Let’s face it, it’s the ad industry. This happens often and it’s somewhat of a norm in our field. It was interesting to me, as I come from a production background in T.V., how similar the two industries are in this way. It’s extremely important to be able to shift and be flexible when working on creative projects. Projects are naturally dynamic. Although the chances are low, things may go wrong somewhere. It is the nature of the beast. So, how does one cope with this style of creative project management in advertising? Here are some things we’ve learned over the years.
1. Streamline your processes: We pride ourselves on having a seamless system in what we do. Unnecessary steps can take time away from what is important in a project. Efficiency is everything. This way, when something comes up we’re not scrambling, and you’re not scrambling. This is a top priority that we recommend for helping agencies navigate creative changes.
2. Manage expectations: We are always upfront about whether or not we think a project will be deliverable. Sometimes, it’s not. Honesty helps build good relationships with partners. This also goes for while we’re working on a creative project. Everyone is dealing with a fire and change requests coming from all angles, so being transparent about what is realistic and what is not when dealing with alterations, in our opinion, is the best policy.
3. Always remain adaptable: Creativity is our world. Creativity isn’t ridged. It is something that flows naturally and processes and ideas just come to fruition. Think about your creative projects as being the same. Don’t get frustrated when someone up top wants a change directive. Try to think of it as a creative opportunity.
4. Have a backup plan: In our case, we always discover, curate, and clear some backup content for projects just in case a few pieces don’t work in the edit flow. Having a few more tricks up your sleeve can help save the day especially once you’re nearing the end of a project and trying to combat potential scope creep.
5. Communicate: This is huge for anything in business. Communication is key and as cheesy as that sounds it could not be more true. We are in constant contact with our team and also our B2B teams that we are partnered with. This way, everyone is in the know as changes are happening in “real-time.”
6. High-level budgeting: We always say it’s important for creators, not to “out-price” themselves. We feel the same way about our business. Keeping costs lower ensures that if there is a change in the creative, we can work with our partners to overcome any obstacles that happen during projects.
There are obviously more ways to deal with abrupt creative changes, but we think these are the top recommendations. Feel free to comment with anything you think we should add!
