Relationship between planning and creative department in advertising agencies

Relationship between

PLANNINGand

CREATIVE

departament in

advertising agencies

São Paulo

Porto Alegre

Buenos Aires

15 interviews with managers, directors and owners of some of latin american biggest agencies.

Identifying the traditional process between the two areas. Case studys exemplifying the process of the agencies. Vision of the ideal process between the two departaments.

After all, the traditional process seems to be

the creative brief.In this process, the planners do their job analyzing the brands scenery, market, competition, public and, after that, they develop strategic ways of communication. What to say, in which tone, to whom exactly. Usually two or three ways that are discussed in one meeting with the creatives that begin to develop the creative thinking of the message in all forms.

Of course there´s always

diferences, in details, namings, organizations.Agencie where:

• the planners have to sign all to briefs that goes to the crative team.• that do a brief meeting and only after that the areas start working togheter.• the two departaments sits togheter.• the two departaments stay separated.• planning departament does the brief, discuss with the client and only after that the creative team starts working.• the process is pretty formal, with rigid deadlines for the areas to work separetely.• the planning and the creative team interacts during all the process.• the areas interatcs only in the biggest projects.

Even with those differences, all of them say that informal chats between the two departaments during the process occur in most of the projects,

emphasizing the importance that these exchanges have in the final result.

But there´s exceptions. Agencies that are far from traditional,

presenting models that the planning and the creative departament walk togheter.

Agencies where doesn´t exists rigid departaments and the two areas

always interacts: the creatives in the strategy and the planers in the creative solution.

And, besides only a few agencies use this model, it´s a consensus

between all the interviewee that this is the closer we can get of the ideal model.

To most of the advertising professionals interviwed, the process closer to the ideal is the one that the two areas interacts during the whole process, they walk togheter, with the biggest intersection possible between the areas.

“The creatives walk in sooner and the planners leave later”

Why? Informal chats always make it richer and is where the

best ideas can come from.

The strategy looks better when the creatives participate.

Creatives working togheter on the strategy makes their own work easier at the end.

The campaigns look better and have more chance of being approved with the planners involved.

The creative ideas can come from the planners as well.

The ideal would be teams of creatives-strategics and strategics creatives, off course that by the end each one has to dedicate more doing his part of the job.

So why most of the agencies don´t work like that?

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But why most of the agencies don´t follow this model?Bus

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Obstacles for a closer relation between the two areas:

• Volume of work• Dificulty of the two areas getting involved in long terms on one single project• Industrial process• Culture of structures where the two areas work separetly.

Agencies with traditional structures that do account managment have too much work on their stave, and thAt´s make it harder for the two areas to work togheter.

Some digital agencies, no media, and creatives boutiques are already able to work by project, which allows them to dedicate more time and people exclusively to each project, making easier a closer relationship between the two areas.


• Corporative culture of which area does what, makes it harder for them to interact all the time.• This, as well, makes the professional “lazy”, because they are not estimulated to get out of their “acting zone”.

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In agencies with rigid departaments that follows a process closer to the industrial, like was said by most of the interviewees, most of the time the creatives don´t care about the strategy and the planners don´t care about the creative idea.

Of course that even with the two areas acting togheter during the whole project, the responsability of the strategy ends up being of the planners and the creatives are responsibly for the creative solution.

But why most of the agencies don´t follow this model?

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The phisical proximity between the two areas showed up as an important factor during the planning creation process.

It´s a fact that the closer the areas are, better. It´s a consensus that facilitate the aproximation of the areas with chats outside formal meetings.


• The two areas in rooms far away from each other.• Closed rooms, different floors.• Chat exclusively in formal meetings.


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Creatives with strategic thinking and planners with creative thinking.

Professionals with more experience tends to conduct and accept better the exchanges during the process.

Different profiles and that, in a way, complement each other area a good formula.


• Profiles too different that don´t work well togheter.• Young and unexperienced professionals.


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The most important factor: afinity between people. In the human way.

Ego, timidity, incompatibility of genious, etc.

It´s hard that planners and creatives with much different personalities to work well togheter.

Subjetive factor, hard to evaluate and to promote changes.


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Getting to know that the closer relation between the two areas during the hole process it´s the ideal:

Could all agencies promote the necessarie changes to working

like that?

And more...

...if i would propose a solution...

Examples:

The same professionals that plan, create.The same professionals that create, plan.

• Trios with planner + creative couple working by account (group of accounts)

• Planner/creative writer + art director.

• All the jobs made by strategic-creative professionals, some with expertise in art direction, others in writing, the same develop the strategy and the the creative idea.

Thanks for your attention!

Bruno Araldi

www.brunoaraldi.wordpress.com

CONTACTS:

http://www.facebook.com/brunoaraldi

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=51092238&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro

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Relationship between planning and creative department in advertising agencies