There is often a question at the top of every client’s priority list
“How quickly can we do this?”
It’s a fair question! Once clients have committed to a project, they are understandably exited to see the results, we are too!
But after managing creative projects for many years, I’ve learned to produce truly impactful creative, the whole end-to-end process really shouldn’t be rushed.
The projects that deliver the strongest results aren’t usually the fastest. They’re the ones where everyone takes the time to understand the challenge before trying to solve it.
When a new project begins, it’s tempting to jump straight into ideas (and sometimes it’s hard to stop coming up with them - we are creatives after all). The most exciting bit is the visuals - new branding, homepage concepts, campaign visuals.
But I often remind both the creative team and the client, we don’t want to get too carried away – the work will suffer if we do!
The reality is that good creative work starts long before the first concept is even shared.
It starts with the “boring bit” – people sat round tables or on calls having in-depth conversations. It starts with listening and asking questions that don’t always seem directly connected to the brief - questions like;
Who are your customers?
What has changed in your market?
Where do you want the business to be in three years’ time?
What isn’t working today?
Those conversations may not feel like the most exciting part of a project, but they’re often the most valuable. Every answer helps us make better decisions later. The more we get to know our clients the more chance we have at getting it right (even as early as the concept stage).
The same is true of a good brief.
A clear brief isn’t a document that’s written because a process says it should be. It’s a shared understanding of what success looks like. Without that, everyone risks going off on a tangent or producing something that doesn’t reach the objective.
I’ve seen projects that moved incredibly quickly at the start, only to spend time revisiting decisions that could have been avoided with a little more time spent thinking together.
I’ve also seen projects where the early conversations felt slow and in-depth, but once everyone was aligned, everything else seemed to fall into place and ideas shared seemed to hit the mark.
The best projects are also built on partnership. The brief writing shouldn’t be all down to the Client; the best projects start with us shaping the brief with the client and agreeing all the parameters together.
The strongest client relationships are collaborative, we really do (as cheesy as it sounds) want to feel like an extension of your team. For that to work, people need to ask questions, they need to challenge ideas. In a partnership we can create an environment where people can share concerns early rather than waiting until it’s too late. This is how trust is built and ultimately the result is just right.
As an Account Director, one of the most rewarding parts of my role is seeing that partnership develop. Watching clients become more confident in the process. Seeing teams move from uncertainty to clarity. Knowing that everyone is working towards the same outcome.
Because that’s what we’re really aiming for. Our goal as a creative partner is to help organisations create something they are really proud of, something they can grow into and build upon for years to come.
There’s a saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and I’ve learnt neither are the brands people remember.
The organisations that create lasting impact are rarely the ones looking for the quickest route. They’re the ones prepared to invest time considering the challenge, trusting the process and the creative team they instruct and not rushing to the visual.
The best work takes time. It takes time to build understanding, trust and ideas that fully resonate and represent our clients in the best way possible.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
The brands that thrive aren’t either.