Collaboration is inevitable, whether in our careers, schooling or social life. This past semester I have worked to find balance between my schooling and work. Through this, I’ve gained valuable insight into how brainstorming, critiques and suggestions are all necessary to reach meaningful results.  

Growing up, I had a difficult time taking suggestions or criticism of my work. I was quite a perfectionist in that I couldn’t help but feel that any critiques were slightly personal. Yet, as I’ve grown creatively and gotten to work with other talented creatives, I’ve shifted my perspective on collaboration. My mindset has changed from previously becoming discouraged to now feeling motivated to improve. Here are some tips that have stuck with me that I keep in mind during any project I work on.  

Tip 1: Critiques are not a Criticism of your Creativity 

In my graphic design course, my work is regularly displayed to the class for my classmates to comment on. Going into my first critique session, I was terrified for my work to be perceived by others. But after listening to the critiques and making the changes to my work, I’m able to see both aesthetic and practical improvements. This has shown me that critiques should not undermine your creativity. Ultimately, you’ve already done the work that becomes the base for any critiques you may receive. You were able to create something worth discussing and that people want to see grow to its best potential. No project is perfect from the jump, and sometimes it takes multiple sets of eyes to notice things you haven’t.  

Tip 2: Don’t Hold Back Ideas  

Growing up, I tended to hold back my ideas unless I felt confident that they would impact the conversation at hand. I became hard on myself when it came to brainstorming, often thinking that if I shared an idea people didn’t use, it was a waste of time. Recently, I’ve come to learn how harsh I was on myself and now understand the value of sharing any relevant ideas that come to mind. You never know whether your idea will have that big impact unless it’s shared, and if it doesn’t, that’s ok! Most of the time, our ideas become catalysts for others to expand their thought process. Great solutions are discovered from bouncing ideas off of one another.  

Tip 3: Push Yourself to Think Past the Safe Choice 

The most important thing to ask yourself when working on a project is if the work is a good reflection of your company. This requires you to consider your audiences and stakeholders, recognizing what they want from your business and prioritizing that. By fully understanding your audience, you can experiment creatively with your messaging. Although it’s important to stick to a cohesive brand voice, don’t be afraid of creating content outside your norm. This could mean hopping onto current trends or trying out a new advertising campaign; regardless, audiences want to see fresh, entertaining content. This is another area in which conversation is key. Speaking with others and gathering multiple opinions is the best way to grow creatively without straying away from your brand image. 

Collaboration is the backbone of the creative process. With each critique or suggestion, we learn more about our craft and improve our skills. It’s important to trust those around you, for that trust fosters innovation and can motivate groups to work towards a common goal. So, don’t be afraid to speak your mind, ask questions and learn from others — you never know which ideas will spark successful content. 

During my senior fall semester at the University of Arkansas, I am taking courses that challenge my creative thinking. One of my courses, Creative Strategy, focuses entirely on developing an advertising strategy for a client of our choice. After defining target audiences and brainstorming strategic approaches, we reached the central reason for the course: writing our creative strategy statement.  

What is a creative strategy statement? 

This statement defines the purpose of a campaign and identifies how advertising and marketing efforts will benefit target consumers. Each aspect of a campaign should consider how it can bring value to its audience, and this strategy statement helps make ideas more tangible and attainable.  

How should you prepare to write one? 

Before writing this statement, the campaign team needs to have conducted the necessary research. The creative strategy statement is a great tool to guide advertising strategy and development, so it’s important to properly prepare to write it. This means taking time to define key elements of the campaign, which can be done by: 

• Customer research: Who are your current and potential consumers? What can you learn from their behaviors that may dictate how this new campaign appeals to an audience? 
• SWOT analysis: A SWOT analysis is a classic method for analyzing your brand – and for good reason. Writing out the benefits and challenges that your brand faces compared to competitors can help you discover innovative ways to meet consumer needs. 
• Current advertising approaches: Looking at and dissecting current advertising can reveal a lot about what works and what doesn’t. From analytics to behavioral reactions, there are multiple ways that a brand can strengthen its advertising presence. Then, the brand can become more distinguishable by ditching what’s not working and enhancing what is. 

What should it include? 

These statements should be succinct, only using a few sentences to provide relevant information. Developing these statements may look different depending on the client or the campaign, but important details include: 

• A description of the target market: Who do you want to reach, and what characteristics are necessary to consider when developing material? 
• Benefits offered: Why should your target audience pay attention to this campaign? What value can they get out of it that incentivizes action?  
• Customer need addressed: Offering benefits is only important if they directly and positively impact the consumer. What need does the target market have that the campaign can satisfy? 

What does this statement mean for the campaign? 

The information provided in this statement connects the strategic with the creative. Writing out the necessary details provides the parameters that advertising and marketing materials need to guide them. This statement can also help a team ensure they have thoroughly and accurately identified the target market, selling argument and tone of the campaign.  

As I enter the second half of my fall semester, the course is shifting to the development of creative work. From magazine ads to a digital ad series, my work from now on will be guided by the creative strategy statement. By combining research and recognizing the needs to be addressed, the statement is a great tool to ensure campaign materials are cohesive and on strategy.  

Brand storytelling has become a popular marketing strategy in recent years as companies face greater competition in the marketplace. This strategy consists of sharing personal stories and experiences to stimulate an emotional reaction from your consumers. When done thoughtfully and honestly, telling your stories can greatly benefit your brand. 

Storytelling Makes Your Brand Feel Approachable and Personable 

Whether you are just starting your company or have been established for years, your team has worked hard to develop a strong brand identity. So, you should want to capitalize off your company values and the personal values of the people that make up your team. Incorporating team testimonials and bios as part of your company presence adds life to the brand. It can make customers feel more familiar with the company when they choose to interact with and support you. 

Unique, Relevant Stories are Key to Differentiating Your Brand 

Your company should continually develop new ways to distinguish itself from competitors. Sharing anecdotes from your business and its members offers unique perspectives that consumers can benefit from. Sometimes, stories are much easier to remember then lists of facts or statistics – finding a good balance is important.  

Utilize Various Media Platforms to Attract New Audiences 

Practicing brand storytelling across media platforms is a great way to increase your company’s brand awareness. By posting on and monitoring different outlets, such as social media, newsletters, and company websites, you can expand your reach and gain insights into the customers who engage with your posts. Be sure to promote your different accounts across platforms and encourage viewers to share your content with others. Developing this relationship with consumers can build trust and loyalty, which encouraging customers to want to share your company with their friends. 

Be Sure to Include Customer Experiences 

Brand storytelling should not only include the stories of your company and its employees. You want your customers to also feel like a part of your business. By providing space for customers to share their experiences with your services, you can strengthen their loyalty to your brand and hear how your work is perceived. Effective communication between business and consumer is crucial to appearing transparent and ready to help.