Let It Be Known

I ain't going nowhere so you can get to know me.

Music In Commercials

Have you ever hummed a song that you heard in a commercial, wondering what it was? And maybe it's just a tiny snippet, so it's not a lot to go on.

Today I was watching MTV and during one commercial break, there was a small banner on the bottom of the screen that first popped up with what the commercial was for, then popped up the current song playing in the commercial (title and artist), and finally suggested that if you like the current song than you might like ____. That's pretty cool!

It may have been a little distracting but that's probably because I'm in advertising. Actually, having the brand or company name pop up too may be a great way to brand a commercial. You see the whole loop about two times during the commercial...it's just something different.

It finally leads you to the music portion of MTV's site so that you can look up all the songs mentioned. I'm sure it's branded there too = integration.

Cool idea.

This Does Not Feel Good

This is what I feel like - see the people getting literally ripped to shreds...yeah, not a good feeling.



Well, I guess I could be the pissed off chick too.

Whew...

Some days are so intensely busy that 9-5 whirls right by and keeps going without you stopping for long to realize that the hours are gone.

Actually, I sometimes prefer that as slow days can seem too long. I like to stay busy, keeping the activity level up.

There's just so much I want to do...

Give Me One Reason

I don't want no one to squeeze me
They might take away my life

Obsessive Compulsive

By the way, I'm totally digging on this blog.

She simply excerpts a quote as her commentary and links to a website or article of interest. Frequently updated, I like to see what she has going on for the day.

http://obsessivecompulsive.tumblr.com/

Can I Get A "Go Team!"

I just wanted to say that now more than ever I believe that tasks completed at an agency are a huge team effort.

I just worked on a relatively small task that somehow pulled in a whole bunch of people to complete it. It began with a focus group and a survey (well, really, it began far before that to get to questioning a certain group of people, but let's not get too big picture) - this task began with answers to a simple online questionnaire. I had coded the survey and was now looking at the results.

After I pulled several key quotes, I worked with a production person and a designer to talk about what we wanted to pull together. It was a simple quote book with the quotes from the survey.

The production person and I worked out the technical things like how big, how many copies, when is it due, etc.; then we went to the designer to talk about what we wanted it to look like, for whom (the client), by whom (our target), and what it should feel like. Along goes the quotes I gathered into something presentable.

With several points of approval (creative, planning, account services), this little book got looked over by about 10 sets of eyes. It's next to last stop was printing. Talking with the studio department, the correct format and layout was determined and 5 copies were printed out. More technical things like the type of paper used for the cover was a bit thicker than the rest of the book, the printed sheets had to be cut out, the spiral binding we originally chose was being scrapped for staples because the books were so thin, and a several person manhunt for the stapler in question all brought about these spectacular little quote books.

Oh, and did they dazzle - the client was so impressed that account services and planning decided we should print 20 more! I would say a job well done.

With all of the input from so many departments, it's hard to say that one person or just a few people were responsible for the wonderful end product. I have always respected each position within the advertising agency, but it's just so great to see it all in action. As I was leading the project and making sure it got from A to B, I really heard some of the things I wouldn't normally hear about what is needed during each step. I know I talked about this before but it is a great idea to get to know what each person does to get a project out the door so you have an understanding of the timelines, pressures, needs/specifications, and sometimes limitations of what each person or role can handle.

I also just really enjoyed getting to work with that many people in the agency and seeing something so great come out at the end. So as cliche as it may seem - go team!! (Oh no, that rhymed too - haha.)

Examining Qualitative Research

I mentioned this presentation a few posts back. It's an examination of current qualitative research. I'm sure there were some great talking points during all the pictures, but read through the simple quotes and you'll get a very good idea of where they were going.

Pay attention at the end to the things that need to be done now to actually move towards change. It's worth it. And at the very least, to be able to describe to your team and to clients the function and limitations of research is important.


Aargh, for whatever reason trying to put that presentation on my blog was messing everything up - I don't want to ruin my blog so here's a link.


http://www.leemcewan.com/serendipitybook/2008/03/taking-on-the-r.html

No More Rock Of <3

I had a posting on the show Rock of L___ (I'm not even gonna type it here because I don't want it to be searched) and I had everyone under the sun looking at that one post. Since the rest of my blog really doesn't have anything to do with that, I wanted to just delete that post. :(

Oh well, the posting was about last season's winner (Jes) who is now long gone and so it really doesn't matter. I just didn't like having my whole visitor list being for that one thing.

