“AND HOW DO YOU LIKE THE CREATIVE STRATEGY?”

WHAT EXPERTS SAY

Tomas M. Hult, Jeannette A. Mena, O. C. Ferrell, Linda Ferrell and others say,
if a stakeholder was not asked for input at the development stage, it’s easy to guess what their opinion will be when the project is ready to launch.

By definition a stakeholder has a personal interest on the matter, therefore a stakeholder’s input is relevant – whether you agree with it or it drives you crazy. And who are the stakeholders? You may have to do some digging. Depending on factors such as the type and size of the company, the visibility and importance of the project, and the market, stakeholders can range from staff, family members, clients, prospects and suppliers to competition, media, regulatory agencies and government officials. But one thing’s for sure:

CONCLUSION

A project can screech to a halt as the next-in-line, but never-before-seen nephew of the CEO is called in to cast the tiebreaking vote. Ouch. That’s why we believe that in order to develop the best strategy and creative, the team should have timely access to the stakeholders and experts who will be asked to approve the final product.

In summary, at Inside Out Communications, we try to get input from the same panel that gives the go-ahead.

https://www.iocomm.com/and-how-do-you-like-the-creative-strategy/

Throughout our 30 years in the business, it has been a good way for us to decide whether an account was right for us or not – the “Two out of three” rule. Meaning?

Basically, and I understand that I’m talking from a privileged point of view, there are three major reasons for sticking to your job; you’re making good money; you’re proud of the work you do; you get appreciation. Well, at Inside Out we say that we need at least two out of those three. Some examples…

We have a pro bono account for which we’re paid nothing but expenses; we feel good about supporting their cause with smart creative, and they show us gratitude. That’s two out of three. On the other hand, there’s an account for which we’re paid well; squeezing appreciation out of them is like milking a rock; the work we do for them makes us look good. Two out of three.

I don’t see settling for one out of three. So far the rule has worked.

It does. And we know because from the vantage point of view our work gives us, we see it all the time.

It makes a huge difference to find out from your own people what they think about a campaign, a launch or a promotion that you’re planning. They know. They know whether the adjectives you’re piling up match the new product or are just trendy. They know whether production and assembly can meet the deadlines you’re announcing. They know whether the distribution schedule is realistic. And if you ask them, they will know that they count. How about that?

As we were updating information for the Milton CAT technician recruitment website, we were reminded of the strategy we followed when we first created it – we had decided to make it very pertinent to the young tech who’s considering a job, and that meant making it not so much about the company in general but about the location.

Our client Milton CAT has facilities in 12 different locations, ranging from rural Vermont to the coast of Maine and suburban Milford; some of them deal with gentlemen farmers and artisan cheese makers, others with loggers and lobstermen and still others, with giant contractors and multistate paving conglomerates. It makes sense that a young tech who’s considering a move needs to know about the personality and the vibe of each place. They want to learn a bit about the service manager at the location they are interested in, listen to the other technicians’ opinions and last but not least, find out about the area itself.

When we interviewed technicians, we were surprised at how many of them were married or had a live-in partner, even though they were very young, and how often they had kids of their own or their partners had kids. Schools, sports and clubs were important factors in their decision to choose a job, and of course, so were leisure time activities in the area, whether snowboarding, mountain bike riding or hunting.

Who hasn’t been there? Campaign is ready to hit the streets; press release about the new partnership is one click away from BusinessWire; invitations to the open house have been approved… the last thing you want to do at this stage is take any extra time to tell employees what’s happening. They are all nice guys who work really hard but…

• 1) They’ll find out soon enough.
• 2) Anyway, their #1 concern is getting their paycheck on time.
• 3) What can a floor person or a receptionist add that’s of any value?
• 4) They’re really busy.
• 5) They won’t get it.

Euh. Sounds like manipulation 101. But, isn’t that really what we’re trying to do when we say something? We want to sell what we’re saying – whether it’s a plan or a change of plans; an opinion or a project for which we need our listener’s buy-in.

Wait. Maybe answering our listener’s WIIFM would help us say it so it sells. Most people want to know “What’s in it for me?” before buying it.