Working on campaigns is something I’ve enjoyed throughout my career – the ‘moment in time’ drive to deliver and achieve something very focused. Their all-consuming nature and usually tight timings have often led me to be a part of delivering some of the work I am most proud of. I’ve been fortunate to work on large global campaigns for banks, UK-focused campaigns launching new services to consumers, and integrated thought leadership campaigns that have stretched B2B businesses outside of their comfort zones.
There are several elements of a campaign that I find particularly rewarding, intriguing and challenging. For me, seeing the kernel of a creative idea come to life, then grow and build into campaign activation is so rewarding. From an ‘ah-ha’ moment during a team brainstorm, to those early morning moments of clarity in how a concept comes together. We pride ourselves on bringing creativity to financial services – a sector considered by many to be lacking ingenuity and creativity in how it communicates. Those who work in the sector, however, know that isn’t true. The restrictions of regulations and the challenges of communicating complex information mean that we have to be even more creative and work even harder to make sure that the creativity we bring to life is relative, relevant and useful.
Something I find inspiring is the way that a campaign brings together a group of people that don’t typically work together. Having clarity of purpose, tight timeframes and clear roles have, luckily in my experience, enabled me to be a part of some amazing ‘moment in time’ teams. Witnessing the tenacity through challenge, skilled management of large and complex approvals, and the unifying nature of clear goals has taught me a lot. Campaign teams regularly bridge the skill and experience of both agency partners and in-house specialists. Combining the deep knowledge of a business with the external perspective of agency colleagues drives debate, a strive for excellence and, in my experience, better outcomes across the board. These teams, with their unique nuances, chemistry, challenges and successes, have taught me so much.
For these teams, integrated campaigns are also unifying in being able to clearly see and feel the progress that working together brings. Often we chip away slowly and steadily at progress on shifting perceptions and engaging with new audiences … but campaigns have a different pace. The sense of achievement and seeing ideas, plans and creatives come to life quickly has always kept me motivated, interested and proud of the work we’ve delivered. Additionally, campaigns mean that businesses see and feel the results. By nature, campaigns are more singular in their purpose and. with a focus on establishing what success looks like at the beginning, can very clearly demonstrate their impact and value.
So, it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of campaign work! It enables creatively, the progress is seen and felt, it brings teams together in a unique way, and clearly impacts our clients’ experience. For examples of our campaigning work, click here.