So did you catch the finale last night? I was so glad that Bret didn't pick airhead Daisy. ;)

Posts Due

I had so much stuff a while back that I wanted to blog about and never got around to it. There were a few fun things that happened over the course of several weeks, and I mainly just want to show pictures.

Canada trip! I went to Canada to work on one of our brands - how cool is that?? I had just a smidgen of time to do a little sight seeing and snap a few pictures. This is the CN Tower. As the Canadians would say - tall, eh? Hehehe.

Here's a little Canadian fun money.

And everything is in both English and French.

So that was pretty cool. I look forward to other destinations I will get to visit as part of my job. :)

Soon after I went to see one of the Cirque du Soleil shows - Saltimbanco. Very cool! If you have not seen a Cirque du Soleil show, and I'm sure you've heard a lot about them, I definitely recommend checking it out. It is absolutely amazing what they can do with their bodies. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take pictures at the show, but here are some good ones.

The next weekend I went to a huge family reunion with about 50 family members. We used to get together all the time when I was younger but we hadn't had a reunion for 7 years - the last time we had a reunion I was a senior in high school!! I have since graduated from high school, college, and grad school! Oh, and I started a new job, moved to a new city - ya know, nothing too big. :p It was great to see the fam and it was a bit of a reassurance to me that there are lots of nice people just like me out there. Haha.

We have an awesome family photo but I don't have it yet...hopefully I'll remember to post it when someone sends it to me.

I'm pretty sure that's all the fun little odds and ends I had going on. Hooray, all caught up.

It's Funny What Can Help You Stand Out

Today I was brought in as the "technology expert" to help some stuff work during a client presentation. This actually happens to me pretty frequently, oddly enough. I don't consider myself any sort of master of technological things, but I took the time to learn at one point when I was going to be a part of running a meeting.

Our new coworker asked me soon after he started, "is there anything you don't do?" I guess not. But it all relates to my job in some way.

1. I learned the technology to run all of the equipment in the large conference rooms - invaluable in impressing clients by being able to control everything (lights, sound, ppts, and video) from my seat. And sometimes this regular gal is brought into meetings to get everything running after others have attempted and failed. It's not hard, it was just a matter of learning.

2. I'm a videographer. I know how to run two different types of video equipment and work with 3 different types of mics/audio. I can run the focus group room equipment or just a video camera. Close-up shots and film suitable for editing - I'm still mastering but I've had some good experience with it.

I also know how to finalize a DVD using our equipment, the time needed for dubbing (and no one knows this!), and what it takes to put a decent video together. I don't do the actual editing but it helps that I know the process so I am realistic with time restraints, how best to serve up the clips to be pulled, and how to patch things together so it flows and looks good.

3. I have put on the hats of different positions for a little while to get something done. I did a little competitive analysis, I've pulled images, sifted through music, used this really cool machine that turns paper into big stickers...all to get the job done.

There are more but it's just interesting how it's seen as so different that I know all of these little things. These skills actually just help to run a focus group smoothly or put together a presentation or understand what time is needed to get a video dub or edit back - everything that is indirectly related to my job and needs to get done. Why wouldn't I strive to know these things?

But what's most interesting to me is how I acquired all this knowledge. It's not some crazy extra investment in time because I was learning how to do my job. What I did was spent a little more time with each person I worked with to fully understand the process. I was being a planner! I asked lots of questions, and because I was new it was a great way to get to know people. Now it's just so that I can be sensitive to their time limitations and empathetic to what else they have going on in their role. (Our broadcast department is awesome but they are always swamped with a million editing jobs. It can't hurt that they know that I am doing what I can to alleviate the pressure on their end by giving them as much information as I can on timing, equipment needs, what a job entails, etc.)

You would be surprised by who doesn't do/know these things. Get to know your coworkers, find out about a different role, and help your work in the process.

I have always had a respect for each position in advertising and how all of those pieces fit together. Now I have respect for the people in those positions.

