You're considering investing in a daring creative strategy. How do you convince stakeholders about the ROI?

Goals are meaningless until there are plans to meet them or beat them. No matter how daring they are, plans make them viable. Also, I’m always keen on process over outcomes. To me, a good process speaks to all stakeholders, breaks down the goal into smaller achievable milestones and gets people to back you. Having said that, in my limited view, I don’t often see daring content plans out there. Risk is no longer about appetite. It’s more to do with leftovers.

Here’s a structured approach to present any case effectively: 1. Understand Your Audience 2. Present a Strong Business Case 3. Showcase Potential ROI 4. Demonstrate Strategic Fit 5. Highlight Competitive Advantage 6. Provide a Detailed Execution Plan 7. Emphasize Measurable Outcomes 8. Engage Stakeholders

Daring creative needs to be evaluated very closely - specially if in a very price sensitive category. Understand the category very closely - see what kind of creative has been used overtime in the category. If the creative is emotionally strong and touches the emotions of end user it should always work. It also depends on how the creative is being used and which platform the creative is being placed.

A strategy can be daring only if the results are unmeasurable, meaning the spend vs return is unsure or unquantifiable. However, a creative strategy can be one where results can be forecasted and measured, allowing you to see the ROI at the end of the campaign or even during it to gauge its effectiveness. In our era of technology and AI, this is very much possible across all fields. The optimal use of advanced technology can help build a smart strategy that will convince stakeholders when presented with measurable results

One way is to do it in increments and with a trusted partner. We work with one of the top UK brands, KP Snacks. We gave them a really funny, innovative B2B PR video which pushed the envelope. They loved it and it was super effective. And this meant when we worked with them on 'Check Your Nuts' (B2B) the following year, it was a relatively easy transition. They'd already done something daring that worked phenomenally well so the next step up wasn't a giant leap. Plus they trusted us to get an incredible result because we'd already done it.

Now, onto the next bit – know your audience. Think of it like this: you wouldn’t try to sell vegan burgers to a bunch of carnivores, right? So, tailor your pitch to what makes our stakeholders tick. Are they numbers nerds, risk-takers, or fans of shiny new things? Speak their language. Maybe even throw in a meme or two if that’s their jam.

En el mundo del marketing, conocer a tu audiencia no es solo una buena idea, es la diferencia entre el éxito rotundo y el fracaso estrepitoso. Mira el ejemplo de la campaña "Share a Coke" de Coca-Cola. ¿Genios? Sí. Decidieron poner nombres en sus botellas, personalizando cada trago. Resultado: una legión de fans buscando su nombre o el de un amigo, sacándose fotos y compartiéndolas en redes. Esto no solo impulsó las ventas sino que creó una conexión emocional con los clientes. Lección del día: cuando entiendes a tu audiencia, puedes convertir algo tan simple como una botella en una experiencia inolvidable.

Conocer a la audiencia es la pieza clave al momento de generar una estrategia creativa. Todo debe girar entorno a la audiencia. No podemos ofrecer algo a alguien que no conocemos, no podemos ofrecer a alguien algo que no quiere. Definir quién es, a quién vamos y qué quiere o qué necesita es pieza fundamental.

Provide a detailed budget breakdown: Outline costs and expected returns, highlighting areas of potential cost savings or revenue growth. Offer a phased approach: Consider piloting or testing the strategy to demonstrate its potential before scaling up. And yes an all time reminder to be confident, passionate, and data-driven in approach.

Begin by translating the innovative creative approach into potential financial metrics such as increased revenue, cost savings, or market share expansion. Use historical data and market research to project the financial outcomes. For example, if a new creative marketing campaign is projected to increase customer engagement by 20%, estimate the corresponding uplift in sales revenue based on past engagement-to-sales conversion rates. Provide examples of competitors or industry leaders who have implemented similar innovative approaches and experienced positive ROI. Detail the specifics of their strategy, the investment made, and the financial outcome. This can help stakeholders visualize the potential success within their own context.

Leveraging data insights in performance marketing is like finding gold. Here's how to do it: Collect the Right Data: Focus on metrics that matter—click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer lifetime value. Don't get lost in vanity metrics. Analyze and Interpret: Use tools like Google Analytics to identify trends and patterns. Look for what's working and what's not. Test and Optimize: Run A/B tests to see what resonates with your audience. Use these insights to tweak and improve your campaigns. Personalize Your Approach: Data helps you understand your audience better. Use it to create personalized marketing that speaks directly to them. Remember, data is your best friend in performance marketing.

Finally, let’s talk data. Imagine you’re Sherlock Holmes, but instead of solving crimes, you're solving the 'why should we spend money on this' mystery. Gather all the juicy stats, past success stories, and maybe a pie chart or three. Show them that this creative strategy isn’t just a shot in the dark, but a well-aimed arrow hitting the bullseye of success.

Build a practice for evaluating the performance of your creative strategies. This will help make future ROI conversations so much easier. Every week spend 30 mins analyzing data like: 🔸 opt-in rates 🔸 open & click-thru rates 🔸 conversion rate With that info you can identify the bottlenecks and test ideas to solve them. The next week, analyze the results from your experiments—and repeat this process all over again. Soon you'll have clear and factual data to point to when convincing stakeholders of the value of your solutions.

I think We should Leverage data to showcase your creative strategy’s potential. Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and past performance to highlight higher ROI prospects. Identifying market gaps reinforces the necessity and timeliness in our approach.

It’s always important for any creative idea to be in sync with the broader overall marketing strategy for the brand. Helps for the customers to also get familiarity and context and not just see it as a standalone creative idea

Illustrate how your creative strategy aligns with key business objectives like market expansion, customer retention, or brand differentiation. Highlight that it’s a strategic move, not just a creative exercise, ensuring calculated risks serve the company’s vision.

Getting everyone to look at your strategy and see the big picture from their corner of that "war-room" will be heavily dependent on these few points, - Relatability of the case studies and scenario simulations - The quality of data available for interpretation. - Relatability of the overarching of central idea and the praticality of the execution. - The ability for the target audience to understand what you are saying and what you are not saying.

I think Acknowledging the risks of innovative strategies and present mitigation plans like phased rollouts, pilot programs, or contingency budgets. Show stakeholders you’ve considered potential pitfalls and have strategies to manage them, boosting confidence in ROI.

Acknowledge potential risks and outline clear strategies for mitigating them. This could include phased rollouts, pilot programs, or setting aside a contingency budget. Demonstrating a plan for managing risks can reassure stakeholders of a thoughtful approach to innovation. If possible, highlight any early successes or positive indicators from initial tests or pilot programs. Quantitative data showing early signs of success, such as increased user engagement or positive customer feedback, can build confidence in the innovative approach. Propose mechanisms for regularly measuring and reporting on the performance of the innovative approach post-implementation.

En el mundo empresarial actual, la preocupación por el ROI es una constante para nosotros como gerentes, ya que la eficiencia y efectividad de las inversiones realizadas son fundamentales para la sostenibilidad y crecimiento de cualquier empresa, para reforzar la confianza en el ROI se requiere de una estrategia multifacética que combine claridad en los objetivos, herramientas de análisis robustas, transparencia en la comunicación, evaluación continua, capacitación del personal y aprendizaje constante. Implementar estas prácticas no solo asegura un mejor uso de los recursos, sino que también fortalece la confianza y el compromiso de todos los involucrados, creando un entorno empresarial más resiliente y orientado al éxito.

It cannot be ignored that there will be risks associated with every creative strategy. It's essential to pre-identify potential issues and have a Plan B ready to mitigate any losses. It's better to go with a beachhead strategy rather than a broad-brush strategy when experimenting with new ideas.

Business goals are number one most important thing. Everything must be aligned, includes the creative strategy. It helps both creative strategists and business owners to think about ROI, how to get beyond it and the vehicles/tools needed.

What would Apple do here? - make it glass and titanium for 1500$ How would Tesla execute this? - make it run autopilot in Ludacris mode When company x did this, here’s what happened. — you get the idea There are many ways to use case studies, case studies in point, or wear a different brand or business hat. Get a way of working, some stats on it, and impacts on top. As I harp on all the time with teams, this does not matter unless you craft the narrative and tell the story compellingly and convincingly. Good luck.

Past data and examples are a good way to create a strategy for future business. But that may not work out well all the time. While disrupting the market, sometimes past examples serve as what not to do.

Imaginemos una marca hipotética "TéVital" que busca aumentar su base de clientes y fidelizar a los consumidores existentes. Por ende la estrategia sería que "TéVital" lanza un "Paquete de Bienvenida" que incluye una selección de sus sabores más populares, una taza reutilizable y una guía sobre los beneficios para la salud del té. Este paquete se ofrece a un precio promocional y está disponible solo para nuevos clientes que se registren en el sitio web. Como resultado de esta oferta acompañada de una estrategia digital atrae a numerosos nuevos clientes que están interesados en probar varios sabores a un precio reducido, incentivando las compras y mejorando la percepción de la marca.

Remember that creative strategy differs greatly to creative direction, where a creative strategy must include data and insights to support your strategic approach. To convince stakeholders about the ROI of a daring creative strategy, present a detailed data-backed analysis showcasing potential market impact and competitive advantage. Use case studies and data from similar successful ventures to highlight expected returns. Additionally, propose metrics for tracking success and mitigating risks to assure stakeholders of a well-thought-out plan.

It’s ok sometimes to have an extremely radical creative strategy from an idea that the creative team feels terribly passionate about. Companies need to give a leap of faith sometimes to these teams, often the best ideas come out from such one of a kind/ out of the box creative thinking

Connect the idea to your company's purpose. Or even better: let it be inspired by it. The world is full if opportunities and it is easy to chase one creative idea after another. The trick lies in a clear company purpose. Why does your company exist? What are your company's values? If this is clear to everybody, it will be much easier to identify or come up with creative strategies, as well as to get them supported.

Rather than considering standard media channels to rollout your risky strategy, consider innovative media to give your brand extra PR and earned-media. It could be a media-first or being and early adopter in a new format. When podcasts started to gain momentum, Squarespace became a dominant force because of the aggressive strategy in sponsoring podcasts - Not just a few in the top 10 but an entire cross-genre, mass-market domination.

Make the pitch incredibly compelling! Imagine pitching it like the ultimate plot twist in a blockbuster movie: ‘Picture this – our brand as the underdog, taking daring steps that leave competitors in awe. Our ROI? It’s the climax where we surpass expectations, capturing market share like a thrilling heist. Think of it as investing in a plot twist that keeps the audience (our customers) on the edge of their seats, generating buzz and driving engagement. ROI? It’s not just numbers; it’s our brand’s Oscar-worthy performance.’ Now, who’s ready for the red carpet? The point is to also sell it and make it exciting for everyone!