ONBOARDING

Process:
Stages & Gates

The following is an operational framework that requires all of us to move through a set of stages and gates. The stages are not defined by particular meetings or deliverables. Instead, each stage is defined by a fundamental question that must be answered before moving on. It is a fluid process designed to encourage critical thinking, collaboration, alignment, and constant ideation across all disciplines. What purpose does it serve?

Purpose: It reduces friction and is the fastest way to deliver our best work.

PHASE 1: DEFINITION

Q: What are we trying to accomplish, and should we say yes to this project?

Clarify the objective and scope of the proposed project (approximate budget and timing), whether it’s a client project, an internal project, or an award show entry. This is often the “what can the client get for their money?” stage. We often put together a proposal based on estimates in order to win the business. In turn, we decide if we should pursue the initiative, given the pros and cons.
Then, we determine the team, owner of each stage, and timeline, setting the project up for success.

  • M: IWR (Internal Wrike Review with Account and PM, Producer optional)

  • I: Project inputs

  • Proposal, scope, timelines, deliverables

  • M: WKO (Wrike Kickoff) (content, scope, schedule, responsibilities with full team)

  • M: Client kickoff

  • M: Client onboarding (for new clients)

  • D: Account Brief + Wrike Project Brief

  • D: Client On-boarding (for new clients)

PHASE 2: DISCOVERY

Q: What should we consider?

Gather facts, insights, requirements, preferences, and options required to make an educated recommendation. This stage can last a meeting or months. The better informed our strategies are, the more effective and profitable our projects tend to be.

  • M: SKO (Strategy Kickoff)

  • I: Discovery inputs (SWOT, visual audit, competitive review, consumer research, technical requirements, vendor options, estimates, etc).

  • M: SDR (Strategy Director Review)

  • M: ISR (Internal Strategy Review) (content, scope, schedule, responsibilities)

  • M: Client presentation

  • D: Opportunity Analysis (What we know, what we don’t know, what we think)

  • Participants: Leadership team, project team

PHASE 3: CONCEPTING

Q: What is the overarching idea?

Define the consumer experience, through creative exploration, presented in multiple options using select marketing deliverables to demonstrate (e.g. Video, In-Feed, Story).

  • M: CKO (Creative Kickoff)

  • I: Creative inputs (Taglines, manifestos, concept descriptions, concept demonstration (ex. scripts, design comps, keyframes, animatics, example engagements with write-ups) etc.)

  • M: CDR (Creative Director Review)

  • M: ICR (Internal Creative Review) (content, scope, schedule, responsibilities)

  • M: Client presentation

  • D: Concepts Presentation

  • Participants: Leadership team, the project team

PHASE 4: PLANNING

Q: What, when, where, and how will the consumer experience?

Determine and define all of the specific assets needed for the program, in order to develop and produce them precisely and efficiently.

  • I: Strategy inputs (Media plan, KPIs, prior performance analytics, editorial plan, asset brief)

  • M: ISR (Internal Strategy Review) (content, scope, schedule, responsibilities)

  • M: IWR (Populate asset brief in Wrike)

  • D: Asset Brief

  • Participants: Project team

PHASE 5: CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Q: What will we create?

Refine and finalize the concepts to meet the needs of the full asset brief and prepare for production.

  • M: CKO (Creative Development kickoff)

  • I: Creative inputs (Script, storyboard, image, and footage selects, design, animatic, production partner selection, creative production requirements etc.)

  • M: CDR (Creative Director Review)

  • M: ICR (Internal Creative Review) (content, scope, schedule, responsibilities)

  • M: Client presentation

  • D: Creative Development Presentation

  • Participants: The project team

PHASE 6: PRODUCTION

Q: How will we get it done?

Finalize concepts according to the asset plan, on time, and on budget, leveraging the most qualified resources the market has to offer, including internal experts, external creators, partner agencies, and client creative resources.

  • M: PKO (Production kick-off)

  • I: Production inputs (Vendor selection & deliverables, exhibits, timeline, budget, etc)

  • M: PDR (Production Director Review)

  • M: IPR (Internal Production Review) (content, scope, schedule, responsibilities)

  • M: Client presentation

  • D: Final Assets

  • Participants: Project team

PHASE 7: IMPLEMENTATION

Q: Is it working?

Execute and optimize the strategy according to plan in order to achieve the intended outcome, by monitoring the performance of each initiative and augmenting as needed.

  • Launch

  • Test

  • Optimize

  • Participants: Project team

PHASE 8: EVALUATION

Q: What next?

Analyze the performance of the program and determine the next steps by collaborating with key stakeholders to honestly document its pros and cons and make recommendations.

  • M: Internal briefing

  • I: Strategy inputs (Data and analytics, recommendations (strategy, creative, production))

  • M: SDR (Strategy Director Review)

  • M: ISR (Internal Strategy Review) (content, analysis, and recommendations)

  • M: Client presentation

  • M: PPR (Project Post-Mortem – internal)

  • D: Performance Review Presentation (what, so what, now what)

  • Participants: Leadership team, project team

Related Resources for Training Here
(Including Effective Meetings, Roles & Meetings and Large Scale Production Process)