Firmly Stated

So I never followed up on that creative brief I was writing...and that's because it was basically taken out of my hands. Nope, not a good feeling.

That whole experience was not so great. Let's recap: 1) I took it to Account Services and they ripped it up (a bit of a blow to the ego), 2) I revised, refined, and we presented to the client - the client meeting was brutal (I got stared down for not defending some research which we didn't use in developing the brief, then the client didn't like our direction - ouch), 3) I looked back at the research to define the client's position and our position; then set up a meeting with AS to go over those changes (and waited, and waited, and waited), and 4) oh, and did I mention this was my first brief-writing experience at the agency? Blah.

After some time I knew something was fishy and found out that AS had sent some briefs (multiple, plural!!) to the client. I was really thrown off by that one - AS sent, I didn't write, more than one??

So I talked to my supervisor about it and felt hopeful that there would be a change. But I never really heard back. I didn't know if any discussion had occurred and I still didn't have the creative brief(s). Then some other small things happened with my AS team that led me to need to talk to them, and that talk was today.

I didn't want to seem angry, but I was frustrated. And I want to work well with this team moving forward which is why it was important to put my foot down a bit and ask what was up. I felt firm but still very open.

Know how those small victories can really be a big thing for you personally? Well I felt that way. I felt like a made a giant leap for me and my opportunities going forward. I feel like I am on the same page as my AS team now and will be included in much more work on a client that I should have been taking over for months now. Unfortunately, I feel like I'm at the beginning of it all but I'd rather be actually starting now than just thinking it will happen.

I kind of thought the whole thing was silly. Why am I having to take the time to convince my AS team to use me? Why am I making sure everyone knows that I'm their planner instead of my supervisor making it clearly known? Communication in a communications company - a novel concept?

Despite my tone, it really was a feeling of being settled and accepted. This experience working for a specific client consistently is crucial for me to move along into plannerdom. I enjoy immensely working for every client in the agency, but it's time for a little focus.

*Wink*

I had inspiration for breakfast today.

Lupe Fiasco - "Superstar"

Flying!!

Our meeting with the client this morning could not have gone any better!

I was a little worried that my director and our CEO would take over the show and not really give me or our account service person the opportunity to show how we have stepped up into the positions leading this account. However, I can definitely see how that guidance is sometimes needed. But I guess the point was that we had done our work to make this run smoothly and we both wanted a chance to show that.

I was able to talk strategy to set up the meeting. I went over the objectives, who our target is and why this issue is relevant to them, our single most inspiring idea, and the tone. I tried to use everything I discussed with the creatives to set up their work in a way that would proactively counteract any concerns. I think the creatives mirrored my set-up very well even in how they presented the work to try to overcome some of these potential barriers.

The client did bring up a bit of that concern so I was glad that I had thought through that and talked to the creatives about it, but they were overall very impressed with every idea that was presented and decided to move forward with the one our agency recommended. I think it's a bit easier to be bold on this front because this is a non-profit client, but it's very important that everyone gets on board and is excited about the idea we move forward with.

Near the end of the discussion, there was talk of conducting a few informal focus groups to get a read on what the target thinks of the ideas. I would love to put together a mood piece of their reactions so that it can accompany the work and just help that much more in selling this idea. I was really excited that they wanted to do that because I am all up for it! :)

Overall, I was just really excited to have the experience of getting in front of a client and working as a team to present an idea and get it chosen. I think everything went exactly as we would want it to and I was just so thrilled. I'm very excited to be working on this project and I hope that it provides more valuable experience like this that will just help me become that much more confident as a planner.

You know, this exercise really did make me stop and think: am I creative enough to be a planner, opinionated enough, smart enough, tactful, understanding, and strong enough? I am still working to become stronger in all of these areas but I would say that I am doing all of the right things to get there. Having passion for planning is a start, but maintaining it and even reigniting it plus invigorating it feels even better.

The Good Energy Of A Good Experience

Today I did things that a regular planner would do. :)

It's for one of our non-profit clients but I'm the only planner on it. We have a meeting with the client tomorrow and I was just brought on this brand about a week ago...can we say nervous?

