The Marketing Heist

You’ve seen it many times before on the silver screen. A car pulls up to an ominous institution. Someone starts a timer and says “Go” into the comms. A team swiftly steps out of the car and heads into the building. One person runs interference with the guards, a second disables the alarms, and third cracks a state-of-the-art safe. The team grabs the loot and walks out of the building, gets back in the car, and makes their getaway. 

Cue up the music and set the scene…

Our full-service marketing agency is that heist crew.

I’m guessing some of my colleagues are shaking their heads “no” at the idea of me comparing our team to a group of thieves, but there’s something about a group of people with diverse strengths coming together for a common goal that is just fun to watch. Also, the original title I came up with for this article was “How the Sausage Gets Made” and no one wants me to quote passages from The Jungle. 

Unique individuals with specialized skills. Let me introduce you to our crew…

• The “Face” of our crew is our Account Managers who keep our client’s vision and needs at the forefront
• The “Mastermind” is Chief Creative Officer who oversees all client products (that’s Eli)
• The “Hacker” is our Strategy Team who gathers data to build and execute successful marketing plans
• The “Safecracker” is our Design, Photo/Video, and Web Teams who unlock possibilities with their stunning work
• The “Driver” is our Projects Team who keeps an eye on the clock and keeps things moving (where I fit in)
• The “Backer” is our Client
• The “Loot” is our client’s goals

Everyone on our team has a critical role to play in serving our clients and helping them achieve their goals. 

So our crew of specialists is assembled and we need a plan – what’s next? PROCESS!

I suppose I should put some useful information in here somewhere, so here we go! As WeCreate’s Senior Project Manager, I oversee each phase of our work, which we refer to as our Project Cycle.

Phase 1 – Rooted In Research + Insights

When we start with a new client, we begin with onboarding, research, and insights. In this phase, we get to know the client, define our project details, align on creative vision, and gather data. Now you may be wondering if I’m done with the movie heist analogy and the answer is NOPE! This is part of the movie where the crew is collecting supplies, conducting surveillance, and getting briefed by the Backer.

Phase 2 – Innovation + Strategy Development

We move to innovation and strategy development. Using the data we collected in Phase 1, we identify our target audiences, define our messaging, and brew innovative ideas. This is where our Mastermind and Hackers shine as they lay out the plan for the crew, usually on complicated blueprints.

Phase 3 – Marketing Plan Generated

This is where we bring ideas to life for campaigns and brands. From designing and writing to filming and programming – this is where your story is told to your specific audience. Showtime! Here our whole crew heads towards the vault and our Safecrackers show what they can do. Doors open, loot is grabbed, and goals are achieved.

Phase 4 – Campaign + Brand Creative

Finally, we come to generate our results. We analyze and measure the impact of our campaigns in order to optimize them for the best ROI for our Clients and gather data for the next phase. In the movie world, this is where our crew takes the loot to the Backer. If things go well, the Backer has another job they want to talk to the Crew about… and then we’re back to Phase 1.

The success of both your marketing projects and movie heists comes down to your crew and your process. So, you in?