The projectized nature of advertising work as noted by Grabher (2003) is characterised by multiple concurrent projects and their management, encompassing the relevant plugging in and out of resources, time, money and people. An agency is typically working on several projects simultaneously. Resource is distributed across the workload accordingly, usually on an ad hoc basis. In this way the creative delivery process extends horizontally as well as vertically through the value chain where individuals interacting within an organisation are working on different projects at different stages of completion at different times.
Agencies should look for synergies accross relationships, and learn from each specific instance (eg a chemistry meeting with a new client) how to handle relationships generally. In this way, they cement their position within a network of agencies, suppliers, cultures and domains, and the creative delivery process goes full circle, with implications for management at an individual, organisational, and system level. Creative products in advertising are developed iteratively through the network of agencies involved, the relationship with the client,
and the system in which these processes are taking place. Issues are still found at the network level relating to
Ownership
Who is responsible for the ‘creative idea’, who takes the lead?
Cultural and Knowledge Boundaries
Must be negotiated through carefully managing boundary objects in order to communicate amongst specialised groups.
Managing Expectations
More stakeholders means more directions in which the direction of the project can be pulled.
Integrating the Delivery Process
Individuals and organisations need to overlap in their development of creative products, so that the process can work itbenefi t from synergies from multiple perspectives.
Filed under: Digital Advertising Creativity