So I did work on getting to know what it is, what we're trying to achieve, and poured over the brief to make sure it was current and that I knew what was in it. Today, the creatives presented their different ideas. I knew what I was supposed to be doing in that meeting - providing my initial feedback on the executions, speaking to the strategy - but felt ill-equipped to say anything smart at that moment. It's a little discouraging when you know what you're supposed to be able to do and just aren't there yet.

I didn't stop, though. I took time to think about the executions, try to flush them out into real commercials in my head, looked at the brief, looked back at the executions and the wording used, looked at the brief again, and so on until I had formed connections between the executions and the strategy. Once I had pinpointed some possible areas of discussion, I went to one of my creatives to think it over.

It felt really good to have someone understand that I was new to the whole thing, new to the brand, and to answer questions I had about the executions. We came to a consensus on the way we would present the executions + strategy, and then I took the opportunity to ask a few more questions. I wanted to know what planners did from a creative viewpoint and what was most helpful so I asked about what is expected from a planner when creatives present their work, what part of a brief is most relevant to a creative, what is helpful in creative briefings, and what in general is helpful from a planner for creatives. We also talked a bit about the limitations of focus groups to achieve results stemming from people's natural reactions to advertisements rather than the clinical and over analyzed answers that can sometimes come out.

Here's what I took away from our discussion. Creatives will look and look back at one thought on the creative brief - the main idea. Well, duh, but it did still help to know how the brief is used to come to a creative view that is then woven into ideas. Creative briefings can be rich with information that explains how each area was developed - how did we come up with the target, how did we come up with the main idea, what is the research and thought behind that. And just as I work, he said that sometimes a nugget of information will just pop out and seem interesting enough to merit further exploration. I work like that so I can completely understand - inspiration can come from anything. And I found out what I already knew - it's helpful when planners can talk strategy to back up the creative executions...I just needed more time to formulate my ideas. Hopefully with enough experience, I can shoot from the hip on those kinds of things. And finally, focus groups are limiting. (I have a thought-provoking presentation that I can put up about it.)

Anywho, once I had talked strategy with him I took some more time to distill my thoughts into a description of how the strategy related to each execution and then some overall thoughts on what the client may ask us. It's always best to be proactive about what you think the client may ask you so you can think of your answer.

I got a bit of a pep talk from one of my coworkers on presenting to the client tomorrow. That was really helpful. She wished me luck and told me that I could do it. :)

Now all I have to worry about is that our CEO and my director will be in this meeting too. Nervous again.

Trying To Move On Up

I'm not sure if this is accurate, but I would like to move on from being a Junior Account Planner to being just an Account Planner because I would like more focus.

Well, actually, I don't know what the typical Junior AP does - that's a lot of the reason I started this blog - and I think I've had some pretty spectacular experiences, but I'm ready for some consistency.

My job is a lot of hopping on anything and everything that needs to get done. I have touched all of the brands in my agency at least once (that's a lot of brands!) and also helped on about 4 new business pitches. But I always do a one-off project then leave the brand for a while, come back to do something new then get pulled away again - I never really get to know the consumer on any one brand and it's starting to hurt my work. I know that people think about how I have worked on a brand before so should be able to have some pretty good input, but I just get so disconnected in between times.

So I attended some focus groups about a month ago on one of our brands and then had some more this week. In between that space of time, I didn't continue to work on that one brand and really keep my mind set on it, I worked on probably 7-10 other brands. I wasn't very fresh returning to this brand and it really took some looking back to bring up what we were working on again. The fact that most of the time during the focus group I have my mind on other things because I'm running the show on the back end doesn't help this at all.

I'm supposed to be transitioning to my client but work seems sparse right now. I think it's because we're in a production cycle...this kind of worries me too because it may very well be that I start getting projects but since all of the brands seem to be on the same timeline it will all come in at once - yikes. Also, I'm so busy with all of my running projects that I can't get into learning any of my brands. This is a conundrum - I want to show that I can handle projects but my attention is much too divided.

Well, they've got me working on a few non-profit clients as the lead planner and perhaps that's a good place to get good experience and perhaps even shine.

Maybe if I could get a balanced and healthy plate rather than always visiting the buffet I would be a lean, mean, planner machine. :p