Getting the best from your agency -

Briefing, Creative Evaluation and Agency Motivation

Agenda

Activity TimingAAI 5 Minutes

Briefing Process 15 Minutes

Creative Evaluation 15 Minutes

Write a brief 15 Minutes

Create advertising 15 Minutes

Creative Evaluation 15 Minutes

AAI CREDENTIALS

OUR RAISON D’ÊTRE

AAI help clients buy Markcoms services better and use agencies more productively.

Market leader with 22 years experience of advising British, Irish and multinational clients.

Offices in London, Dublin, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Sydney, New York ,Hong Kong and Sao Paolo.

BRIAN P. SPARKS

Brian holds Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Hons.) from University College Dublin where he graduated in 1973. In 1996/7 he completed a MBA at the Smurfit Business School in Dublin with a thesis on Political Marketing In Ireland.

Senior Brand Manager Irish Distillers (1974-1978)Director Irish International Advertising (1978-1980)Marketing Manager (Lagers) Guinness Ireland (1980-1988)Marketing Director GBW/Malaysia/Africa (1988- 1996)Managing Director McCann-Erickson (1997 – 2001)Managing Partner Ireland Agency Assessments International

© AAI

AAI SERVICES

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Relationship AuditsRemuneration Reviews

Coaching and TrainingHow to manage the agency/client relationshipBest practice briefingBest practice creative evaluation

Production cost advisory

SOME OF OUR CLIENTS

OJEU PROJECTS

SEARCH & SELECTION

SET MEASURABLE CRITERIAEvaluate critical skill sets

PeopleThinkingCreativityProcessSystems

WHY AAI?We know:

The agency scene intimatelyMarket pricesHow agencies workHow pitches workHow to brief

We have the time and the tools !We save clients moneyWe more than cover our fees

Getting the best from your agency -

Briefing, Creative Evaluation and Agency Motivation

WHAT IS ADVERTISING?

"Advertising is what you do when you can't go see somebody. That's all it is."

Fairfax Cone

"Advertising says to people, 'Here's what we've got.

Here's what it will do for you. Here's how to get it.'"

Leo Burnett

AGENCY BRIEFING

“Give Me a Place to Stand and I Can Move the Earth”

BY ?

WHEN?

New CampaignsNew Brands/ProductsNew Insights/Learnings

Not for adjustments to existing workIf in doubt write it!

LETS BUILD A BRIDGE!

LETS BUILD A BRIDGE!

“Forget that you are briefing an agency and instead pretend that you are standing on the bank of a river

about to build a bridge”

Around you are the architects, builders and so on.

What do you say to them?

TELL THEM!Where should it start from – Point A

Where should it finish – Point B

What they need to known to build it properly?

“The better the brief the better and more accurate results”

SO WHAT IS A GOOD BRIEF?

One that contains direction defining clearlyOne that contains inspiration providing a springboard to the creative process

GIVING CLEAR DIRECTIONSCan you explain it to your mum?The hard work is in

SimplificationDistillationClarity

THE ISSUE OF LANGUAGE

A BAD EXAMPLE

A distinctive and different treatment from any other ground coffee advertising that gives

contemporary relevance to the brand in the real lives of our primary audience

A GOOD EXAMPLE

‘For some consumers being more expensive than Bud is a reassurance of quality’

‘at 118 118 we always have go the extra mile, try harder , like just being nicer on the phone or calling customers back quicker’

THE 10 POINT BRIEF1. What do we want to advertise?2. Why do we want to advertise3. What is the source of business?4. Who are we advertising to?5. What do we want to communicate?6. What do you want consumer to do as a result?7. Budget8. Deliverables9. How will we measure success?10. Key dates

THE BRIEF BRIEF!

An ExampleMortgages for First Time buyers

WHAT DO WE WANT TO ADVERTISE?

New mortgages package with cost savings for first time buyers

WHY DO WE WANT TO ADVERTISE?

It is new First time buyers are unaware of it.

WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF BUSINESS?

Our share of the First time buyers market is 18%We want to grow this to 22% by year end by recruiting those that would otherwise go to our main competitors This translates to 12000 new accounts

WHO ARE WE ADVERTISING TO?

