Area of Expertise
The Complete Project Plan
My Elevator Pitch
The digital medium is revolutionizing how agencies, and their clients, engage with consumers. As someone with experience in developing and executing social media and digital campaigns at Kent State University, I can help you and your clients capitalize on this rapidly growing phenomenon.
Why Digital Campaigns?
Digital marketing campaigns are exciting and original, as well as difficult due to the constant evolution of today’s technology. I want to investigate and learn more about the professionals behind the ideas that make digital campaigns effective. I would like to find out what it takes to be a successful copywriter using a digital platform.
The Complete Project Plan
I plan to look at the creative process as a whole. My area of expertise (AOE) is on how the creative brief influences a digital marketing campaign. I plan to gain insight on the similarities and differences in developing a creative brief between the U.S. and U.K. I want to find out how industry professionals draw inspiration for their work. I would like to find out how the writing style differs in the U.S. vs. U.K. I will be narrowing in on the digital medium and learning how to write specifically for digital.
Digital is a medium that I would like to explore to strengthen my ability to write effective digital copy. I believe it is important for an entry-level copywriter to have extensive knowledge about this medium, so I am going to dive in and investigate how “the best” accomplish writing for digital.
I would like to leave you with this very interesting short video on the coming age of digital convergence marketing and how you can profit from it. The statistics provided in the clip explain the changes in the digital medium during the past two years. The short clip also shows the predictions for online digital marketing for the next three years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG8KaWxr2gs
My Elevator Pitch
The digital medium is revolutionizing how agencies, and their clients, engage with consumers. As someone with experience in developing and executing social media and digital campaigns at Kent State University, I can help you and your clients capitalize on this rapidly growing phenomenon.
Why Digital Campaigns?
Digital marketing campaigns are exciting and original, as well as difficult due to the constant evolution of today’s technology. I want to investigate and learn more about the professionals behind the ideas that make digital campaigns effective. I would like to find out what it takes to be a successful copywriter using a digital platform.
The Complete Project Plan
I plan to look at the creative process as a whole. My area of expertise (AOE) is on how the creative brief influences a digital marketing campaign. I plan to gain insight on the similarities and differences in developing a creative brief between the U.S. and U.K. I want to find out how industry professionals draw inspiration for their work. I would like to find out how the writing style differs in the U.S. vs. U.K. I will be narrowing in on the digital medium and learning how to write specifically for digital.
Digital is a medium that I would like to explore to strengthen my ability to write effective digital copy. I believe it is important for an entry-level copywriter to have extensive knowledge about this medium, so I am going to dive in and investigate how “the best” accomplish writing for digital.
I would like to leave you with this very interesting short video on the coming age of digital convergence marketing and how you can profit from it. The statistics provided in the clip explain the changes in the digital medium during the past two years. The short clip also shows the predictions for online digital marketing for the next three years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG8KaWxr2gs
US Findings
The Finalized Process
The people & places
The time has come, I have completed the research on my area of expertise from the U.S. perspective. I spoke with advertising professionals with a wide range of backgrounds and positions from Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, New York on the impact of the creative brief for a digital marketing campaign. I interviewed Carolyn Fertig, and Wendy Trem a Digital Producer and Project Manager at Marcus Thomas LLC. I also spoke with Thomas Prochaska a copywriter at Marcus Thomas LLC (www.marcusthomasllc.com) Finally, from The Martin Group (www.martingroupmarketing.com) in Buffalo, I spoke with Mike Gluck, Associate Creative Director. I also read a number of blogs and articles about the current trends in digital, and how the creative brief is changing to cater to the digital platform.
U.S research & findings
I found that the creative brief is the document that shapes the entire campaign. The brief is not just information, but insight. It inspires the creative team to create a successful campaign. The brief should provide one message that should be pulled across the entirety of the campaign. It contains as much research, information and background as possible, but is as brief as possible.
The creative brief affects a digital campaign the same way a brief affects any traditional campaign. Ultimately, the goals and results should be the same. I was surprised to find that the difference between the two types lies in the way the briefs are created. Marcus Thomas provided me with an example of what they have done to keep up with the evolving medium. They were given the opportunity to redesign hotpockets.com. The account planning team decided to ditch the paper brief, and create a digital brief in the form of a website. The site hosted funny videos, and showcased the audience’s favorite movies and activities. This brief made linking through to other resources much easier, and allowed the creative team to start thinking in the digital realm.
What I have learned along the way
All of my findings really gave me a true understanding of how a good creative brief is written. This taught me to research everything and anything I can when given a digital project to write for. It is important to truly understand the online user experience. Finally, the most important advice I would like to take with me is a quote from my interview with Mike Gluck.
“At the end of the day, you can’t fully prepare for digital. It is just a medium, and a medium isn’t an idea, it’s just a medium. You still need an idea. You just take what you know and you take your talent and you apply it to the creative problem you’re faced with that day”
My plan for London
I plan to dive deeper into my research objective in the U.K. I will speak with more advertising professionals who deal directly with digital. I also plan to speak with copywriters and account executives to gain an overall, well-rounded area of expertise on effective digital tactics. Stay tuned for the final chapter of my journey to London.
The people & places
The time has come, I have completed the research on my area of expertise from the U.S. perspective. I spoke with advertising professionals with a wide range of backgrounds and positions from Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, New York on the impact of the creative brief for a digital marketing campaign. I interviewed Carolyn Fertig, and Wendy Trem a Digital Producer and Project Manager at Marcus Thomas LLC. I also spoke with Thomas Prochaska a copywriter at Marcus Thomas LLC (www.marcusthomasllc.com) Finally, from The Martin Group (www.martingroupmarketing.com) in Buffalo, I spoke with Mike Gluck, Associate Creative Director. I also read a number of blogs and articles about the current trends in digital, and how the creative brief is changing to cater to the digital platform.
