouraging everyone on the team to be a multitasker. How it builds a team. Why clients benefit? And, why Social Media is a perfect tool for encouraging multi-tasking?
“Mastering the Fine Art of Multi-Tasking” is a great short read from Psychology Today. If you can stop multitasking for a minute, you might enjoy it: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201110/mastering-the-fine-art-multi-tasking.
Recent scientific thought about multitasking? This one was interesting: “Forget Multitasking, Real Productivity Comes from Singletasking”: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247833
by Miriam Hara | May 28, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Branding, Business Success, Creative, Latest
What makes branded creative concepts magical? In a recent LinkedIn discussion, someone commented that the reason why creative agencies were no longer relevant was because computer software (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) had replaced what was once reserved for creative directors, illustrators and designers. As a result, it removed the magic that was once part of the creative agency positioning for their clients.
I do agree that computer software has provided access for everyone to exercise his or her creative ability – and that’s just awesome. However, to equate creative exploration with on point, branded creative concepts may be a little bit over the top. I don’t think it’s fair to say that the creative of branded creative concepts no longer provides that magical moment.
It’s a little simplistic to believe that creative concepts are all about design and only design.
To say that creative is all about software is quite naive. Consider the implications of what makes for a good solid creative concept. Branded creative concepts take time to develop in order to deliver that ‘ahh’ reaction. And trust me, it has nothing to do with software. Many clients know their business better than any agency will – as they should. Likewise, creative professionals and designers know how to develop good creative concepts – actually outstanding creative concepts.
I have run a boutique agency for over 25 years. I’ve seen the transition from the drafting table to the computer screen. From that experience, I can say that the creative magic is still there. Many of the mandates our teams have worked on through the years have involved various pieces of a puzzle. We’ve had to take those pieces and make them fit into one coherent, succinct creative concept that told a story. Other mandates involved taking dry, complex material and communicating it in a lighter, friendlier tonality. There’s nothing better than a beautiful piece of creative that is branded and on point. It’s simply a thing of beauty and joy!
Those of us who live and breathe creative think differently. Thinking differently is what makes for awesome creative. If software has taken away the magic of creative, then the same would be true of TV ads, music, promotional contests, PR campaigns, music which still stand apart from the norm of mediocre. Time and time again we see “creative” that when properly conceptualize, executed, timed, and delivered get a reaction – a good reaction.
Creative concepts when properly developed, designed and executed for a brand piece are magical. I could go as far as saying that the reason some feel that creative has lost its magic may be that too many are not approaching branded creative the right way. Many are only producing mediocre creative concepts that don’t deliver the desired results. All of this, in the business of marketing and branding, is not magical.
What are your thoughts on the subject? I’d like to hear them here.
by Miriam Hara | May 25, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Business Success, Creative, Latest
In my last post I stated why I feel that there is a big disconnect between creative agencies and clients. You can read that article here. Below is a short recap.
It is my belief that the single-focused creative agencies continuing to work in the same way they did over the past decade, can no longer provide clients with the relevancy and efficiency that is demanded in today’s marketplace.
So what do creative agencies need to be in order to deliver to clients and become a valued partner?
1) Technology channel savvy: The increasing number of communications channels that are available to reach consumers requires an understanding of these channels in order to produce creative that will not only resonate but garner the expected ROI. The difference in creating “creative” for a traditional channel versus a digital channel is the same as creating creative for a print ad versus a billboard ad. It’s just not the same.
2) Marketing knowledge for immediacy: Advertising is becoming more targeted and niche. Generating creative that will be relevant, branded and incite a reaction is a must. This can only be attained through understanding the market in which the brand lives.
3) Creatively smart: A counter part to point 1, this is the ability to foresee possible issues that are related to the creative presented. It is not only a nice to have but a need to have. Delivering on smart creative also means being production savvy. Knowing where and how the creative will live is a must.
4) Embrace change: Change is essential to any creative house. It’s as essential as breathing. Reluctance to move forward, explore and understand new technologies and channels will only meet with failure. It will result in the failure to offer clients what is required for them to succeed. There’s no win-win. Creative agencies need to be experts in communications channels. How else can they meet the required ROI? Without embracing change, creative agencies will become stagnate.
5) The “we” mentality: This really pertains to any business. In the creative world, nothing is more important than having a good connection with clients. It’s not the client and the agency. It’s us. Understanding that distinction is paramount in order to develop a strong relationship that will lead to awesome creative!
