Getting creative on time and to spec
What's your key challenge?
Here are a few ideas from your Academy:
- Getting the sales team to communicate the deadlines
- Putting the deadlines on the IO
- Being more proactive about getting creative in on time
- Keep a record of all your chasing emails; never delete those 'sent items'
- Agreeing who will chase for late copy, when and how
- Don't be shy of calling; email isn't the only route!
- When copy arrives try checking straight away; if you spot a problem it gives everyone time to sort it out
- The Friday @ 5 problem: Look for the signs of potential delay before you reach Friday
- Adding links to a specs and deadlines page from email footers
- Be cautious about start dates if there's a hint that the agency may decide to let them 'drift'; remember what's in the contract and have a mechanism for handling changes to contracts
- Review your specs quarterly; are there some new things that should now be on them? Are there some common challenges your team all share?
- Have a standard structure for copy-chasing emails; maybe 7 days and 2 days? Consider who has the control and responsibility for copy-chasing.