Learn how to manage the creative process, and how to work with agencies. Briefs, Brainstorming, Concept/Mood Boards, Creative Presentation

1. August | 2014
Tool Kit
The Creative Process
Working with your agencies

2. introduction
Think Blink
At Shikatani Lacroix, we design compelling at-purchase
moments that connect in the blink of an eye.
Our philosophy and strategic design approach,
Think Blink, is driven by a consumer’s motivation to make
a purchase decision. Everything we do is geared to owning
the “at-purchase” moment. Our firm has a well-earned
reputation for designing integrated brand experiences that
effectively connect brands with consumers to drive
measurable results for clients. !!
About the author
Brendon Sargent, Senior Account Manager
Shikatani Lacroix
As a Senior Account Manager at Shikatani Lacroix, Brendon
oversees packaging projects for clients such as PepsiCo and
Moosehead. Brendon has extensive account management and
strategic experience in the areas of design, digital (web, mobile
and social media), print, retail, packaging, OOH, radio,
sponsorship, sports marketing, and events.
Prior to joining Shikatani Lacroix, Brendon managed accounts
for top-tier brands, such as Stella Artois, Visa and P&G, at Grip
Limited and GMR Marketing.
| The Creative Process | Toolkit | August 26, 2014
2

3. introduction
You want nothing more than to build the perfect creative brief
for your new project. So, you meet with your agency and share
your business objectives, your deepest consumer insights, the
challenges, and your creative vision. The agency takes it away
and comes back weeks later with something stunningly
beautiful. However, it’s not what you asked for. How is this
possible? ! The creative mind is an interesting place. If you ask a group of
individuals to each draw a house, you’re guaranteed to get
very different results from each person; some might draw a
traditional colonial house, while others might draw an
extravagant castle. It’s not to say that the castle was the wrong
answer—it just may not have been what you were looking for.
However, if there existed a process between Point A, asking
them to draw the house and Point B, presenting the drawing,
the result would be much more specific and more consistent.
Similarly, this thinking can be translated to the creative process
when you work with your agency. !!!!!
| The Creative Process | Toolkit | August 26, 2014
3

4. part one
Brief
1) Be specific. The word “innovative” gets thrown around a lot,
but everyone has a different interpretation of what it really
translates into within the project scope. The “I-word” can make
the creative team cringe. You don’t know how many times they
have brainstormed and presented something truly innovative,
only to learn that they have pushed it beyond a client’s
comfort zone. !
2) Give examples. Don’t be afraid to look at what your
competition has been doing well. It’s the agency’s job to know
how far they need to take it, but the more you direct them
now, the happier you’re going to be with the result. !
3) Be communicative. The creative team should always be in
attendance to every briefing. Remember the game Broken
Telephone? No matter how tightly the meeting minutes are
kept, there are always details that are missed and you can’t
convey enthusiasm on paper or via email. Passion and
excitement cannot be transferred to the team via osmosis. You
can’t argue science, so keep the semi-permeable membranes
to a minimum. !
4) Make it an event. If you’re briefing for a minor tweak to an
existing creative, this may not be necessary, but if this is your
biggest push of the year, make it known. It doesn’t have to be
an elaborate, off-site meeting with food and cocktails (albeit
those are the briefs I still remember years later), but show the
agency you put thought into it. The more you show you care,
the more they will care. See above for rules of excitement
transfer.
| The Creative Process | Toolkit | August 26, 2014
4

5. Brainstorming
Not every project requires a big, formal
brainstorming meeting complete with beer,
snacks, sticky notes and scribblings all over the
walls, but when it is required, you should be
there. Not only is it the perfect time to share
your ideas and contribute to the end product,
but it also keeps the agency on track. Below find
some tips on preparing for a successful
brainstorming session: !
1) Before the brainstorm, help the agency define
the objectives. Remember, you only briefed a
small team and we’ll probably bring in other
individuals to ensure diversity of thinking. It will
also help the rest of the team get to know you.
We want everyone to feel like we’re working
with you, not for you. This will also allow for
some of those out-there ideas that might be
home runs. !
2) Don’t be the idea killer. Sometimes the shred
of an idea can trigger another which triggers
another. Just because the first one isn’t a winner,
it can still lead the process along a path that can
be hugely successful. At the end, we’ll recap and
prioritize all of the ideas and discuss which
should be further explored. You’ll be a part of
that discussion, so only the ones you want to
explore will rise to the top. !
3) Trust us—we’ve done this before. Sometimes
the process can be frustrating and you might
feel out of control, but we know what we’re
doing. It’s supposed to be fun, and sometimes a
little goofing off helps. Join in. Who knows, you
might like it?
part two
| The Creative Process | Toolkit | August 26, 2014
5

6. part three
Concept/Mood Boards
This is an often-skipped phase in the creative
process, but it can be one of the most important.
This can save weeks of working in the wrong
direction. It also allows for more input that
would be tough to implement further down the
line, and it often puts the client’s mind at ease. If
you know what to expect during the creative
presentation, you’ll be less concerned with,
“What if I don’t like it?” or, “Are we going to
make the timelines?” or worse, “What if my
superiors don’t like it?” !
Behind closed doors, the agency is turning
nuggets of a concept into a fully blown-out idea.
During this stage, they’re thinking about how it
this will translate into the creative space.
Colours, typography, photography, style—this is
all being considered. This is the creative team’s
interpretation of what you’re looking for. Now,
here’s the fun part: what if you could take a peek
into this thinking to make sure they are on the
right track? While it involves a little extra work
to make this thinking “client-ready,” it’s worth it.
Depending on the project, you might see pages
of images, type and colour usage. Or you might
see examples of other in-market ideas to show
trends. Or, it might just be a montage of images
pulled from Google to help depict the story.
Regardless of how it’s displayed, this is when
you get a chance to stop them in their tracks, or
encourage them to take it even further. !
Note: Although it’s risky, the creative teams
sometimes dislike this part because they like the
big “reveal” at the end. Show-offs! However, if
you have great chemistry with your agency, this
stage can be skipped.
| The Creative Process | Toolkit | August 26, 2014
6

7. part four
Creative Presentation
This is the logical next step in the process, and
one which needs little explanation. This is when
you see everything come together. If the process
went smoothly, there should be no surprises
here. Sometimes, if the project is big enough,
this may be split into a series of presentations.
Perhaps the first presentation is more high level
to show how the idea would come to life, and a
second presentation might take that idea and
roll it out to all touch-points. These
presentations would of course be bracketed
around your feedback.
| The Creative Process | Toolkit | August 26, 2014
7

8. conclusion
!
While every agency has its process, there’s
certainly no right way or wrong way. Sure, they
have each had their successes, but the road to
that win may not have been as smooth as you/
they would have liked. At the end of the day, it
should be a collaborative process between the
client and the agency, resulting in fewer conflicts
and better work.
| The Creative Process | Toolkit | August 26, 2014
8