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B2BM
April 2009
36
Evaluating creative
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Go to www.b2bm.biz/bestpractice
Golden rules for cracking creative
Creative ideas and imagery are key to effective B2B marketing, but with the nature of the work
being so subjective, how can you be sure that the idea is right for your objectives?
Claire Weekes asks creative experts for their top tips on how to successfully evaluate design
C
reative messaging can make or talking to your audience as human beings bounced down a San Francisco hill, we
break a campaign, which is why it and not in some techno gobbledegook or found through focus groups that people
is crucial for B2B brands to get it pseudo marketing speak?” were more interested in the process of
just right. In fact, in this cut- It might sound difficult to look at your filming the ad than they were the product
throat economic climate, never own creative work with a degree of itself – but that’s a fantastic conversation to
has it been more imperative to ensure that objectivity, but Chris Cleaver, MD of have because it means that the following
a creative message achieves maximum business brands at Dragon, agrees that it year we were able to provide lots of
standout and exposure. can be done using this simple step. “Pull relevant content, like behind-the-scenes
Whilst it can be relatively easy to know together a list of responses that you think footage, to really engage them with the
you’re achieving the latter – by running ads you’d like to prompt, and use this list to see brand,” says Ranzie Anthony, founder and
in the right places and measuring how if the creative ticks the right boxes,” he says. managing partner at Tonic.
many pairs of eyes are viewing your Be aware though that focus groups can’t
creative efforts – it can be notoriously 3. Focus, focus, focus give you a right or a wrong answer, only a
difficult to measure the former. How do you It’s often difficult to view your own creative steer – a steer that sometimes you might
know you’re achieving standout? How do work objectively, which is why focus groups choose to override. “Before Audi launched
you know whether your artistic efforts are are a good way to get others to do it for it’s (now iconic) ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’
pleasing to the audience they’re intended you. Focus groups can help to develop campaign, it researched atrociously,” reveals
for? With creative work being as subjective creative messages before they are Chris Murphy, chairman at Balloondog. “The
as it is, there are few hard and fast rules for unleashed on your audience, or help to focus group said they didn’t understand the
effective evaluation, but read on for eight evaluate success or failure post-campaign. message, that playing up the Germanic
top tips and hints that should help you to The main pointers are really to establish element wasn’t appealing, and that the use
discover whether you’re on the right track. how appropriate and original an idea is. of a foreign language was elitist. But the
“Create a panel or forum of businesses to marketing director at the time decided to
1. Follow a logical process bounce your ideas past,” suggests Jarvie. run with it anyway.” The rest is history.
The first step to the successful evaluation Doing this can give you unrivalled insight
of creative work begins before the first into how your creative is viewed by your 4. Keep things in context
brush stroke or snapshot has even audience. “It’s a B2C example, but when Viewing – or asking focus groups to view –
manifested itself, says Ian Allison, creative we worked with Sony on the Bravia a creative execution in isolation gives it a
director at Bell. “People often talk of campaign, where coloured balls were distorted impact and doesn’t help to
creative as an end-product, when in fact it establish how it will stand out in the real
is part of a process with a tangible end- world. “Your audience won’t (naturally)
product,” says Allison. dwell on and study the creative,” points out
He argues that any campaign needs to Garrett Dearey, associate director at
start with the outlay of key performance Positive Digital. “You’ll get a very different
indicators (KPIs), which take much of the picture if you look at an ad or piece of
subjectivity, or fear out of the creative creative in isolation rather than in the
process. “This gives you a logical narrative, actual context it will appear. If it’s a press
where creative is built on sound ergonomic ad, mock it up into the relevant publication,
principle rather than on pure aesthetics,” if it’s a poster put it alongside others that
he says. This doesn’t mean that your might appear with it,” he advises.
creative can’t be imaginative and exciting.
“Creativity is the step from logic to magic,” 5. Get digital
says Scot McKee, director at Birddog. “You “Is your idea relevant? The crucial difference when evaluating
can still communicate very logical
messages in a creative and impactful way.”
Are you talking to your
digital, versus more traditional forms of
creative, lies in the success of the
audience as human beings
interactive element as well as the pure
2. Understand your audience
When looking at a creative execution, can
and not in some techno
aesthetics. “The intersection between
aesthetics and practicality is important in
you visualise precisely the type of customer
gobbledegook or pseudo
the digital world – you can have an
you want to be viewing it? “Name and
picture a single person that is a good
marketing speak?”
incredible looking website but it’s not
going to engage if it’s not useable,” says
example,” advises Alan Jarvie, founding Dearey. “Smooth navigation is key if your
partner and creative director at London Alan Jarvie, founding partner and messages are going to be communicated.”
Advertising. “Is your idea relevant? Are you
creative director, London Advertising
“Ask yourself questions such as ‘Is the
B2BM APRIL 09 – www.b2bm.biz
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