Holy Grail

A full guide to all Creative processes in place to

help you plan, develop, and manage a creative

services campaign at TSL.

12.12.12 v1

Creative Services A – Z The Managers Guide

Creative Management

Proprietary and Confidential ©2012. TSL Marketing. All Rights Reserved

www.tslmarketing.com

TSL Marketingplan develop manage

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HI THERE, AND WELCOME TO CREATIVE!

So, you are managing a creative campaign at TSL. You may be asking yourself “what now?” This guide is a consolidated report of all creative services standard processes to help assist you through a campaign from beginning to end. You can also access any of the SOP’s through chatter or through the live links provided in the Chapters of this manual. At TSL, and in the creative department, we demand and expect excellence. If you are an employee of TSL, there is no doubt that you are in fact already probably quite excellent. Through your awesomeness, and through following the attached processes, excellence should come second nature to the campaign execution. However, if you are ever in doubt, I am always available to answer any questions and am just a phone call, email, or IM away. For top priority, I take cookie bribes… but a smiley face will also do J

To start, in my experience managing campaigns at TSL, I have found the following 5 “golden rules” have been my savior to producing consistent quality. I’m a strong believer that if you follow these everyday, the rest will always fall into place:

1. Responsiveness – always respond to a client or internal email within 2 hours. Even if the response is “thank you, your message has been received and I will respond within 24 hours.” (Just make sure you respond within 24 hours. A great way to assure this happens is to set yourself a calendar reminder)!

2. Paper Trail – don’t throw out your emails and always follow up to client calls with a follow up note and action items. Sending an agenda prior to calls is also a great best practice! This will assure that all avenues of your campaign are covered and updated in writing.

3. Build Relationships – does your client have kids? Are they going on vacation to the Bahamas? Start each conversation with something personal other than “how’s that weather.” These are the things that will separate you from being a “vendor” to being a partner or better yet, a friend and colleague. Remember, we ALL like working with people that we “like.”

4. Set and Reset your Expectations – you can never state these enough. The more you set expectations with your client, the stronger your campaign results will be at the end of the campaign.

5. Be Proactive / Own the Project – never let your client ask you for an update. Send weekly updates (regardless of whether or not you have a weekly call) and be sure to always let them know where you are at with campaign milestones. If a milestone is missed, let them know. If a milestone is ahead of schedule, LET THEM KNOW! These are the things that will change your campaign from good… to GREAT!

Most importantly, remember each day to lighten up, and have fun. When you have fun with what you are doing it becomes contagious. Show your team members, clients, and colleagues that even the boring things can be fun. Every smile is a direct accomplishment. This may sound cheesy but it works! Good luck and happy managing!

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A DAY IN THE LIFE A lot of people will ask me, “What’s a day in the life of creative like?” To which my answer is… it’s a little bit like this:

Feel like getting creative yourself? Take a stab at telling me why this video is like working in the creative services department! I look forward to hearing your response and discussing more with you! I can be emailed at [email protected]

Good luck and happy managing! Cheers, Tara

Tara E. Robertson | TSL Marketing Vice President of Marketing & Creative Services P: 802-‐264-‐1900 E: [email protected]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA

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GETTING STARTED

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The Creative Holy Grail

CHAPTER 1: CREATIVE TRAINING

TSL ACADEMY FOR CREATIVE SERVICES

CHAPTER 2: LIFE OF A CAMPAIGN

PLAN

DEVELOP

MANAGE

CHAPTER 3: MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

BASECAMP TUTORIAL

CAMPAIGN MONITOR

STORAGE SOP

CHAPTER 4: SCHEDULING AND MANAGING EXECUTION

TRAFFIC TEAM

TIMELINE TEMPLATES

SOP FOR PROJECT REQUESTS

CS PRESENTATIONS SOP

CLOSING CAMPAIGNS AND PROOF OF PERFORMANCE SOP

CHAPTER 5: FULFILLMENT

COMPANY CC GUIDELINES

FULFILLMENT SOP

CHAPTER 6: QUALITY

QA CHECKLISTS

QA SCORECARD

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CHAPTER 1: CREATIVE TRAINING

