You know you need a new brand/ad campaign/website, so you hire a professional to help you. They present two or three concepts for you to choose from, but you can’t really tell the difference. How do you know which is best? How do you know any of them are really good (other than they’re better than what you had)?
You don’t need to be a marketing expert or a designer to appreciate good work, but you do need to feel confident in what you’re creating.
How to Evaluate What’s Presented
Ideally you would have had a detailed discussion up front about your company and industry, where your company stands in the industry, who your target audience is, what’s important to them in buying your products/service, how they perceive you, how you want them to perceive you, the character of the company, objectives for this initiative, how you’ll measure success, etc. You and your creative team should have an understanding about these important points so you can then use them as a measuring stick to hold the creative against.
Ask Yourself These 5 Questions
- Is it appropriate for the industry and my company?
- Does it represent the character and support the perception in the marketplace we want to build?
- Does it get a clear message across, as in what I want people to think of or understand about the company, or do?
- Will the messaging and imagery resonate with my target audience? (Tricky to judge if their taste is different than yours).
- Does it fill the objective(s), like prompt prospects take the next step towards buying from us?
Don’t Be Drawn In…
… or distracted by bright colours and fancy coding. Most creative people can produce something impressive, and it may be a great step forward for you. But is it strategic? If it’s not appropriate for your industry (you look like a fast food joint instead of a financial institution), if it’s not engaging or relevant to your target audience, if it doesn’t support a greater strategy and move people along your marketing map, it won’t be successful for you.
Don’t be afraid to push back. You may not be creative yourself, but you understand your industry and your audience best.