U.S research & findings
I found that the creative brief is the document that shapes the entire campaign. The brief is not just information, but insight. It inspires the creative team to create a successful campaign. The brief should provide one message that should be pulled across the entirety of the campaign. It contains as much research, information and background as possible, but is as brief as possible.
The creative brief affects a digital campaign the same way a brief affects any traditional campaign. Ultimately, the goals and results should be the same. I was surprised to find that the difference between the two types lies in the way the briefs are created. Marcus Thomas provided me with an example of what they have done to keep up with the evolving medium. They were given the opportunity to redesign hotpockets.com. The account planning team decided to ditch the paper brief, and create a digital brief in the form of a website. The site hosted funny videos, and showcased the audience’s favorite movies and activities. This brief made linking through to other resources much easier, and allowed the creative team to start thinking in the digital realm.
What I have learned along the way
All of my findings really gave me a true understanding of how a good creative brief is written. This taught me to research everything and anything I can when given a digital project to write for. It is important to truly understand the online user experience. Finally, the most important advice I would like to take with me is a quote from my interview with Mike Gluck.
“At the end of the day, you can’t fully prepare for digital. It is just a medium, and a medium isn’t an idea, it’s just a medium. You still need an idea. You just take what you know and you take your talent and you apply it to the creative problem you’re faced with that day”
My plan for London
I plan to dive deeper into my research objective in the U.K. I will speak with more advertising professionals who deal directly with digital. I also plan to speak with copywriters and account executives to gain an overall, well-rounded area of expertise on effective digital tactics. Stay tuned for the final chapter of my journey to London.
UK Findings
signage outside our first class agency tour
The Creative Brief For Digital & The UK
So far on my journey
Six days total have been spent in London so far and I have seen and learned a lot. I have started my area of expertise research from the UK perspective. So far, I spoke with Olly Moss, a Creative Producer at We Are Social wearesocial.com. This agency specializes in the understanding of social media with digital, PR and marketing skills. On Monday, we were able to tour the agency and find out more about how the company operates day-to-day and their client relationships. Peter Fontana, a Senior Analyst in the Research and Insight department, explained the agency as being a combination of an advertising agency and a public relations agency. Some of their clients include; Heinz, Adidas, Heineken, Kleenex, and Pay Pal.
Influence of the creative brief
During my interview with Olly Moss, I was able to gain insight on how the creative brief influences a digital marketing campaign. He explained that the creative brief is essential for him as the designer. He stated, “It’s a clear definition from the client as to what is needed. It's a clear definition for your colleagues as to what is needed for the project. It's a clear definition to you as a designer to what you have to go and create." The brief also helps to communicate the objectives of a project as well as help define relationships between the agency and client. Through my US research I found that a lot of the same information was communicated. The brief should be the guide, the insight, the inspiration for creative team, and provide one message the work should convey.
Effects on a digital campaign
When asked the question, Are there any differences a creative brief written specifically for a digital campaign? Olly responded with stating the digital brief has evolved to be whatever the client needs it to be. The main difference only lies with the technical requirements and deliverables. Olly explained that Americans seem to be a little more direct in their brief, and creative briefs in the UK are a little less defined. He believes this may be because of the difference in culture and language.
Plan for the rest of my travels
My findings in the US were very similar to my findings so far in the UK. The brief for a digital marketing campaign affects a digital campaign the same way it would affect a traditional campaign. I would like to find out if there are any more differences in the US creative brief vs. the UK creative brief. For the next week and a half spent here in London I plan to speak to an account executive and more professionals in the creative departments of other agencies in the area, such as Mother London www.motherlondon.com.
Cheers!
So far on my journey
Six days total have been spent in London so far and I have seen and learned a lot. I have started my area of expertise research from the UK perspective. So far, I spoke with Olly Moss, a Creative Producer at We Are Social wearesocial.com. This agency specializes in the understanding of social media with digital, PR and marketing skills. On Monday, we were able to tour the agency and find out more about how the company operates day-to-day and their client relationships. Peter Fontana, a Senior Analyst in the Research and Insight department, explained the agency as being a combination of an advertising agency and a public relations agency. Some of their clients include; Heinz, Adidas, Heineken, Kleenex, and Pay Pal.
Influence of the creative brief
During my interview with Olly Moss, I was able to gain insight on how the creative brief influences a digital marketing campaign. He explained that the creative brief is essential for him as the designer. He stated, “It’s a clear definition from the client as to what is needed. It's a clear definition for your colleagues as to what is needed for the project. It's a clear definition to you as a designer to what you have to go and create." The brief also helps to communicate the objectives of a project as well as help define relationships between the agency and client. Through my US research I found that a lot of the same information was communicated. The brief should be the guide, the insight, the inspiration for creative team, and provide one message the work should convey.
Effects on a digital campaign
When asked the question, Are there any differences a creative brief written specifically for a digital campaign? Olly responded with stating the digital brief has evolved to be whatever the client needs it to be. The main difference only lies with the technical requirements and deliverables. Olly explained that Americans seem to be a little more direct in their brief, and creative briefs in the UK are a little less defined. He believes this may be because of the difference in culture and language.
Plan for the rest of my travels
My findings in the US were very similar to my findings so far in the UK. The brief for a digital marketing campaign affects a digital campaign the same way it would affect a traditional campaign. I would like to find out if there are any more differences in the US creative brief vs. the UK creative brief. For the next week and a half spent here in London I plan to speak to an account executive and more professionals in the creative departments of other agencies in the area, such as Mother London www.motherlondon.com.
Cheers!