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CREATIVE TRAINING INTRODUCTION

The first step to managing a creative campaign is understanding what you are managing. The creative services department has an extensive library of training materials available to you that you can review at your leisure. For each tactic, this includes a basic understanding for the creative tactic, sample processes for how to manage the tactic from project kick off, to timeline, to hours for profitability, all the way to key terms associated with that campaign. These can be reviewed through the following:

• A 30-‐60 minute training video on the main tactics sold and managed at TSL

• Training Manual downloads with more in depth information for each tactic

• Online quiz to become TSL certified in each tactic

Visit: http://www.tsldesignworks.com/TSLAcademy/ to begin your creative training! Please note that in order to manage a creative campaign, it is required you pass the online quiz at 90% or higher.

Good luck!

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CHAPTER 2: LIFE OF A CAMPAIGN

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Chapter 2 Table of Contents

LIFE OF A CAMPAIGN

INTRODUCTION

CIRCULATION RESPONSIBILITIES

PLAN PHASE

DEVELOP PHASE

MANAGE PHASE

MICRO CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITIES

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Introduction The life of a campaign is a document that outlines the preferred standard for how TSL Creative Services campaigns

should be run. There are three main phases in the lifecycle of a creative campaign; Phase I: Plan, Phase 2: Develop,

and Phase 3: Manage. Each step of the lifecycle of a campaign is integral to assuring quality standards are met and

project flow is continuous. As the campaign evolves, project flags come up if certain milestones are not met (from

both internal and external factors). Whenever a project flag is raised, you must notify the VP of Creative Services so

that the appropriate measures must be taken.

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Circulation Responsibilities The following is a list of project circulation responsibilities. This assures all aspects of a project is quality assured as

well as gives the team an understanding for what they are responsible for reviewing. All members listed as

“responsible” must sign off on the materials prior to the campaign proceeding. It is important to note that quality

assurance must never be neglected. The circulation steps listed below and through the micro campaign responsibilities

are integral to every campaign and a missed step will almost always result in decreased client satisfaction.

Note: In the event that a project seems like there may be a client satisfaction issue, we should always open a trouble

ticket with the quality department to assure all bases are covered and to see how we can get this project back on track.

Total Job Circulation

• Responsible for launch: VP Creative Services

• Review: Campaign Details (SOW, PT)

• Outcome: Job Gets routed through entire

team through the following process flow

• Total team signs off on quality of project

prior to client review (for every round of iterations)

Documents for Total Job Circulation:

Every new campaign should include the following documents

• Project Transfer & Project SOW

• Circulation Checklist

In the event that a project is put on the TSL “fast track” this should trigger for additional eyes to be placed on that

project. All milestones for the project are still necessary, however at times you will need to double your resources to

assure quality standards are still met. Please plan accordingly when developing your project plan.

* All project deliverables should ALWAYS be 100% completed and placed for internal review no less then 24-‐48 hours prior to

client presentation. This is regardless of whether or not this campaign was placed on the fast track. If you cannot meet this

deliverable, the VP of Creative should always be notified to adjust the plan or schedule appropriately.

Manager Sign Off

Client

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Plan Phase The plan phase is the most important phase for your campaign. This phase will set the foundation to the ability for TSL

to WOW and Delight our clients. Proper planning is integral to the campaign success. Planning will also assure that the

client provides the appropriate direction and the creative output that comes from the initial planning is in line with our

client’s expectations. This phase has a downward process flow:

Upon Client approval, the campaign will then trigger to move into Phase 2 (Develop Phase) of the campaign. The

following pages will guide you through responsibilities, attendees, and internal steps that should be taken throughout

each portion of this phase.

Note: If any steps are missed or if the quality milestone triggers a potential client satisfaction issue the VP of

Marketing & Creative Services should be notified so that the appropriate steps are taken.