There are many more attributes creative agencies need in order to effect change and promote solid, relevant relationships with clients. Can you think of any you would like to add to this list?
by Miriam Hara | May 20, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Business Success, Creative, Latest
Change is due for the creative agency. In the year 2015 and beyond creative agencies must learn relevancy. A recent article I came across stated that clients are increasingly going directly to production houses for their creative – bypassing the creative agency altogether. That is no surprise. The client/agency relationship has been fraught with exponential frustration.
I was prompted to write this post out of my frustration in hearing and seeing many clients suffer at the hands of inefficient creative agencies. In short, I generally find myself having to convince clients that there are creative agencies that are not rigid in their stance or positioning – they just ‘get it’.
Rewind to a little over a decade ago and creative agencies were just that: Creative. However, many were not generally concerned with production implications and the costs of their creative. Creative awards were all the rage and were ultimately most creative agencies’ end goal. It is my belief that the pursuit of awards, qualifies as a conflict of interest. Perhaps we’ve reach the point where those days are gone?
Advertising agencies used to silo their team of creative people and their team of production artists so that the two never mixed. This was a recipe that usually lead to added costs and time delays. And it was the client who was always on the paying end.
Unfortunate but true: The creative agency has taken many hits in the last decade. This is due in part to a niche mentality and an inability to embrace change.
The introduction of the computer (or more specifically Apple), in effect monumentally changed the creative advertising industry. The computer enabled creative output at speeds that were unheard of back in the early 1990s. Add the speed of creative output to the facility to create in software that ensures production outcome values and you have a major shift in creative dynamics. Unfortunately, the typical advertising and creative agency hasn’t moved forward on that front. Many still keep their teams siloed – thereby maintaining the frustration within the client/agency relationship.
Today a creative agency should be holistic, nimble, well-rounded and product savvy on multi-platforms and channels. That means all team members should be creative and should have a solid understanding of the production implications for their creative. That way, whether a client mandate is for a logo design, TV ad or multimedia and multichannel campaign, the creative team fully understands the potential pitfalls or issues that could arise. The team also works towards resolving those problems before they become an issue.
A creative agency must be relevant and provide value in marketing, creative and execution. One might have the best creative in the world or the most beautiful logo on a presentation screen, but if can’t be reproduced in the real world and with an acceptable budget, what value is that to the client? Ultimately success lies not only in the creative, but in its execution. If the execution and creative work is understood, the end result will be a creative solution of beauty and joy.
Do you agree?
by Miriam Hara | May 13, 2015 | Agency, Business Success, Latest, Marketing, Social Media
Marketing has expanded and evolved due largely in part to the internet and the launch of what is now referred to as the social media channel. Social media was once all the buzz. Now it needs to step aside to allow for the new buzz: Content marketing. Content marketing is increasingly becoming all the buzz. It’s an integral part of social media. Content marketing is now ‘where it’s at’. Or is it?
As a content marketing agency, it’s a given that we are immersed in content creation and everything that goes along with it. Google now supports content marketing with its recent change to its algorithms (once again!) to include phrasing structures, incorporating them into the SEO keyword data metrics. This provides for optimal referencing and content creation to take place around a key thought. The possibilities with this are endless. Building a content marketing strategy around a topic is now a little easier, more authentic and dare I say more fluid! But the question begs to be asked: Are brands and businesses there yet?
First of all it’s important for businesses to understand what content marketing is. The digital footprint of businesses and brands needs to expand. 30% of adults (35-54) and 39% of adults (18-34) access their information digitally. Clearly there is a strong need for brands to be seen digitally. From a marketing perspective, the lines are continuously being blurred between traditional advertising and PR. New content marketing agencies are being launched with the aim of incorporating a blend of both. However, content marketing is much more than writing editorial or blogging. It’s larger than posting on Facebook or composing a Tweet within 140 characters. It also includes video content and streaming. Showing information is quickly becoming the norm. Many consumers are searching YouTube to learn how to build, create, make or bake! In Canada, YouTube hosts 80% of the online video consumed*. That’s significant, to say the least.
As any content marketing agency will tell you, you need to “work it”.
In other words, you need to spend the time, money and effort to make it happen. Many marketing and business professionals are mystified by content marketing and its affect on brand. That’s understandable. This is often tied into the illusion that content marketing can be handled internally. Like everything in marketing, content marketing needs to have a strategy. The strategy behind the content marketing, (preferably with the support of a content marketing agency), can and should be owned internally. Although, the development and “working” of content marketing, should be left to the experts.
There exists a need for a more integrated approach to social media to include content marketing for businesses, brands and branding. This includes everything from web design, SEO, eNewsletters, eBooks, eZines, subscriptions to blogs or forums to sales lead generation and marketing. All of it in the hope of “getting found” at the right place and at the right time.
So, are we there yet? Or more succinctly, are brands and businesses there yet?
