Process is a Partnership

Process improvement between a client and agency doesn't have to be a big deal; just practical. Minor tweaks or course corrections will ease workloads and collaboration. We are inspired to share some simple ways to improve processes and relationships from one of our client partnerships.

Client-agency engagements are more complex because of online, digital, and multichannel needs. That means that relationships between agency people and client teams have a broader scope, too. And clients have more than one project on the go, just as we do on the agency side. We all want organized and efficient systems and great relationships to make work easier.

We want to inspire you to make one tiny improvement in your work life, so we are sharing some practical examples from a strong relationship at Invok Brands. Invok Brands Account Director Lauren McGee, and Britni Rosato, Marketing, Director of North America at RoC Skincare, work together constantly. They have improved processes and built a solid partnership as they worked together.

When setting out to improve, the goal is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of client engagement. What works for one partnership might not work for another, so tailor your improvement for a specific task rather than thinking big picture. Look for a simple approach that comes naturally. And do just one thing at a time.

For example, sometimes, you don't need a full briefing document. Clients benefit when they can depend on an agency to fill in the gaps. Invok and RoC Skincare streamlined by introducing a one-page creative brief that provides only what the studio needs to start work. The design team can quickly see the details and use their account knowledge to design.

The one-page brief now centralizes the information needed by the studio, but where does it live? "Even the most organized person sometimes can't find the information they need in their email," says Lauren. To address this problem, she and Britni rolled out Slack across RoC and Invok.

"It's much easier than digging back through emails chains," says Britni, "And I'm striving to make things easier for my RoC colleagues, too. The Slack communications and collaboration tool lets them clarify details or make small requests to Invok designers, removing me from the middle."

The process is one thing, but relationships are even more critical. Britni says, "Lauren has such a positive attitude; it's motivating. And I trust her to keep us organized by staying on top of our deliverables. That's so valuable."

But beyond this, there should be a willingness to ask difficult questions. "Lauren can say to me, hey look – this is a lot to do – can you prioritize and give me some flexibility? She isn't afraid to lean in with the truth because open and constant communication is necessary to meet your deadlines and produce the deliverables."

Is the effort to make the change worth it? It appears so. RoC Skincare had a compelling result from the improved processes. Better creative is delivered more quickly, and a recent Costco Club Pack of Day & Night Creams performed 141% to forecast; it is the best performing pack Roc has had at Costco to date.

Perhaps there is one thought or idea that you can take from this story and make it your own. To accompany this article, we invite you to download and print out our one-page worksheet to help you define and track your one chosen improvement.