Creative Creatures: Working with Marketing, PR and Ad Professionals

Marketing starts with a vision of what your company stands for and its unique place, personality, passion and position. To market successfully, you must understand your target market and customers, their expectations, and the values that shape their buying decisions. Only by understanding who your customers are can you develop an appropriate brand vision.

Once this is firmly set, the task is to create images and messages that capture, communicate and reflect that vision; and then promote your brand in the marketplace. We are often too close to our own material to develop appropriate images and messages. For this reason, many seek the help of outside talent.

A good creative person will bring an outside perspective and act as a sounding board on how well you are expressing your vision. He or she will help you articulate your message in a way that speaks to customers’ wants and needs. In addition, this person will create professional looking images that add substance to your appearance.

Who Should You Hire?

First, what do you want to accomplish? There are significant differences between marketing, design, public relations (PR) and advertising professionals.

• Marketing involves creating and managing programs that address support for sales channels. It can encompass elements of design, PR and advertising.
• Designers typically do just that – design logos, brochures and other marketing materials. They may not know how to put together an ad campaign. They may be part of a larger agency that also does advertising campaigns.
• Advertising is a way of getting a controlled message in front of your target market through media placements. It requires knowledge of the effectiveness, cost and value of the varied media options.
• Public relations (PR) involves getting the word out about your organization and its products through conversations, written or verbal, with opinion leaders. The goal is to get them to want to write or talk about you (in a positive light)!

The total marketing mix will be most effective when all components – PR, design, advertising and execution programs – are created in a comprehensive and coordinated plan. No one vehicle on its own can carry a company to success.

It’s important to note that with PR, you have much less control over the result. It’s the seeding of information in hopes that influencers will bring it to life in a public forum. When it occurs, it can be a very powerful vehicle as it offers much more credibility than paid placements. When people of influence talk about you – in a positive light, of their own free will and without compensation – the audience listens.

In contrast, advertising allows you to control the message and when and where it will run.

Choose Your Partners Carefully

Before committing to a particular consultant or agency, conduct an interview to make sure the people involved understand your business and products; and that they are experienced and passionate about the type of assistance you need.

Evaluate several candidates to get different perspectives and ideas. Look at their previous work. Does it all have the same look? Do you see passion? Do they see opportunity for your business? Can this person or agency “think outside the box” for you? Have they been effective for their other clients? Design awards are good for the agency but don’t necessary mean the client’s objectives were met. Ask a lot of questions. Listen to the answers. Get references and testimonials.

Be sure to identify who exactly will be working on your project. You may initially meet with the principal of a firm, but will he or she continue to be involved in your project, or hand it off to a junior person? Spend time with each team member to get a sense of whether you can work together.

Understand the contract terms. Who owns the work (images, designs, source code) when the project is done? How easy will it be to update the creations?

The Vision Comes from You

Designers, PR and ad professionals work from your vision as their base of operation. So, you need vision and you need to express it so they see it. Who are you? For what do you stand? Who do you speak to? Who does business with you? What image do you want to present? The more clearly you can articulate these things the better your specialists will be able to focus their efforts.

Set a Budget and Communicate it Up-Front

If you want the team to hit a target, give it to them. It will also allow them to tell you what’s possible and what your options are.

Let Them Do Their Job

Once you choose a creative professional or team, let them bring their ideas and talent. You’ve hired them because they have expertise in areas you don’t. Skills and contacts you don’t have. Let them do their job. Listen to them.

Help Them Help You

Assign someone in your company to be responsible for working with the consultants you hire. Make it in his or her best interest for the project to succeed. This person needs to make sure the “creative” has everything he needs and helps drive your company to make timely decisions.

Finally, you want your agents to want to work with you and give you their best. Treat them well and you might find friends that can add significant value to you and your business, over time.

Tips for choosing design professionals:

• Are they able to produce designs that work across all media – paper, presentations, display, embroidery?
• Do they understand color issues?
• Are they familiar with a variety of printing processes and options?
• Do they explain the trade-offs of various design options to you?
• Do they understand the fundamentals of your business, your industry?
• Do they know what’s appropriate?
• Don’t let designers drive you to trendy colors and images unless that’s what you really want. It’s your business … you must be happy with what they produce.

Tips for choosing advertising professionals:

• Is their portfolio “memorable”?
• Are their clients satisfied?
• Do they know your industry?
• Do they understand your business?
• Are they willing to work within your budget?
• Can they explain what can be done for different levels of spending?
• Do they investigate and explain the “means” you can use to go to market?
• Do they give you ways of tracking your results?
• Are they versed in new technologies, such as the internet and cell phones?

Tips for selecting public relations (PR) professionals:

• Do they have experience in your industry?
• Do they understand your business and can they explain why it’s newsworthy?
• Do they have contacts with media and opinion leaders in your market?
• Can they explain what can be done for different levels of spending?
• What do their clients say?