Navigating Last Minute Changes in Advertising: A Daily Guide

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!

Stand Out Advertising: How to Embrace Your Uniqueness

Trends come and go but good advertising lasts forever. We read a great article yesterday on the benefits of standing out from the crowd in the ad business or any business. We couldn’t agree more that it’s easy to go with the flow and just be like everyone else. The hard thing to do is be different and creativity should be wary of consensus. So, as humans how do we step into our uniqueness and let that shine through in a world that attempts to stifle it? Here are some steps you can take to embrace your one-of-a-kind self.

1.     Accept your flaws and imperfections: No one out there is perfect and giving yourself grace is important as you try to better yourself on this journey of life. Accepting them is the first step to improving them. Growth will happen as you attempt to better yourself.

2.     Lean into your strengths and talents: What are you good at? Are you creative with art, writing, and music? Are you more science-minded? Find those things that you are good at but also enjoy doing. The last statement is important here. Just because you are good at something does not necessarily mean you enjoy it. The two must be in tune.

3.     Find like-minded individuals: Being around those who think like you is important. People who accept you for who you are and all those little weird quirks. Those that inspire you to step into your weirdness and power forward through life.

4.     Spend time doing things you enjoy: What are some of your passions? Do you like nature? Do you like baking or cooking? It’s important to find a little time each day to do these things. They

5.     Stop compromising: Don’t be a people pleaser. Stand out from the crowd and do what you want. Real connections are those that accept you unconditionally rather than who they want you to be.

6.     Embrace your beliefs: Everyone has a different belief system based on upbringing and personal experience. Your beliefs represent a large part of who you are. It’s important that you still be open-minded but also don’t be too fluid. Find a good middle ground.

7.     Stop comparing yourself: comparison is the thief of joy. Everyone has a different path of life. You must trust yours and allow it to unfold as it should without judgment.

8.     Stop asking for validation: Self-confidence goes a long way. It’s one thing to ask for advice here and there but if you need constant validation, it means that you aren’t exactly in tune with trusting yourself.

Dare to be different. Dare to be weird. Dare to stand out. Being you is special because there is only one out there just like you. This means that what you bring to the table in the creative world is unique. Your individuality is the best thing about you. It’s why your company hired you over the other guy. Don’t let the world try to convince you that those cookie-cutter styles are the way that you should be. Being different is extraordinary.

Feel Good Friday: Creative Thinking Skills

Creativity is an interesting and somewhat uncharted topic. Where does it come from exactly? Are we born with our creative skills or can we learn them? Last week we wrote a little about the different types of creativity, so now let’s dive into some of the skills that creative thinkers’ user to problem solve. Creative thinking is defined as coming up with innovative, unique solutions to problems but what are some of the ways that creative thinkers can discover these answers. Creative thinking skills come in all shapes and sizes but we wanted to put together a short list of some that might be useful to creatives in the workplace. We’ll break them up into categories since we know that there are different types of creativity from our research last week.

Analytical: these skills help sort through factual information to develop more rational solutions. These skills would fit those who are dominant in deliberate & cognitive creativity as well as deliberate & emotional.

·      Analysis

·      Research

·      Interpreting

·      Experimentation

·      Critical thinking

Innovation: These skills can be utilized by all types of creative thinkers.

·      Resilience

·      Imagination

·      Abstract thinking

·      Lateral thinking (using non-traditional logic)

Collaboration: These skills can also be used by all types of creative thinkers.

·      Brainstorming

·      Story telling

·      Open-mindedness

·      Active listening

While we will not go into detail for each of these skills, the overall theme is reframing things as a means to find alternative and unique approaches. No matter what problem you are trying to creatively solve, being able to look at the larger picture as well as the small, is important. Visual and abstract thinking can come into play when coming up with new answers. Some advantage to using these skills in the workplace are that it helps come up with better solutions, improves on problem solving and increases effective teamwork. In order to flex your creativity muscles, it’s important to use them every day. Try to create something new each day that requires you use some of the skills listed above. Creative thinking must be sharpened like a tool.  

NFT’s…What’s the Big Deal?!

Non-fungible tokens. What are they? Why are they important? Everyone everywhere seems to be slightly confused on what these are exactly. We recently wrote a blog on the metaverse and what it is so now we want to dive into this topic of NFT’s a little deeper. Upon our searching, we found one of the best descriptions of what an NFT is exactly. Think of them as trading cards. Each one is different from the other and there is only one original that can be bought. Each NFT is created of a specific blockchain unique to itself. Though this original can be reproduced and sold, there will still only be one true original, such as piece of art in a museum. Think about it, you can go to the gift shop after your visit and buy postcards with the painting you just looked at on them but the only true original will be the one hanging on the wall. So, what’s the big deal? Why would someone want to buy one of these things? Well, it seems that it is geared toward creatives and collectors. Anything digital can be sold as an NFT. Art, digital design, articles, music, virtual trading cards and even gaming supplies such as helmets, armor, guns, etc. Gaming was actually one of the first places that you could buy an NFT. An NFT’s value is expected to increase over time just like that of a trading card. Also, the owner will make percentages off of copies made and sold just as in the real world. Artists can make money off of their digital NFT art and buyers can purchase one of kind art in hopes that the value will increase over time just like in the real world of buying and trading art. “Some think this is the future of art but some just treat it like trading Pokémon’ cards” (The Verge). Either way, it could be another stream of revenue for artists and creatives alike. I guess we will just have to see where this goes. 

Building Brand Trust with Sourced Content

Building trust in any relationship is the key most fundamental aspect for success. Having a business that provides quality products and services in today’s society is not enough to keep it afloat for the long haul. Building brand trust is important in keeping your customers satisfied and keep your business thriving. It will provide loyalty to your brand, which in turn will drive new business. It will also create public backing of the brand and increase overall marketing receptiveness in the public eye. Being authentic is the second most influential reason to trust a brand next to pricing (PwC’s 2018 Global Consumer Insights). Other reasons include fulfilling brand promises, the impact it has on society and product/customer experiences. So how does one go about navigating this space in today’s society of social media overload? The answer… Sourced content! A published Journal Study conducted in 2019 found that, “there is a positive relationship between the use of UGC, brand trust and purchase intention.” Organic user generated content is the most relatable form of influence in the world. “Consumers are 3x more likely to say that content created by a consumer is authentic compared to content created by a brand (Stackla). This is where brands can take the opportunity to create an increased connection to their audience through emotional relatability and, in turn, increase brand trust with their consumers. The use of sourced content in advertising is on the rise for this reason as well as many others. In a world where every person with a smart phone can now be a content creator, there is an infinite library of sourced content available daily. I mean, who do you actually know that doesn’t have a smart phone in their pocket right now?!?! For this reason, new content is uploaded perpetually to social platforms. So, let’s recap this. People trust sourced content, otherwise known as user generated content, more than traditional advertising. Real people stimulate real connections. It’s necessary for a business to create trust with their audience in order to remain relevant and successful. Sourced content is also a never-ending tap that keeps on flowing and changing daily. Integrating sourced content into marking strategy therefore, seems like a no brainer to heighten a brands trust with their consumers.