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THE ENTHUSIASM + When working with a communications agency, many clients struggle with how best to contribute to the creative process, especially when surrounded by people they perceive to be the creative geniuses. It's important to remember that the relationship with your agency is a partnership and each partner has a role. The agency's role is to come up with great creative, your role is to foster an environment that helps the agency deliver the best possible creative for you and your organization. Whether you are working with an agency or an
in-house creative department, there are many ways to contribute that will
help inspire creative excellence. And all of them rely on a well-communicated,
enthusiastic outlook. Consistent, appropriate enthusiasm will inspire
your agency to deliver great creative solutions that help you and your
organization achieve its goals and objectives. The Enthusiastic Caregiver It all begins with caring...caring about the team, the process and the project. Working with people who care helps motivate and inspire others, no matter what the project. By always projecting great enthusiasm for the success of a project, you help inspire the agency team to push their own limits. Clients who care and let the agency know it, stand out. These are the clients that everyone — including the brightest and most creative in the agency — wants to work with. However, that's only part of the battle. It's also important for clients to demonstrate that their organization cares as well — about the messaging, the collateral, the advertising and the people driving the process to create them. Enthusiastic caring inspires creativity for
your project by motivating your agency team to think about the challenge
and make a creative contribution toward the solution. The Enthusiastic Leader Lacking the creative gene does not give you the right to abdicate the responsibility of leadership. When it comes to creativity, as a client-side leader — whether you are leading the entire project or just a piece — your role is to enliven the environment and make it safe for the team to test limits by:
As a leader, it's essential that you do whatever
it takes to encourage the flow of creative ideas. This means avoiding
micro-management, serial meetings that don't contribute to the effort
and long review and approval processes. More importantly, allow yourself
to be open to any idea. Openness will empower and guide the entire team,
so that when the idea is presented everyone will be able to see
it, seize it and bring it to life. The Enthusiastic Marshall Caring and leadership provide the framework to help inspire great creative from your agency. However, if the great creative never sees the light of execution, it wasn't great...it was a failure. Now that the opportunity to realize creative excellence is in your grasp, you must marshal it through to execution. This should begin with a frank conversation with the agency about what it will take to get final approval from additional members of the senior management team. Are they interested in a quick presentation focused on the expected ROI (return on investment) or will they want to see a detailed, flawless presentation including full comps? If the approach pushes the comfort envelope, determine ahead of time the key message points that will ensure quick approval — as well as whether the agency should take the lead in defense of its creative or you as the in-house leader. Remember that the agency not only wants to
see the project succeed, they want you to succeed as well. So, lend
them every hand you can to ensure quick, enthusiastic approval. The Respected Enthusiast At the end of the day, you and your agency rely on people to get the job done. As a client-side leader, you must set the right tone by engaging in open and honest dialogue; treating people fairly and with respect; and always maintaining a level of enthusiasm that inspires people to take risks and deliver the best they have to offer. By sustaining an enthusiastic approach throughout
the process, your agency will be inspired to deliver excellent creative
that reflects your positive attitude and leaves the agency team eagerly
awaiting the next opportunity to work with you. Loral
Skynet Relaunches with MDB Punk Elected to Fourth PRSA Board Term J. Scott Punk, APR, senior director, MDB, has been elected to his fourth term as a board member of the Public Relations Society of America National Capital Chapter, the world's largest. In 2004 he will lead the chapter's professional development efforts. Scott also is a member of the Greater Washington Board of Trade's Strategy Group. Email this newsletter link
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