Last week’s #tbt was a hint at this week’s Thursday post. For the second year in a row, Amy was invited to present as a marketing / branding expert at Explo @ Yale, a 3-week exploration summer program for students entering grades 10-12 at Yale University. Yesterday, Amy spoke with students in the marketing program, in which students are given a real-world assignment to develop a marketing plan around which is presented to a panel of experts in the industry at the conclusion of the course.
This year’s presentation was focused around a case study on our client TEA•RRIFIC! Ice Cream, whom Elements has been working with since the brand launched in 2012. Mario Leite, president of TEA•RRIFIC!, joined Amy to share his insight from a client’s perspective, offering students an inside peek into the collaborative agency / client working relationship – and, of course, to share his delicious ice cream as a treat to the students.
We mixed it up a bit this year, and instead of spending the full hour presenting our case study, we stopped for an ice cream break and then conducted an exercise where students were provided a real-world client creative brief to discuss how they would approach a marketing challenge.
Some of the key takeaways from this year’s presentation included:
- Do your homework :: Start with research. Look at the marketplace – who is succeeding? Which brands could be improved? Find your niche – the sweet spot where you can own a place in the competitive landscape that hasn’t already been taken.
- Think deep and wide :: When strategizing for any brand, whether it’s sneakers or ice cream, don’t be afraid to think beyond the logo or packaging. How can we connect with consumers? For example, develop an Instagram campaign where fans of the brand are called to submit photos of them using and enjoying your product. Create a hashtag so fans can follow along. Hold a contest where fans compete to come up with the most creative or delicious new flavor.
- Examine all areas :: Work collaboratively with your agency on a variety of creative directions. If an approach isn’t working, take the time to look at the direction from all angles before giving up – but listen to the experts who are immersed in the creative landscape day in and day out.
The students asked some great questions during the Q&A session, such as:
- Have you ever worked with a client whose product you didn’t like? At Elements, we have been very lucky to have worked with some great clients with equally great products, and we truly do like all of the products we have tried and tasted!
- How long does the creative process take? The true answer is – it depends! We always start with our client’s target end date, adjusting our timelines whenever possible. Ideally, we would like to have a minimum of 2–3 months for a new branding / packaging product, but we are extremely flexible and adjust our creative process to meet our client’s deadlines.
- Do you tell your client which concept is your favorite? We let our clients share their feedback first, and if they ask us which concept we feel works best, we base that decision on which concept we feel will resonate most with their target audience and is the most unique and will help them stand out in the marketplace. We put our personal feelings aside and focus on what is best for our client and their product.
We enjoyed meeting the Explo students and speaking with them about the strategic / creative process at Elements – and a big thanks to Mario for joining us at Yale this year. We look forward to seeing the students’ final presentations for their own marketing projects – and hope to speak with a new group of students at Explo next year!
