Statistics show that something like 90% of all marketing budgets are wasted. The messages they pay for have no discernible effect on either market-share or mind-share. The messages are ignored. Or if they aren't ignored, they're misunderstood.
There's an easy way to fix this.
You know the seventeen rounds of changes you put creative through? Instead, put your creative brief through similar scrutiny. Make sure it's right. Make sure it positions you to breakthrough and fulfills and human need. Make sure it's smart. Persuasive. Backed by data and research. Put your brief through seventeen rounds of revisions. Put it through legal.
Then, give this brief to a creative team you trust. And buy the work they bring you.
If your brief is unique, your work will be unique. Unique without trying too hard. If your brief is honest, your work will be honest. If your brief is funny, your work will be funny. If your brief is breakthrough, so too will your work be breakthrough.
There's a phrase in carpentry. "Measure twice. Cut once." In other words, get your instructions right and you save labor.
Try that with briefs.
Indeed some of the best advice I've come across in a long time. Or since your last good advice which was probably like yesterday. Just a pity I'm not a client.
ReplyDeleteI actually dreamt this: A partner and I were building an agency like no other. What we'd do was build and actually run non-traditional ad campaigns for clients, without ever being hired by said clients in the first place. Without them in there fucking it up, the work worked spectacularly. Sales soared! Then-- get this-- we'd go to them and ask for a HUGE retainer, with ABSOLUTE creative control... OR WE WOULD STOP!
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