Everything You Need To Know About Project Management For Creative Agency
When it comes to marketing, originality is of the utmost importance. More than fifty-five percent of marketing professionals who work closely with agencies ranked creative ability as the trait they value the most in their business partners.
People who can think outside the box and provide novel solutions to problems are an asset to any organization. However, because their work is frequently highly individualized and inspired, it has a reputation for being more challenging to manage. This article will discuss everything you need to know about project management for creative agencies.
What is Project Management for Creative Agencies?
An advertising or social media campaign, a content marketing strategy or a website landing page are all examples of creative projects that a creative agency can produce for its clients to generate revenue and keep the doors of the business open.
A creative project manager‘s job is to bring some sense of order to the chaos that is all those projects. This means they are responsible for a wide range of duties, such as:
- Plan and organize the project, including timetables, budgets, and the scope of work.
- Performing the role of a conduit between the creative team and the client to establish goals, report progress, transfer responsibility for the project, solicit input, and other related tasks.
- They monitor the project’s progress to ensure that the schedule, workload, interdisciplinary teams, and overall goals are all on track.
It’s a fairly substantial undertaking, and qualified individuals are in great demand. This subset of project management for creative agencies is projected to increase by 8% between 2018 and 2028, which is 3% faster than the average growth rate for all fields of work.
How Does Project Management Fit Within a Creative Agency?
A project manager is an indispensable asset for any creative agency, but this is especially true for teams that are more concerned with the big picture than managing operations and relevant information.
A creative agency exposes project managers to various clients and endeavors. As a result, they may not be able to commit to achieving their objectives fully. Participating in multiple projects, however, will give them the experience and knowledge they need for future endeavors.
Let’s look at some of the most significant reasons why every marketing team needs a dependable member to fill this role.
1. Creative project managers are responsible for keeping the delivery schedule on track
Employing a creative project manager provides access to a team member with such a unique skill set, which is one of the greatest benefits. They will closely monitor the progress of projects to prevent potential delays and keep the entire team on track. In addition to establishing more reasonable deadlines, they will also develop reasonable expectations from the outset.
2. It will be easier to alleviate scope creep if project managers are creative
Marketing professionals’ hearts dread when they hear “scope creep.” You know firsthand how quickly a project’s scope can expand, ingesting more of your team’s time and effort. This brand-building effort, intended to be a simple newsletter campaign, has ballooned into something much larger.
Before anyone begins work, the project management team will define the project’s scope and negotiate the terms of a comprehensive statement of work. Everyone involved in the project, from your team to your clients, will know precisely what is and is not included in the total cost and time.
3. Having a creative project manager improves communication
Collaboration with cross-functional teams, clients, freelancers, and distributors, among others, requires considerable coordination to ensure no wires are crossed.
The project manager is responsible for coordinating all of these communication channels and ensuring that the right information reaches the right people at the right time. