Welcome to

"How To Inspire Better

Creative Evaluation at Bayer"
 Overview
1. Background
2. Managing Expectations
3. Creative Process (Nurturing the Goose)
4. The Agency Brief

5. Professional Evaluation
6. Responding Professionally
7. The Approval Meeting

8. Recap Key Principles for Effective Evaluation & Feedback

– Practical suggestions
2
1. Background

Why do we need
training on evaluating
creative work ?
 Background
• ADP Process/Tools/Governance introduced in 2005 are
working:
– Reapplication
• 65 ads
• 30 countries
• 14 mio euro savings (2006-2007)
– Effectiveness (Key country copy test scores improving*)
• Why? Good tools, rigorous process, good Global/Local
Agency/Bayer collaboration, clear governance

* Example Italy, Mexico, Poland, Venezuela, Netherlands - 2007 vs. 2006 CEI score increase
(2008 preliminary Ipsos analysis)
4
 What the Global ADP addresses…
1.
1. Creative
Creative 2.
2. Local
LocalCopy
Copy 3.
3. Local
LocalAgency
Agency 4.
4. Storyboards
Storyboards
Development
DevelopmentPlanPlan Strategy
Strategy Brief
Brief

Addresses WHAT
5.
5. Animatic 6.
6. Research: 7.
7. Full-Up 8.
8. Air

but not HOW

Animatic Research: Full-Up Air
Production
Production IPSOS
IPSOSNext
NextTV
TV Production
Production
Animatic Test
Animatic Test

9.
9. Track
TrackIn-
In-
Market Results
Market Results
5
 What’s missing…

3.
3. Local
LocalAgency
Agency 4.
4. Storyboards
Storyboards 5.
5. Animatic
Animatic 7.
7. Full-Up
Full-Up
Brief
Brief Production
Production Production
Production

Need more “soft skills”

on how to improve
creative process

6
 Feedback from the Agencies
2 key “soft skill” areas for improvement on client side
(from Agency evaluations)
– Ever clearer, tighter, more insight-driven Briefs
Briefs
– Ever clearer, inspirational, Feedback
Feedback
• Opportunity areas – 2007 Agency evaluation
“Bayer provides clear, concise Briefs”
“Bayer provides consolidated feedback on creative in timely manner”
“Bayer has simple approval process”

7
 Verbatims-2007 Agency Evaluation
“ Besides their own concept directions, allow Agency to
develop and test one (of our) own.”
“ More inspiration on briefings”
“ (Agency would like) more open-minded approach and
innovative attitude”
“ Give us more opportunity to sell (creative) ideas to local
BCC Senior Management & Global”
“ Expect clear direction and honest feedback. Don’t always
get this.”
“ They integrate us as part of their Marketing team (but we
need to) have timely and in-depth feedback regarding
creative work.”

8 * Source: 2007 BBDO and JWT Agency Evaluations

 Exercise 1 – Evaluating Creative
• In the area of “Evaluating Creative Work” ….
– Our best strengths are_____
– Where we tend to fall down is_____

Think about this from a

BCC organizational perspective,
as well as from your own perspective.

9
 Examples
Here are some of the areas a few of our Morristown and
Basel SBU colleagues mentioned when asked the same
question. Do you agree?
Strengths Weaknesses
• Know our consumer targets • Agency Brief sometimes viewed
very well as a “form filling exercise”, and
• Excellent, thorough Agency then it is forgotten after creative
Brief format development starts.
• Agency Briefs are sometimes
disjointed – they don’t tell a
coherent story about the
Creative challenge to be
solved.

10
 Obstacles To Good Advertising
1. Client power overused
2. Client in “2nd skill” territory
3. Client-Agency cultures
4. Creative greatness is intangible
5. Unclear creative objectives
6. Role confusion

11
 Attitude Shift

CLIENT

SUPPLIER

12
 Our Role in Creative Development

Prior to During
Creative Development Creative Development

• Managing Expectations
Providing Constructive Feedback
• Understanding Creative
Clear Brief and Encouragement
People/Creative Process

Skills

Professional Evaluation
Responding Professionally
Effective Meetings

13
2. Managing Expectations

Let’s agree on how

traditional advertising works…
 Example 1: Smarties

Is this a
Good Ad?

• What is your initial reaction?

• What was the key message of the ad?

15
 Example 2: Kit Kat

Is this a
Good Ad?

• Is it engaging, humorous?

16
 Example 3: Bayer Aspirin

Is this a
Good Ad?

• Is it attention getting?
• Does it engage your emotions?

17
 Example 4: Tylenol

Is this a
Good Ad?

• Is it visually interesting?
• Does it have a persuasive message?

18
 Example 5: Alli

Is this a
Good Ad?

• What is the key message of the ad?

• What is the behavior it is asking you to do?

19
 Most advertisements are…
• ...Single-minded
• …Visual
• …Relevant
• …Stop & Engage Us
– Exaggeration
– Emotion
– Humor

20
 Good Advertising should…
DISRUPT:
Stop the audience. Gain attention !

ENGAGE:
Involve them in the message.
Make them think and feel !

CONVINCE:
Achieve the desired belief and behavior !

In the context of being on Brief

and relevant to the Brand!
21
 Great Advertising Pyramid

GREAT!

Run MINIMUM GOAL EVERY TIME

Build NO LONGER GOOD ENOUGH

Reject

22
 Advertising Testing Learning
Ad testing indicates the following factors are correlated with
good recall and persuasion:
– Strong strategy = Consumer insight / relevant benefit / credible
reason why
– Strong creative idea * and execution
• Interest value
• Simplicity
• Integrated Brand presence

Creative Idea:
Translation of Brand’s Benefit / Consumer Insight into
provocative, memorable visuals/words.

Source: Ipsos-ASI Myths & Realities

The “Secrets” of Advertising 2006
23
 Summary / Suggested Actions

• Important to align expectations between client and Agency

at start of Creative Development
• Make transparent any client “sacred cows,” based on
Brand history, e.g., humor OK for Alka-Seltzer,
inappropriate for Aspirin
• Review current competitive reel to help set context
– For creative exploratory – discuss what is working, what is not to
gain agreement on how to differentiate
• Help the Agency understand going-in bias that Bayer has
re: certain executional elements

24
 Challenges to viewer perception
If a viewer has to “work” to get the intended message,
it decreases chances for success.

Making the Viewer Work Making the Viewer Work

Visual: Audio:
• Extreme close-ups • Difficult accents
• Unusual camera angles • Loud background track
• Split/multi screens • Soft/whispery voices
• Slow motion • Sung copy
• No point of visual reference • Unusual types of music
• Setting/situation unrelated to product • Distortions of sound
• Discontinuity in cutting
• Visual distortions
• On screen text

25 Source: 2006 Myths and Realities – Secrets of Successful Advertising – IPSOS-ASI

3. Creative Process:
Nurturing the Goose
Think of your “Creative” as the goose
that could lay golden eggs
 Creative “Golden Eggs”
Good creative work is like a
golden egg, meaning that it
can be:
• Extraordinary
• Valuable
• Durable
• Brilliant

27
 The Goose that lays them…

Not Your Ordinary

Goose, Is She?

28
 Where does Creativity come from?

Left Brain Right Brain

Analytical Exploring

Organized Feeling

29
 How the Goose thinks…

Right Brain

Analytical Exploring

Organized Feeling
Whole Brained,
Skewed HEAVILY
to Right

30
 Stages of the Creative Process

Plan & Inspiration!

Prepare

Verify

Implement Incubate

31
 How does the creative mind work?

“When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone,

and of good cheer – say traveling in a carriage, or
walking after a good meal, or during the night when I
cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that my ideas flow
best and most abundantly. Whence and how they come,
I know not, nor can I force them.”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

32
 Don’t DE-Motivate your Goose
• Fail to “get” the Creative idea.
• Offer your own creative suggestion.
• Treat the Creative Person as a non-business person.
• Be afraid of brilliance.
• Spend 95% of your time on the words.
• Allow no incubation time. Demand the egg right away.
• Be ready to cook your own goose at any time.

Jerks!
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 Motivate your Goose
• Involve it early in the process
• Take it for walks with you out of the coop
• Feed it the Brief enthusiastically
• Give clear, simple direction
• Tell it you are counting on it!
• Give it freedom and incubation time
• Give it realistic deadlines
• Be excited, eager, open-minded
• Get it !!!!
• Demand Gold - accept no wooden eggs

34
4. Good advertising
starts with a good Brief
To harness the power of a creative mind:
• Ask it to solve a problem within clear parameters
• Depend on it to do the solving
• Don’t tell it how to solve the problem
 Start with a good Agency Brief

Synthesized
into:

• Business problem to be solved

• Communication/Target Consumer
Behavior you want to change
• Key Insight that fuels this creative
exploratory
• Synthesized Brand message (Benefit /
Reason to Believe)

36
 Examples of well-written Agency Briefs..
Creative Development Project:
Country:
Brand:
Date:
Author:
Title:
Business Objective/Strategy:
Business Objective/Strategy:
Describe
Describe the market in your country, the market
the position in your
of your country,
brand withinthe
it. position of your brand within it.
Describe expected growth behavior, e.g., switch from competitors.
Describe expected growth behavior
Communication
Attract newObjective:
users toCommunication
Elevit by targeting Objective: the 2/3 of women trying to
What is the advertising
become pregnant, who trying aretonot
What is the communicate?
advertising trying to communicate?
taking supplements.
Convince
Current Belief: heartburn
Primary sufferers
Communication that Rennie Target: Dual Action is the most
with local specifics.
effective
Describe howremedy,
consumersbut in a Segment
waydescription
currently that’s
viewmore true to the Brand.
your brand/category.
Current Behavior: Current belief:
Grateful for what they have in life. Open to being inspired to make a
Describe how consumers behave vs. your brand/category.
Describe how consumers currently view your brand/category.
difference in the lives of others less fortunate (Special Olympics).
Actively avoid charities (people Current withbehavior:
clipboards) raising money in a
37 lazy, traditional way (Special Olympics).
Describe how consumers behave vs. your brand/category.
Examples of well-written Agency Briefs… (continued)

Future Belief: Future belief:

Describe what you want consumers to believe about your brand from the
Describe what you want consumers to believe about your brand from the advertising.

Future Behavior: Future behavior:

advertising.
Describe
Insight: how consumers will behave
Describe how consumers will behave – should relate back –desired
to the should relate back to the desired
growth behavior.
Now there is a complete line of Bepanthol Sun products with
growth
What behavior.
insight do youofWhat have about the target Insight: or category that
audience
different levels protection
insight do you have for the
about the targetdifferent parts of my body.
audience or category
I always carry Bepanthol
when acted upon could shift the consumer behavior? Sun
that when acted uponProtection in
could shift the consumer my
behavior? summer bag at the
Single-Minded
beach. Selling Proposition/Key Takeway:
Single
Post – New Minded Years,Selling peoples Proposition/Key
clothes are Takeaway:
tight. Women want to fit back
What key benefit are we selling? What key benefit are we selling?
into their “skinny jeans”, but they want to lose weight in a way they
Try Special K’s successful Primary “Drop Reason a jeans size in two weeks.”
to Believe:
can believe in most
What is the one (Special K).to believe? How does the product deliver this?
compelling reason

Brand Personality:
Mandatories including Regulatory Restrictions:
Media Requirements:
e.g., 30: TVC

Production Budget:
Timings:
Approved by Communication Forum / Date (Y/N)
Note: Agency Briefs should be reviewed and approved by local Country Marketing Heads and/or Country Head before submission to
38 the Communication Forum.
 Adding Insights to Agency Briefs
1. What is an Insight?
– Fundamental truth about our target we can leverage to drive growth.
– Why consumers do what they are currently doing
– Insights are answers to questions – defining the key consumer
question/issue is key (Flow out of Growth Behavior)
– Real Insight will have obvious implication
2. Insight usually framed as
– Consumers WANT, NEED or BELIEVE, BUT…
3. Screener
– Clear & Simple
– Answers the key question?
– Unique / Leverageable
– Does it tap into Consumer Motivation or Need?

39
 Agency Brief: Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
• Write it to “Creative” (consumer
language)
• Numbers are boring. Tell a coherent
story.
• Avoid Marketing/Bayer jargon
• Make choices - make the ONE
objective dazzlingly clear
• Give enough background to paint a
picture, but don’t over do it
40
Don’t’s
• Tell the agency how to write the
advertising
• Overload the brief and expect the
agency to ‘find the good bits’!
• Start any creative brief before you
are clear on all the elements – no
ongoing debates about the
communication objective!
• Finalize it without being sure it is
built on compelling insight
• Contradict yourself
• Repeat yourself – put the same
point lots of boxes
• Overload it with mandatories
 Agency Brief: Quality Checklist Tool
√/X/?
• Clearly and simply written with only the key information present

• Provides clear direction – choices have been made

• Reflects the Brand Benefit Edge/Global Communication Strategy

• Based on compelling insight (when acted upon could shift the consumer behavior)
Tip: Insights are often around the tension between what consumers want and what they get.
• Agency will understand the objectives and know what success will look like

• Is differentiated – how this will lead to advertising that stands out vs. competition

• Has potential to stimulate new / creative thinking

• Minimum mandatory elements/restrictions included

• Has been approved through the Communication Forum*

41 * For Global Brands, TV advertising only

 The Agency Brief – Final Thoughts
• Agency Brief is the critical link between the BBE/Copy
Strategy and Consumer Communications
• Quality of the Brief directly impacts the quality of creative
input (client’s responsibility to get it right)
• A well done Brief should inspire creative direction and
unlock Creative Person’s talent/imagination (right brain)
• “Contract” with the Agency – against which all creative
work will be judged

42
 Some fun…

43
5. Professional Evaluation

Clients who manage feedback in a way that

builds the relationship, get the best
Creative People working on their business.
 What does your mind do while...

Evaluating at the office ? Viewing at home ?

45
 Great Advertising Goal

WOW!

46
 How Do We Get There
• NOT by Playing It Safe
– Focusing on politics or nit picking
• BUT by Professional Evaluation
– a 3 Step Guide

47
 3 Step Creative Evaluation Process
Do you understand what’s going on in the ad?
• Gut Reaction (from your Target’s point of view)
Get
Get ItIt • Creative Idea

Is Ad on Brief? Core Brief Elements:

• Insight – Benefit / Single-Minded If Creative is
Check
Check ItIt Selling Proposition Off-Brief
(Strategy),
• Reason Why STOP
process
• Communication Objective here.
• Does tonality fit with Brand Personality?

Give the Agency your overall evaluation

Fan
Fan including what helps / what hurts
• Executional Elements
the
the Spark
Spark
48
 Step 1: GET IT

First … Gut Reaction

• No second chance for a first reaction. As “consumers
at home”
• Relax and take it in. Notice…
– How engaged and involved am I (or my target) in the story?
– What does it make me (target) feel?
– How likeable do I find it?

Poor Gut: “It’s stupid” These are poor

“It’s great” examples of
“It’s off-strategy” expressing your
gut reaction.

Good Gut: “I knew just how the main character felt” These are better
“It made me curious” – more specific.
“I was bored”
“The characters really made me uncomfortable”
49
 Now the biggie… The IDEA!!!!!!!

• It is NOT the Product Idea/benefit

(that was agreed in the Brief)

• It IS the Creative Idea that describes the dramatic

theme of the ad...
– How we’ll communicate the Benefit in an engaging,
distinctive way. Is the idea clear and big?
– Is the idea fresh, interesting, engaging—campaignable?
– Will it get consumers to stop and think in a new way about my
brand?
– Strong creative ideas can become key brand assets

50
 Practice 1: Cardio Aspirin

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

Example:
Cardio Aspirin
– Product Benefit
• Heart Attack
Prevention

51 “Bomba”
 Practice 1: Cardio Aspirin (continued)

Example: Aspirin Cardio

• Product Benefit
– Heart Attack Prevention
• Creative Insight
– Modern lifestyles are like a ticking bomb for heart attack
• Creative Idea
– Visualize how man’s bad habits (poor diet, smoking, stress) are
like a bomb around his neck waiting to go off

52
 Practice 2: Special K

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

53
 Practice 3: Smirnoff

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

54
 Practice 4: Wilkinson Sword

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

55
 Practice 5: Bayer Dry Granules

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

56
 Practice 6: OAD Women’s

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

57
 Practice 7: Supradyn

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

58
 Practice 8: Canesten Duo

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

59
 Practice 9: Berocca

What’s the
Creative Idea
here?

60
 Step 2: CHECK IT

• Is it on Brand & on Brief?

– It is “On Brief” if…
• It Does Its Job (Communications Objective)
• The consumer insight is brought powerfully to life
• If the Brand is front and center (integral) to the ad?

If Creative is
Off-Brief
(Strategy),
STOP
process
here.

61
 Now What?
• It’s On-Brief and you ‘get it’.
• What do you do with the time left?
• Behaviors to avoid
– Find-The-Risk
• “Don’t you think some people will take offense?
– Creative For A Day
• “I don’t want to play copywriter, but blah, blah, blah.”
– Details-R-Us
• “I don’t mean to nit-pick, but do you think the main character would
really dress like that?

62
 Step 3: FAN THE SPARK
Make that IDEA really flame!
 Help this idea to really shine. Tell the Agency what helps/hurts the idea from
shining.
 Sometimes a great Agency IDEA is obscured by executional elements that
simply get in the way. Here are some to look out for - we've highlighted the
ones that most commonly hold us back.
 Have we missed the key issue that the brand has to resolve?
 Is it truly single-minded on the brand / product NEWS?
 Is this NEWS integral to the story or just an add - on?
 Is there a unique demo that captures the benefit / RTB?
 Is the IDEA engaging and compelling?
 Is it campaignable and/or sustainable (won’t wear out quickly)
 Do the words fit with the visuals?
 Do they clearly and simply capture the benefit / key message?
 Will this IDEA achieve cut through and impact?