Couples who are about to buy their first home. This is a critical decision and a huge undertaking that they are making. They are entering into the unknown and feel very insecure about it. They know that buying a house will leave them short of cash. They are likely to talk to their friends and family about it in the hope that they guided in the right direction. They will be reading a lot of information (and Ads). Their decision will be a well considered one.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO COMMUNICATE? (THE COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES)

That 1. There are savings (£220) to be got from a AIB package2. We have advisers to help them through the process

Time out!!!Advertising Objectives

???????

Communicate brand and/or product benefit =Is your product cheaper?

Is your product more attractive looking?Does it save time?

Is it faster?

RATIONAL & EMOTIONAL

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT CONSUMERS TO DO AS A RESULT?

Visit AIB branches driven by the believe that they are getting a better deal and a genuine helping hand.

DATE & BUDGET

Start early June and end late August

BudgetMedia €50000

Promotion €40000

Merchandising €15000

Production €15000

Total €120000

DELIVERABLES

What you expect to receive as a result of the brief – e.g. TV , Radio, Press, Posters Sometimes agency best recommendation

KEY DATES FOR APPROVALS

Brand team w/c 16th FebruaryProduct Group w/c 23rd FebruaryManagement sign off w/c 1st MarchIn market 15th March

MEASUREMENT & EVALUATION

How will you know it is working?How will the work be evaluated?

ResearchTrackingSales Market shareBranch feedback

Exercise

Divide into teamsSelect your projects Write Client briefPresent to agencyBecome the agencyCreate the advertisingEvaluate the work

Evaluating Creative Work

KEY PRINCIPLES

Be loose and be tight !Open listening!Compare V briefEvaluate V objectivesUse research appropriatelyBuild or abort

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

The person who wrote the briefThe people who will approveThe stakeholders who ‘veto’

HAVE A PROCESS

BEFORE YOU START

Reread the briefKnow what is the objective of the advertisingRemember

All creative must have a purposeBeware of brilliant creative that has no real substanceCreative work must be on strategy

FIRST…THE BIG PICTURE

Search for the ‘big idea’Does it have one?What is it?Does the agency know it?

BIG IDEAS - EXAMPLES

“Bring an Irish orchard to a concrete jungle”

Magner’s launch in London

BIG IDEAS - EXAMPLES

“Natural and elemental”

Guinness

BIG IDEAS - EXAMPLES

“So good it had to be smuggled in”

Heineken

BIG IDEAS - EXAMPLES

“Enjoyment in every bottle”

Coca Cola

BIG IDEAS - EXAMPLES

“Helping you be successful”

AIB?

SECOND - STRATEGIC FIT

Is the ‘Big Idea’ also• Relevant?• On strategy?• Derived from insight?

BE CAREFUL!

“Its on brief” and “I like it” doesn't mean that it you have good advertisingYou are not the target!Your role is to;

Visualise what the target will make of the adUnderstand how their relationship with your brand will change

THIRD – STAND WITH THE CONSUMER

Look for ‘take out’What will consumers see?What will they hear?What is the sum of all their impressions?Is it engaging?Where is the benefit?

FOURTH – CAN IT LAST?

Look for ‘Campaignability.’Is it a ‘once off’?Has it got legs?Is it transferable?

FIFTH - EXECUTION

Is it clever and originalIs it distinctiveIs it relevantIs it credibleOn budget

SIXTH – ASK QUESTIONS

What inspired you to create this idea?How do you see it working in other media?Why do you think that it will work?How can we improve it?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE…

Seek strategic rationaleLook for the ‘bridge’Seek the creative viewSeek the account teams viewDon’t be threatened/outnumbered

ONLY THEN GET INTO SPECIFICS

The detail1. Content2. Visual3. Copy4. Construct5. Tonality6. Length7. Cost

THE PISS OFFSNo commentsNo questionsNo emotionSearching for negatives“I don’t like it”“I like it but could we have one more”

REMEMBER…

You are at the start not the endYou do not have to decide there and thenYou do have time to reflectBut once you decide

Be very very clearEither build or abortDon’t do both at the same time!!

WHEN YOU DO COME BACK

Be honestObjectiveDetailedConstructiveWith one voice

Any Questions?

YOUR TASK

YOUR TASK

Divide into teamsWrite the briefCreate advertising (TV)Evaluate the creative

THE 10 POINT BRIEF1. What do we want to advertise?2. Why do we want to advertise3. What is the source of business?4. Who are we advertising to?5. What do we want to communicate?6. What do you want consumer to do as a result?7. Budget8. Deliverables9. How will we measure success?10. Key dates

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