The success of a corporate communications project depends not only on how we manage Brand Identity, but also on how we manage processes.
We are convinced that when people think of Branding Agencies grappling with client projects, they imagine creatives, designers, copywriters and analysts sitting around the same table overwhelmed by a cosmic flow of ideas, words, images originating endless brain storming. This Mad Men scene is only partly true; and, by the way, we don’t even indulge in whiskey.
Let me explain more about what we are talking about.
Corporate communication project: 5 steps to best manage it
To best manage a corporate communication plan, the first thing to do is to define clear processes and the people involved.
If you are wondering how to make a communication plan and what the key elements are, start with these simple but effective questions:
- Who will manage the project within the Branding agency?
- What is the involved figure of the client (who will be the operational arm of the agency)?
- What are the work steps and intermediate steps before delivery of the work?
The communication plan run by a master branding ninja
1) How to make a communication plan: analysis and goal setting
Understanding the needs and objectives of the communication project is the first step in clearly defining the goal and results the Brand wants to achieve.
How we do it in Larry Agency.
During this phase we submit a document to the client with guidelines to follow to guide them in their responses. This paper contains a series of questions on:
- Corporate vision and mission statement
- Direct and indirect competitors
- Geographical area where the business is developed
- What values does the client want to communicate with the Communication project
- Who are the target users that the brand cares about
- Why users should be interested in the brand and what problems they need to solve with its product or services
- What are the keywords with which the company wants to position itself
- What are the Brand’s strengths compared to competitors
2) Communication projects involve a project manager.
Appointing a project manager for the corporate communications planis a black belt move in Branding, because it allows the agency-if it deems it strategic and necessary-to allocate a figure to the project and to the management of the internal team and resource identified by the client.
3) The appreciation of time
At Larry Agency we have a habit of valuing every hour worked. We do this as early as the quotation stage, when we assign a specific amount of hours to each project phase, which we report on from day to day to give the client the ability to monitor the progress of activities.
The result is a scalable method that we apply to any communication project.
4) The drafting of the Gantt
The Gantt is the supporting document for communication project management. It is used to define the project timeline, visualize the progress of activities and the resources involved.
It is the tool that keeps us from losing our compass, useful for both the agency and the client.
5) The definition of the strategy
Once the Gantt is made, it comes time to organize the work of the agency team, defining timelines and activities. This point, however, will be the subject of a dedicated article.
What would you add to this list? Write it in the comments or contact us if you need a consultation. We are wizards in process management as well as Branding!