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Project In

• Responsible: Sales / VP Creative Services

• Review:

o Pricing of Creative Tactics sold

o Client End Date

o Is there a business development and/or data component

Open Campaign in CRM

• Responsible: Creative Team

• Outcome:

o Upload and complete project information in CRM

o Assign management team and SME, include business development manager (when applicable)

o Assign first project to-‐dos

Internal Kick Off Call

• Responsible: Manager

• Attendees: VP Creative / Manager / Tele (when applicable) / Sales / Creative Director

• Review:

o Client website, client materials, previous client projects and overall satisfaction

o Client expectations

• Outcome:

o Confirm creative brief plan (will you send prior to call or walk client through)

o Schedule client kick off call

Client Kick Off Call


• Attendees: Manager / Tele (when applicable) / Sales / Client

• Review:

o Creative Brief

o Campaign expectations

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• Outcome:

o Finalize creative brief

o Send wrap up email (these can be found in the appropriate training manuals)

p QUALITY MILESTONE: Is there any reason this project should be flagged for client satisfaction concerns?

Creative Brief In


• Review:

o Is the creative brief complete (questions, logo, additional assets needed)

• Outcome:

o Upload creative brief to creative CRM

Project Plan


• Review:

o Tactics and Workplan templates

o Schedule for internal team

• Outcome:

o Project Plan / Timeline developed

o Creative team revise and approve

o Send final timeline to client for approval

Client Approval


• Review:

o Schedule – are we on track based on when approval came in

• Outcome:

o Schedule traffic

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Develop Phase Upon completion of your planning phase, it is time to launch into development and creative production for the

campaign. The process flow for this phase is continuous as several of these steps will take place more than once (as

our campaigns typically include 2 rounds of revisions). Therefore it is important that you follow the process for each

step EVERY time you get there. The process flow is as follows:

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Messaging


• Attendees: Manager / Copywriter / Designer / Business Development Team / SME

• Review:

o Client messaging

o Campaign Objective

o Call to Action

o Materials submitted by client

• Outcome:

o Copywriting Schedule commences

Weekly Check Ins (ongoing during development and management of work, both internal and external)


• Internal Call Attendees: Manager / Creative Team

• External Call Attendees: Manager / Client

• Review:

o On schedule

o Ask questions

o Request additional Information

o Adjust schedule if necessary

• Outcome:

o Schedule updated

o Follow up email with appropriate milestones updated for project status to client

p QUALITY MILESTONE: are we on the right track? Is there any reason this project should be flagged for

client satisfaction concerns? Is the timeline moving forward according to schedule or should production be

moved out? Anytime your project falls behind by more than 1 week the VP Creative Services should be notified to

adjust internal schedules accordingly.

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Pre-‐Creative Review


• Review:

o Concept Work / Project Details

o Take inventory of client deliverables needed (logo, contact details, CTA)

• Outcome

o Creative Concepting meeting scheduled

Website Concept Design (website campaigns)

• Responsible: Manager / Creative Director / Interactive Manager / Developer / Copywriter

• Information Architecture:

o Setup hosting account

o Define technical specifications

o Identify content and functionality

• Outcome

o Create and deliver content map and flow chart for approval

• Wireframing

o Brainstorm ideas

o Develop interactive concepts

o Identify technologies to employ

o Define navigational systems

o Define technical requirements

o Map out logical groupings of information and functionality on all key pages

o Identify website primary language it will be written in

o Identify needs for additional resources

• Outcome

o Create wireframes

o Deliver wireframes to client for approval

o Manager to manage additional resources/quote out contractual needs (if necessary)

o Client approves wireframes

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Creative Concepting

• Responsible: Manager / Creative Director

• Attendees: Traffic / Creative Director / Manager

• Review:

o Concept work for strategy

o Creative Brief

o Client Brand

• Questions / Answers / Assignments

o Feedback and/or revisions determined

• Outcome

o Creative designs kicked off

Production

• Responsible: Traffic / Manager

• Review:

o Creative comps submitted through creative CRM

o Measure designs against best practices found in creative tactic training manuals