6363
 Professional Evaluation Learnings?
Do you understand what’s going on in the ad?
• Gut Reaction (from your Target’s point of view)
Get
Get ItIt • Creative Idea

Is Ad on Brief? Core Brief Elements:

• Insight – Benefit / Single-Minded If Creative is
Check
Check ItIt Selling Proposition Off-Brief
(Strategy),
• Reason Why STOP
process
• Communication Objective here.
• Does tonality fit with Brand Personality?

Give the Agency your overall evaluation

Fan
Fan including what helps / what hurts
• Executional Elements
the
the Spark
Spark
64
6. Responding Professionally

“Constructive Criticism is the process of offering valid

and well-reasoned opinions about the work of others
with the intention of helping the artist, rather than
creating an oppositional attitude.”
Source: Wikipedia
 Exercise 2 – How NOT to inspire…
• Identify the worst practices from the following email
exchange between the client and the agency.

66
 Example 1

What’s wrong with this

Here
3/7/08is the
Sorryproblem:
for the late reply as we would like to provide you our response:
Client: feedback after discussion with our Global Brand team.
Too specific –
Our Global Brand team completely agreed with us on all the
(Man’s foot, standing vs.
“… the footpoints.
following is not actionable, e.g., standing vs. walking foot, hair not
walking as Creative:
1. Overall shown in sketch (3) Roots do not exaggerated enough).
even look Welike
think roots butdoesn't
the creative hairsshow(some people
the concept of "uproot"
They are not asking
thought clearly adas the root could still be seen or the root attached to
the groundis
the selling
seems Veet,
still very activethe cream
or not which
completely dead. the Agency to solve a
helps remove hair).
We are also (4)with
not fine Thethe"hair"
latest ad attached
with an actualto the
foot, problem.
toes is notreasons are (1) it shouldenough
exaggerated be using man's foot insteadthe
to express of
woman's (2) the foot is not actionable, e.g., standing vs A Better example:
"itch" & walking
"fungus"…”as shown in sketch (3) Roots do not even look like
roost but hairs (some people thought the ad is selling Veet, “We want to clearly
the cream which helps remove hair). (4) The "hair" attached show the product
to the toes is not exaggerated enough to express the "itch"
& "fungus". ‘uprooting the
infection’, the visuals
don’t seem to do this.”

67
 Example 2
What’s wrong with
Here are
3/7/08 theBranding:
2. Overall problems: these responses?
Client: It is very weak, especially for a new launch, whose main
This statement is too
exposure is a print ad. The product should really stand out, which
subjective. Better to say: “I’m
“It is very
at thisweak…”
point, we feel that it is getting lost in all of the text.
having trouble understanding
how the changes you made are
3. Overall Copy:
helping the Brand to stand
Our communication strategy is focusing on 3 different elements.
It's also going more into educational aspect, and therefore out.”
“Our communication
additional white space strategy is focusing on
should be used.
3 different elements. It's also going more into 3 different elements!
educational aspect,
4. Please confirm and
if we will therefore
only additional
spend on photo shooting and Where is the single-minded/
retouching for this print ad (apart from film cost), as my total key take away?
white space
budget forshould beis used.”
this print ad no more than $50K. In addition, we do
not expect the usage is only for 1 year but "buy-out".

“…total
Lastly, asbudget for
commented this print
by Global, ad isalways
there should no more than
be different Production budget should
$50K.” being presented to us by the Agency, and we should not
alternatives have been agreed to up front in
be forced to accept something that only Agency feels will work. As we the Creative Development
“…there should always be different alternatives Plan.
are already behind the schedule and please note the deadline is still
31 March, please proceed as we commented above. We can have a
being presented
teleconference call onto us by
Monday the at
morning Agency,
11am. and we Setting expectations up front –
should not be forced to accept something that “We would like to see 2-3
only Agency feels will work.” different alternatives.”

