Tips for a successful "Quickie" or From Brief to Campaign in a Month
Sometimes, speed is key when creating and launching communication campaigns. One of our best examples of such a fast-paced campaign, or “quickie,” is proudly presented below. It’s a sales campaign for one of our biggest and most loyal clients, A1 Slovenija, where the time from brief to campaign launch in the media was less than a month.
At the end of the article, you’ll also find 7 key tips that will (in our humble opinion) help speed up your process.
We believe that when you read the introduction, you raised an eyebrow—speed is, of course, important, but if it requires sacrificing quality, it’s often not worth it. But is it impossible to create successful and effective campaigns in extremely short timeframes? Our example proves this is an absolute myth.
It all started with a phone call. Our client found themselves in a situation that required an immediate response, and this happened in July, a time when communication activities generally slow down.
A few days later, we had a joint briefing where we defined the key messages and elements of the campaign. We had already brought our vision of potential territories and key messages to the meeting, so we could quickly align on our direction and which territories were ruled out.
The next phase involved creating concrete advertising materials and key messages in various directions, from which the client quickly chose the most promising one. It was crucial that we reached a consensus on the main message and “cleaned” the campaign of any additional messages that could create confusion. The result was a clear and consistent communication framework to which we could “attach” all necessary communication materials. Up to this point, we had spent about a week.
After confirming the direction and basic texts, we set out to create the entire campaign, which was quite complex—from all key ATL media (TV and OOH) to a complex digital presence, including performance parts of the communication and POS materials. In total, we created over 60 individual pieces or communication elements. This part, including the design, production, and revisions of all materials, was the longest, taking 3 weeks.
When our director returned from vacation, the campaign was already in its final phase and ready for launch, which happened a few days later.
And the results, you ask? Exceptional.
The campaign achieved and exceeded all sales and communication goals! People remembered the campaign so well that they quoted it to us on the streets and in bars.
A survey showed that it had the highest spontaneous recall in its industry in the last three years. The client was satisfied, and we were even more so.
Fine Print #1
Of course, not every campaign is suitable for such “blitzkrieg” strategies. Much depends on the product/service, the campaign’s purpose, and goals. However, this case is good proof that much is possible when there is will and consensus!
Fine Print #2
Such a process is possible or successful mainly where there is a high level of knowledge, trust, and respect between the client and the agency, where a long-term partnership has already been established. For less experienced teams (in terms of knowledge and cooperation), it will likely be necessary to repeat certain phases, which will most likely result in a longer launch time.
And yes, you read correctly, we absolutely advocate for long-term partnerships between the client and the agency!
A Short Guide to Successful Quickies
1. The agency and the client are one team. No one is in a superior or subordinate position; discussions and decisions are made equally. All decisions are quick and final.
2. At the first meeting, the client gives a verbal briefing to the agency with key information.
3. At the second meeting, write the brief together. In the brief:
– Clearly define the product/service being communicated.
– Clearly define one key message that you want the target audience to understand.
– Clearly define the tone and style of communication.
– Clearly define the campaign ecosystem (media, channels, potential additional messages in certain channels).
4. At the third meeting, the agency presents a proposal of a few basic territories along with key campaign slogans.
5. Decide on the winning territory based on instinct, not after days of re-thinking. The majority of the team wins, and after choosing the territory or direction, silence any remaining doubts and move on.
6. At the fourth meeting, discuss all major revisions, possible changes to texts and slogans, suggested scenarios, photo materials, etc. After this, major changes or revisions are not allowed or desired, and in the final phase, only fine-tuning of individual materials is done.
7. Plan production from the brief onward, not only after the creative direction is approved.