• Outcome:

o Traffic sends feedback and/or revisions to team via Creative CRM

o Managers provide updates to initial designs and revisions submitted

o Traffic circulation sheet submitted

Internal Quality Review


• Review:

o Messaging is in line

o Brand matches up

o Channel marketing logos are used appropriately

• Outcome

o Manager QA sheet submitted

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Packaging & Proofing

• Responsible: Manager / Traffic

• Outcome

o Creative presentation submitted through CRM as InDesign file or online link (dependent on tactic)

o Final comps have been proofed

o All QA sheets are signed off and final presentation and/or revisions are ready for prime time

Client Presentation


• Attendees: Manager / Creative Director / Client

• Review:

o Creative Strategy

o Conceptual directions (via gotomeeting or online screen sharing)

• Outcome

o Concept approval and/or feedback on revisions (revisions trigger moving back to production step)

o Follow up email to client on next steps and updated timeline

o Internal re-‐cap

Client Approval


• Review:

o Final layouts and/or tweaks

• Outcome:

o Receive final approval

o Obtain additional feedback to share with entire team

o Manager schedules a pre-‐production meeting

o Fulfillment estimates begin (when appropriate)

o Timeline updates if needed

o TRIGGER à assign development team for post-‐production

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Manage Phase The final phase for managing your campaign is development and production. At this point all creative and copy should

be approved by your client and you simply need to manage the details from development to launch. This phase is

broken up into interactive and print quality assurance and there are a number of quality milestones that must be met

in order to assure the finished product meets TSLs quality standards. The steps in this process are as follows:

Pre-‐Production Meeting

Client Wrap Up

Internal Wrap Up / Campaign Close

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Internal Pre-‐Production Meeting


• Attendees: Traffic / Manager / Creative Director / SME

• Review:

o Client feedback and requirements downloaded

o Full specs provided by production estimate and PO

o Timeline to completion

• Outcome:

o Determine if re-‐estimate is needed

o Determine if timeline needs to be updated

o Execution of final steps in tactical production

Online Development

• Responsible: Creative Director / Manager / Interactive Manager

• Objectives:

o Provide developer with all site assets (Photoshop files, fonts, rotating banners, etc)

o Provide developer with all final content / copy

o Provide developer with clear technical and creative direction

§ Provide copy of information architecture and wireframes

§ Call out all styles and link colors

o Provide developer with final language site will be provided to client in (HTML, PHP)

o Develop Content Management System as needed

• Outcome:

o Fully functional prototype of the site or fully functional email

Online Development Quality Testing & Site Integration

• Responsible: Interactive Manager / Manager / Developer

• Review:

o Creative team checks all design and copy integrity

o Manager confirms all specs

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o Manager checks all client / brand / channel specific info

o Test sites on multiple browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari, etc) and all multiple platforms (PC and Mac)

o Email tests in all email clients

• Outcome:

o Manager presents alpha version of site to client

o Client approves alpha version

p QUALITY MILESTONE: Have we properly assured the interactive tactic is tested in all browsers/email clients

prior to sending to client? Have we confirmed all links and forms are working appropriately? Have we checked all

emails and phone numbers to assure they are functional? Did we confirm the seed list for launch?

Online Launch (email, website, SEO, etc.)

• Responsible: Manager / Interactive Manager / Developer

• Review:

o Final testing for interactive tactic

• Outcome:

o Package and deliver

o Go live

Print Production Meeting

• Responsible: Manager / Art Manager / Creative Director

• Review:

o Final specifications

o Proofing schedule

o Fulfillment expectations

o Final PO approval and budget

• Outcome:

o Inform fulfillment company of next steps

o Inform client on printing and production timeline

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Print and Fulfillment Production Release