68
 Example 3
Here areThanks
3/10/08 the problems:
for your comments, in the meanwhile, I updated the
Agency: tentative schedule and budget summary here for your kind What’s wrong with
reference. Thanks! these responses?
“… I feel more comfortable to receive the
revised
3/10/08 ad (with
For media at Ileast
schedule, 2 alternatives
feel more on the
comfortable to receive
different branding / copy treatment) on or /
Client revised ad (with at least 2 alternatives on different branding
copy treatment) on or before this Wednesday noon instead of Creativity on Demand!
before this Wednesday
Thursday, as I am not sure if noon instead
the ad could of on this
be finalised
Thursday…”
Friday if we could comment on this Thursday based on the slow Agency needs creative
progress in the past 2 weeks. Please kindly revise it. incubation period.
For production cost, I will confirm it before the ad is finalised.
Thanks.

“I don't
3/12/08 see
Please obvious
kindly changes
send us the as per
revised ad before 5pmmy
today. Thanks.
comments last Friday. Please let us know if
Client:
No comment!
you want
3/12/08 Based on toyour
proceed
comments,orweelse we
worked outcan assign
2 layout optionsthis
here
(This comment is so
for your consideration.
job to another agency.”
Agency: Thanks!
inappropriate – it doesn’t
3/12/08 I don't see obvious changes as per my comments last Friday.
need an explanation!)
Client Please let us know if you want to proceed or else we can assign
this job to another agency.

69
 Power Communication

• Probe Receptively
UNDERSTAND
UNDERSTAND
FULLY • Listen Actively
FULLY

• Simple & Positive

BE
BE
UNDERSTOOD • Support Self Esteem
UNDERSTOOD

• Reinforce Points of Agreement

GAIN
GAIN
COMMITMENT • Seek Win/Win Solutions
COMMITMENT

70
 Barriers to Responding Professionally
• These are killers:
– The Creative In Your Head
– Can’t Relax
– Reluctance To Criticize
– Reluctance To Praise
– Others’ Comments
– Too Controlling
– Hidden Agenda
– Doing the Agency’s job

71
 Guidelines to Respond Professionally

• Create Receptive Environment

• Focus Your Brain
• Disconnect Left Brain
• Work With Presenter
• Agency Resolves Problems
• HAVE THE BRIEF AND BE FAMILIAR WITH IT

72
 Tips
• Polite is nice; Candid is professional
• Phrase subjective reactions objectively
• Prioritize issues,
– Tackle most important first
– Reach agreement before tackling next

73
 How to raise an issue
1. State as fact
– “It’s off strategy” This is a very poor way to go!

– Why?
• It may seem a fact, but you may be wrong.
• It is an attack. Expect defensive response.
• Worst case… you’ve picked a fight and will lose (or win only
with “client power”)

74
 How to raise an issue
2. State as opinion
– “It seems off strategy to me” This is better, but still not
recommended!

– Why?
• It’s just a milder form of “fact”

75
 How to raise an issue
3. Ask for help
– “Can you help me see how this work meets the
communication objective?” This works BEST!

– Why?
• Shows respect. Assumes there’s a good answer.
• You may learn to see it differently.
• Agency may find you have a point.

76
 Power Communication Learnings?

• Probe Receptively
UNDERSTAND
UNDERSTAND
FULLY • Listen Actively
FULLY

• Simple & Positive

BE
BE
UNDERSTOOD • Support Self Esteem
UNDERSTOOD

• Reinforce Points of Agreement

GAIN
GAIN
COMMITMENT • Seek Win/Win Solutions
COMMITMENT

77
7. The Approval Meeting

Feelings Run High Here!

Big Opportunity to Motivate or Demotivate
 Planning The Meeting
• Clarify Objective (Desired Outcome)
• Schedule The Right Attendees
– Enough “YES” power, Avoid “Churn”
– Only a few participants
(no observers)
• Arrange Relaxed Space & Time
– Comfortable, Not Formal,
Not “Us vs. Them”
– Interruption Barrier
• Name Client-Side Meeting Manager
• Prepare Attendees
– Distribute Brief
– Agree who will comment,
what order

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 Meeting Outline
• Personal Introductions
• Present Creative Work

• Get It
– Planned Order, Seasoned
Responder First

• Check It against Brief

– Main Points, Not Fine-Print
– Resolve Issues About Brief

• Fan The Spark

– Outcomes & Next Steps

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 The Clients Role in
Reviewing the Creative Presentation
• Don’t interrupt the Agency’s presentation
LISTEN
LISTEN &
&
UNDERSTAND • Ask questions for clarity and understanding only
UNDERSTAND
• If options are presented ask for a clear recommendation

• If you would prefer it – ask the agency to withdraw while you discuss
EVALUATE
EVALUATE their proposals
• Agree a common position on your evaluation so you feedback with
one voice
• Use the BCC Creative Evaluation Method to Get It, Check It, Fan the
Spark
• Use an Evaluation form, if needed, to collate your thoughts so you
can give a focused response (see example)

• Give a clear response up front to provide the context, e.g., ‘Overall

RESPOND
RESPOND like the idea but we would like to discuss……’
• Tackle big issues first

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 Example: Creative Evaluation Feedback Form
1. GET IT What is the CREATIVE IDEA?

