The Art Of The Creative Pitch

The Fine Art of Pitching Your Creative

© 2012 COPYRIGHT • BIG BLOCK STUDIOS, INC. • JUSTICEMITCHELL.COM • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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@justicemitchell


Reality Of The Pitch


Fantasy & Fun Crushing


Creative Development Process & Structure


Creative Development Structure

GOAL AUDIENCE COMPETITIVE KEY EMOTIONAL
ASSESSMENT & PERSONA ANALYSIS DIFFERENTIATORS STATES

BRAND REVIEW
STANDARDS & TEST

VISUALS:
TONE
COLOR
EXECUTIONAL
STORYLINE VOLUME CREATIVE REFINEMENT
VARIATIONS
MANTRA
IMPACT
SIZE


Pitching Creative


Pitching Creative

There are all kinds of creative and levels at which you will pitch them including (but not limited to):

• Identities & logotypes

• Single executions, short-run campaigns & one offs

• Campaigns & storytelling development

• On/Offline media planning

• Brand construction

• Fully integrated campaigns


Pitching Creative: Identities & Logos

GOALS

AUDIENCE

COMPETITION

KEY DIFFERENTIATORS

EMOTIONS

STORY

VISUAL


Pitching Creative: Single Executions & Short-Run Campaigns

GOALS

AUDIENCE

COMPETITION

KEY DIFFERENTIATORS

EMOTIONS

STORY

VISUAL


Pitching Creative: Campaigns & Storytelling

GOALS

AUDIENCE

COMPETITION

KEY DIFFERENTIATORS

EMOTIONS

STORY

VISUAL


Pitching Creative: Brand Construction

GOALS

AUDIENCE

COMPETITION

KEY DIFFERENTIATORS

EMOTIONS

STORY

VISUAL


Pitching Creative: On/Offline Media Planning

GOALS

AUDIENCE

COMPETITION

KEY DIFFERENTIATORS

EMOTIONS

STORY

VISUAL


Pitching Creative: Integrated Campaigns

GOALS

AUDIENCE

COMPETITION

KEY DIFFERENTIATORS

EMOTIONS

STORY

VISUAL


Pitching Creative: Integrated Campaigns


The Modern Media Landscape


Owned, Earned & Paid Media Models: Defined

Owned Earned Paid

Collateral & Direct Response Public Relations Print Advertising

Web, Mobile & Tablet Site Word-of-Mouth Advertising Networks

Blog & Video Content Speaking Engagements Paid Search

Social Media Channels Awards, Recognition Afﬁliate

Email/SMS & Lists Search Engine Optimization Co-Op & Advertorials

Location Marketing Social Distribution Sponsorships

Custom Apps Customer Support Specials & Coupons

Intellectual Property Buzz/Viral/Mass Opinion Outdoor & Trade Shows

Intelligence

Campaign Measurement • Social Reporting • Reputation Management • Segmentation & Predictive Modeling
UI/UX Testing • Optimization • Progressive Reﬁnement


The Checklist


Pitching Creative: The Checklist

Before entering a pitch, you MUST research, discover and receive "buy-in" on a number of things
in order to earn the client's trust and the elusive "approval:"

✓ Define and approve the budget (this can change AFTER you pitch)

✓ Define the client’s goals and objectives

✓ Define the audience, demo and geographic location of the intended customer

✓ Define the media types you are prepared to create for within the budget

✓ Define the schedule of the creative and its perceived ROI


The Disaster Scenario


The Pitch


Pitching Creative: Who’s In The Room?

• The client(s) – duh.

• Account representative (Account Executive)

• Creative representation (Creative Director)

• Interactive/development representation (ICD/IAD; Developer)

• Agency Executive (Partner, VP, Executive)

Alternates:

• TBD based on campaign complexity

DRESS THE PART! • Organized • Cool
• Budget Conscious • Creative
• Logical • Unexpected
• Professional • Passionate


Pitching Creative: The Pitch

• Open with a story of how you got to this point in the process

• Be positive and entice the room to feel your excitement about what they’re about to see

• Talk about the process and the “countless” concepts that have lead you to:

• Concept 1 - (Insert story title narrative here)

• Concept 2 - (Insert story title narrative here)

• Concept 3 - (Insert story title narrative here) - THE WILD CARD


Pitching Creative: What To Show


Pitching Creative: What To Show

K.I.S.S.

Pitching Creative: The Concepts

“Fuzzy Puppies” “Guard Dogs” “Satan’s Bulldozers”

1 2 3
Safe Creative Moderate Risk Unexpected & Risky


Pitching Creative: Campaign Elements

“Fuzzy Puppies”

OWNED, EARNED & PAID
DEPLOYMENT & TIMING

INTENDED RESULTS
1 TACTICS
GOALS


Pitching Creative: Recommendation

YES


Creating “Dad’s Decision”


Pitching Creative: The Jedi Mind Trick

• Make sure the clients seen ALL the work before commenting

• If asked for a recommendation - have one. Be sure to point out, however, that ALL the
examples will work for their needs and be successful

• Listen and understand the client's concerns. Have someone taking notes at all times

• Assess any concerns as they pertain to the goals

• Define how the creative has accomplished the goals (ideally beyond what was requested)

• If you have case-study materials from previous clientele – support the ROI

• Review final comments and close the meeting

• If they do not like any direction, do not give them the work as a “leave-behind”

• Always leave upbeat and positive that you will deliver the perfect FINAL for Approval


Post Pitch Communications


Pitching Creative: Constant Intel’

• Immediately compile all notes and email them to the client to ensure you didn’t miss anything

• If you feel firmly that unchosen piece of creative could work ASK if you can bring it back with the
revisions to the version that the client selected

• Follow up prior to secondary review to ensure the client that things are going smoothly and that
you’re quite sure they’ll LOVE the results

• Re-pitch revised work

• Restate your position and explain how you applied the revisions to the new design

• Reveal, Pitch & Pray ...


Secret Weapons & Kill Moves


Pitching Creative: Self Protection

• All your work should be contractually approved prior to start

• Assign the client a contact person (AE); request a single point of contact with client for approvals

• Keep strict hours, descriptions on work performed and labor rates for each duty

• Use an online approval management system (AMS) such as Basecamp (www.basecamphq.com)

• Apply the fee for the (AMS) within your contract


Pitching Creative: Self Protection Continued

• Your schedule should have “not to exceed” hours written within your revision process

• Issue change orders to clients who abuse the contracts - AKA “SHOCK COLLARS”

• Make sure all work created can be used within your portfolio contractually

• Ensure your contract allocates additional charges for fonts, photos and external vendors if
necessary

• Make sure you create and receive approval signatures THROUGHOUT the process of the work

• Contract Signing

• Research Approval

• Creative Approval

• Project Closure


Questions & Statistically Probable Answers
“JusticeMitchell” - Twitter, Skype, AIM, Gmail

www.JusticeMitchell.com


The Art Of The Creative Pitch

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The Art Of The Creative Pitch