We all have our way of doing things, but it’s important not to get set in our ways. While one of the benefits of being part of a creative team is working with talented people who bring the best writing, digital, design, strategy, production, and communications skills to the table, every creative is bound to a client that has its own needs. And often its own creative talent and administrative structures.
Knowing how to foster collaboration across creative and client teams is essential to producing the best work. Take, for example, two Creative Studio clients: United Way of Central Maryland and Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF). United Way came to Creative Studio seeking creative assistance in executing marketing pieces in celebration of its 100th anniversary, an event being marked with a significant capital campaign and special events. BCF has been a long-term Creative Studio client, and we’ve been able to partner with them on everything from the writing and publication of a 50th anniversary book and annual reports to a website redevelopment and strategic advertising placements.
Both organizations have deep benches of talent. Working collaboratively is what enabled Creative Studio to execute such exceptional projects on their behalf.
How do you make this disparate group of people click? No surprise, communication is key. Using platforms like Slack in addition to email keeps everyone connected, while regular check-ins—in person or through video conferencing—provide the opportunity to connect on a personal level across creative and client teams. With BCF, for example, there are quarterly content creation meetings in addition to project-specific meetings. It may also be helpful to use shared platforms like Google Workspace, project management apps like Asana, and file-sharing sites like Box, to keep team members on track and communicating with ease.
A common pitfall of creative-client collaboration can be the proverbial feeling of too many cooks in the kitchen. Setting goals, roles, and expectations early on will allow everyone to work at their highest level without creating redundancy or letting anything slip through the cracks. Depending on the project and the team, it may make sense to tap one person to be a client liaison, allowing all information to funnel through a single stream and for there to be one touch point for feedback.
Similarly, understand at the outset how decisions will be made. Establish roles early and know who will make the final decision. Some clients may have lengthy compliance reviews that must be navigated to get a project to sign-off or a responsibility to run things through a board of directors. For some, the hierarchy of sign-off may end with the director of marketing; for others, it could be the CEO. Knowing in advance what the process is and who holds the key to final decisions will save the creative team from setbacks and conflicts.
In the end, the goal is not just to execute on a project but rather to create an environment where all team members feel heard and respected. Every collaboration is an opportunity to build a relationship and foster trust, the intangible assets that drive repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals. Creating an exceptional deliverable is a Pyrrhic victory if the collaboration that got it over the finish line was embattled or disorganized. With common sense, common courtesy, and clever applications of technological tools, the relationship between the creative and client teams can be a lasting one.