Account managers organise what the client wants and at the same time, what the creatives need. Ultimately clients want results and creatives want their work to be the best. Account managers want communication...
Here is a list of the top five things we ask clients to share with us to ensure we create something exciting and 'on brief' but at the same time making sure our designers get it right...the first time!
One. Target Audience
For me this is the most important, the target market should always be in mind when deciding on anything. The strategy, the advertising, the design or the message, it is them who will engage with the brand. So, understanding their profile, behaviour, whereabouts and triggers is important as these are all very extremely valuable insights and should be shared by the client whenever possible.
Two. Objective
What are we trying to achieve for the client? What do we want the target market to do? What is the call to action for the readers/users? The purpose of the design is for what? These are the sorts of questions we ask our clients to help outline the project objectives and get under the skin of what we need to achieve. Clients identifying what their goals are, are, just as important as creating a design that they'll be happy with.
Three. Budget
How long is a piece of string?... any length, right? So, chop it where it needs to be and let us know! Understanding exactly what is available to spend is a better way to kick-start any promotion and help shape a brand's marketing strategy. Clients can be reluctant to share budgets at first instance and can sometimes be worried we may overcharge or not give them the best value for money, however understanding this first is a much more accurate way of building a marketing plan and tailoring our services to benefit their business, brand growth and give them the best return on investment that we possibly can for them.
Four. Examples
There is nothing wrong with examples for inspiration - like when a hairdresser asks if you have a photo of the hairstyle you want. The same applies here, if you've seen an example that you really like, tell us about it - our talented designers are good at putting their own stamp on things! Or quite the opposite, communicate if there is something you dislike and wouldn't want to see. By having an idea and a clearer understanding of what a client likes/dislikes can save time and sometimes money too.
Five. Deadline
It's important to know a deadline date from the start, this can impact not only on the project outcome but also on any potential print production or digital placement availability required. Managing our client expectations of what we can realistically turn around for them is part of the job so there’s nothing a good timing schedule can't outline.
And there you go, my top five tips of things to know before getting started. So...if you have a brief, send it over, (michaela@clevercherry.com) we’d love to give it a go!
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