2. CHECK IT Is it ON-BRIEF? / Any concerns?

3. FAN THE SPARK

Creative / Executional Elements:

OVERALL, HOW DO I LIKE IT AND WHY? WHAT WORKS?

WHAT’S MISSING/NOT WORKING? WHAT’S POSSIBLE?

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 Exercise
Practice your evaluation skills using this Aspirin case study
– Read the Agency Brief
– Review the Storyboard
– Practice Feedback

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 Practice Reviewing An Agency Brief
Creative Development Project: Aspirin Brand Umbrella Campaign – Europe
Market: Germany – Spain
Brand: Aspirin 0.5
Date: February 2007
Author: Aspirin Country & Global Teams
Business Objective/Strategy: After years of mixed in market performances across key EU countries
Describe the market in your country, despite competitive support levels (25-30% of NS), it is absolutely essential
the position of your brand within it. to turn around the Brand Aspirin business and get back to a sustainable
What is the growth behavior? growth path for the entire franchise. The business objective is to grow
franchise top line factory sales across the markets whilst enhancing overall
communication ROI.
Opportunity exists to Build Brand Aspirin instead of sub-brands/products.
Each Agency Brief will work in conjunction with the others such that any
individual execution should also provide a powerful halo across the entire
portfolio.
Growth Behavior
The overall campaign needs to be flexible enough to deliver against different
Target segments, sub-brands and Growth Behaviors.
In the case of this current brief for Aspirin 0.5 (the “face of the brand” in Spain
and Germany), the creative will need to:
A)Increase usage among current consumers, extending from headache
(A8) into moderate body pain (A15 to A17), via increased share of
requirement in repertoire users.
B)Switch from competitors, where main source of business should come
from Aspirin lapsed users (non-rejectors) to be re-attracted by the brand

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 Practice Reviewing An Agency Brief
Aspirin Brand Umbrella Campaign – Europe
Communication Objective:
What is the advertising trying to
communicate?
Primary Communication Target:
Segment description with local
specifics
Current belief:
Current behavior:
85
(continued)
Aspirin helps you through life. It not only relieves your everyday pains
effectively: it takes care of you, so you can focus on what matters in your life.
-Adults +30 to 65 with common, everyday pains. They suffer headache (A8)
and/or moderate body pains (A15 to 17). Their life is full of personal
interactions and moments that matter. Whether it be an important meeting or
a child’s first performance, there are times when people just want to be free
of pain. The pain may not be debilitating and it will not stop them from going
on with their day, but a common headache or backache can affect a person’s
normal disposition and ability to interact with and care for others. In these
moments of everyday discomfort, our consumers—no matter how
independent and self-sufficient they may be—have a deep-seeded longing
for someone to lend a caring hand. Their desire for a comforting touch is
rooted in their formative years….the time when their mother knew exactly
what to do to make them feel better. Our consumers want to take a balanced
approach to treating their pain, they want to use pain relievers that they know
will be effective, and that leave them feeling physically and emotionally cared
for and able to focus on what really matters in their lives.
All analgesics are more or less the same. Maybe some are for headache,
some for body pain, but I can’t really see the difference…
Aspirin is one of many products in my repertoire of pain relievers. I use
Aspirin mainly for headaches, and for other pains I tend to use other brands.
 Practice Reviewing An Agency Brief
Aspirin Brand Umbrella Campaign – Europe (continued)
Future belief: Aspirin is the ideal product for ALL my everyday pains – from headache
to body pain. It cares for ALL my pains, letting me focus on what
matters
Future behavior: From now on, no matter what everyday pain I suffer from, I’ll reach for
Aspirin first
Insight: Consumers want more than mere pain relief; they want to feel
What insight do you have about the target physically and emotionally cared for and able to live the life that matters
audience or category that could shift the to them.
desired behavior?

Single Minded Selling Aspirin helps me feel taken care of throughout life (by relieving my
Proposition/Key Takeaway: every day pains)
What benefit are we selling derived from
the Global Communication Strategy

Primary Reason to Believe: Aspirin is the life-tested pain reliever that provides effective relief not
What is the one most compelling reason only for headaches but also body pains.
to believe? How does the product deliver
this?

