Imagining how to create that WOW factor at an event, or taking an idea from script to screen requires skill, experience, and (sometimes) stroke of luck.
Oftentimes, it’s appropriate to solicit the help of a creative services agency to carry the power of your story through live event experiences and media production (video production). But if you haven’t worked with a creative services agency before, you may ask “well, what do I have to do?” Creative services agencies should be your partners, leveraging your knowledge and vision with their creative and technical expertise to meet the goals of a project.
Consider these five tips to ensure your partnership runs seamlessly:
Define the purpose – Why are we doing this? A project plan with a purpose helps drives the relationship with an agency. Let’s not just do work to do work. Let’s have a creative concept that’ll drive your organization’s goals, generate awareness, make a splash, or make an announcement. That means proper discovery and brainstorming are essential. Ask tough questions, solidify your game plan, and set the stakes.
Maximize the budget – The only way to optimize your budget is to know precisely what it is. A set budget gives your creative agency the space they need to play to appropriately allocate resources (and hopefully come up with some creative ways to execute) as a conscientious partner toward hitting your goals while not breaking the bank or scaring you out of working with a creative agency again.
Educate Each Other – What’s imperative is a comprehensive education of each other’s business. And hey, that may take time and experience, and that’s okay. Your creative agency should want to dive right into your industry, what you do as a company/organization, and align themselves with the right mindset regarding your culture and values. Conversely, as a client, understanding the process of live event and media production will benefit the partnership and executing projects – timelines, feedback, applying resources, and hitting budget.
Challenge Conventional – A conventional approach to live events and media is perfectly fine and effective. But, challenge conventional thinking and approaches by leaning into what your creative agency does best: creativity on your behalf. Be receptive, ask your creative partner to come up with cool ideas, take risks, and be open to pushing the limits of typical corporate communication, marketing, or organizational messaging.
Honest Feedback – If something isn’t going the way you want, or there is something needed to change to improve for the next project, then your creative services agency needs to know. Their primary responsibility is serving you, the client, and accomplishing your goals against the budget you plan to spend. And ask - “what can we do as a client to make this better?” Working together in a partnerships means two-way feedback that allows for continuous improvement.
Are you interested in seeing how L37 Creative can conceptualize and execute your next event? If so, let’s chat. Or if you’re looking for some inspiration, follow us over on Instagram.