• Responsible: Manager / Art Manager / Creative Director

• Review:

o Electronic Files

o Color breaks, separations, printer comp

• Outcome:

o Art Manager and Creative Director sign off

o Release files to vendor

Printed and Fulfillment Sample Quality Assurance

• Responsible: Manager / Creative Director / Art Manager

• Review:

o Color accuracy / file issues

o Content, Bindery – fold, size, etc

o Spot check final printed pieces for consistency and quality assurance

o Spot check final printed pieces for last round of proofing revisions

o Build sample dimensional mailer (if applicable) for fulfillment team

• Outcome:

o Art Manager / Campaign Manager / Creative Director sign off

o Send final proof to client for approval (if applicable)

o Client approval (if applicable)

o Fulfillment team assigned and scheduled

o Release bulk printed pieces for delivery

o Inform client of drop date

p QUALITY MILESTONE: Did we do a thorough proofing to assure all materials are printed and produced

accordingly? If we do not have a hard copy, were we able to confirm the soft copy is quality assured? Did we

follow the dimensional mail process to assure there will be no spoilage? Did we check the list to assure all

mailing addresses printed appropriately? Did we confirm the seed list for client and internal team for launch?

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Print Launch

• Responsible: Art Manager / Manager / Creative Director

• Review:

o Creative materials

o Launch and fulfillment schedule

• Outcome:

o Fulfillment or fulfillment company ship materials

o Inform client when print campaign has dropped

o Manager schedules wrap up call

Client Wrap Up


• Attendees: VP Creative / Creative Director / Manager / SME

• Review:

o Project deliverables and overall client satisfaction

o Results of campaign (when applicable)

• Outcome:

o Send wrap up email and copy VP Creative Services to email

o Notify Creative Director and VP Creative Services to send quality survey

Internal Wrap Up


• Attendees: VP Creative / Creative Director / Manager / SME / Traffic

• Review:

o Is our client happy? What did we do right? What did we do wrong?

• Outcome:

o Lessons learned: What will we change the next time?

o Conclude project

o Confirm all hours listed in CRM

o Archive project in CRM

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Micro Campaign Responsibilities

Corporate Standards (Branding Standards)

• Responsible: Manager / Copywriter / Creative Director / Designer

• Review:

o Use of business partner logo and logo placement

o Use of client logo and logo placement

o Fonts

o Colors

o Taglines

o Registrations, trademarks and service marks

o Does the creative match the overall client brand?

Design Quality

• Responsible: Designer / Copywriter / Creative Director / Manager

• Review:

o Quality

o Consistency

o Readability

Proofreading

• Responsible: Proofreader / Manager / Copywriter / Designer

• Review:

o Spelling

o Grammar

o Punctuation

o Revisions

o Appropriate Logo

o Style

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o Phone numbers, addresses, locations, URL (all accurate and working)

o Names

o Additional project-‐specific information

o Formatting (bullets, font sizing, spacing, etc)

Production Quality

• Responsible: Manager / Designer / Creative Director / Art Manager

• Review:

o Bleeds

o Images

o Appropriate Paper

o Appropriate packaging (does the shipping box, fulfillment item, etc all fit well together)

o Mailing list is quality assured (addresses match up, format is appropriate)

o Mailing Issues

o Overall production quality

o Finished Product

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CHAPTER 3: MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

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PART 1: BASECAMP TUTORIALS

Basecamp is a project management solution used by over 5 million people worldwide. Watch the following tutorial to learn more about Basecamp from a high level view:

Creating a Project: http://help.37signals.com/basecamp/questions/435-‐so-‐you-‐d-‐like-‐to-‐start-‐a-‐new-‐project

General User for the Calendar:

What is an Event:

What is a Milestone:

Tutorial: http://help.37signals.com/basecamp/questions/439-‐how-‐does-‐the-‐calendar-‐work

What is a “To-‐Do”:

Tutorial on linking a to do list to milestones: http://help.37signals.com/basecamp/questions/223-‐what-‐does-‐it-‐mean-‐to-‐relate-‐a-‐to-‐do-‐list-‐to-‐a-‐milestone

Time Tracking: Embed this Video: http://basecamp.com/demos/time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFZMlblIn58

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