Mandatories including Regulatory  Integrated iconic brand elements (e.g. green & white, white pill in
Restrictions: hand)
 Consistency of branding and executional elements throughout all
TVC’s
Media Requirements: 30” TVC, to be executed in conjunction with tag-on / offs and related
eg 30'' TVC stand alone TVC’s for other sub brands
86

Practice Evaluating Storyboards
Click on Attachments
in the upper right
corner of your
screen to view the
Storyboards.

87
 Fill in the Creative Evaluation Feedback Form
1. GET IT What is the CREATIVE IDEA?
Aspirin is like a talisman, its mere presence makes me feel more protected.

2. CHECK IT Is it ON-BRIEF? / Any concerns?

No concerns – benefit, reason why, tone – all on Brief.

3. FAN THE SPARK

Creative / Executional Elements:
Warm story of child’s first time on a plane. She feels better having her teddy bear along.
Father feels better because he has Aspirin
OVERALL, HOW DO I LIKE IT AND WHY? WHAT WORKS?

Creative idea brings to life communication objective of Straight forward story, “Care taking” tone fits very well
Aspirin takes care of you, so you can focus on what with Aspirin “Helping hand for life” Brand Benefit
matters. Edge.

WHAT’S MISSING/NOT WORKING? WHAT’S POSSIBLE?

Aspirin pack is introduced fairly late in the spot. Can we Can we try to get right to the father/daughter story as quickly
improve Branding? Find a way to build Aspirin visual as possible?
earlier into the story?

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 Now Let’s Review the Final Commercial

89
 More fun…

90
8. Recap Key Principles
 BCC
BCC Creative
Creative Evaluation
Evaluation Method
Method
 Do you understand what’s going on in the ad?
Gut Reaction – Does the ad move, engage involve you (target)?
Get
Get ItIt


 Creative Idea – Describe it. Is idea clear, big, fresh, campainable?

Does it bring Brand Benefit / Consumer Insight to life?

 Is Ad on Brief? Core Brief Elements:

Insight – Does the ad speak to target using agreed upon Insight?
Check
Check ItIt


If Creative is
 Benefit/Single-Minded Selling Proposition
Off-Brief
 Does ad focus on strategic benefit in words and pictures?
(Strategy),
 Does it bring Brand Benefit / Consumer Insight to life?
STOP
 Reason Why – Is ad persuasive, compelling, distinctive vs. competitors? process
 Communication Objective – Does it meet overall objective? here.

 Give the Agency your overall evaluation including what helps/what hurts
Fan
Fan  Sometimes a great Agency IDEA is obscured by executional elements that simply get in the way.
Here are some to look out for - we've highlghted the ones that most commonly hold us back.
the
the Spark
Spark  Have we missed the key issue that the brand has to resolve?
 Is it truly single-minded on the brand / product NEWS?
 Is this NEWS integral to the story or just an add - on?
 Is there a unique demo that captures the benefit / RTB?
 Is the IDEA engaging and compelling?
 Is it campaignable and/or sustainable (won’t wear out quickly)?
 Do the words fit with the visuals?
 Do they clearly and simply capture the benefit / key message?
92  Will this IDEA achieve cut through and impact?
 The Clients Role in
Reviewing the Creative Presentation

• Don’t interrupt the Agency’s presentation

LISTEN
LISTEN &
& • Ask questions for clarity and understanding only
UNDERSTAND
UNDERSTAND • If options are presented ask for a clear recommendation

• If you would prefer it – ask the agency to withdraw while you discuss
EVALUATE
EVALUATE their proposals
• Agree a common position on your evaluation so you feedback with
one voice
• Use an Evaluation form, if needed, to collate your thoughts so you
can give a focused response

• Give a clear response up front to provide the context, e.g., ‘Overall

RESPOND
RESPOND like the idea but we would like to discuss……’
• Tackle big issues first

93
 Click on Attachments
in the upper right
corner of your
Tools available in the Appendix screen to download
the Appendix folder.

• Summary – Get It, Check It, Fan the Spark reminder card
• Creative Evaluation Feedback Form
• Agency Brief Template
• Agency Brief Quality Checklist
• Powerpoint version of the course (with speaker notes)
• More Case Studies to practice your evaluation technique
– Read the Agency Brief, evaluate and give feedback to the
Storyboards, and view the final commercials
• Bepanthen
• Rennie
• Redoxon
• Supradyn

94
 Even more fun…

95
 Congratulations!
You’ve completed the course on
"How To Inspire Better
Creative Evaluation at Bayer"

Thanks for joining us.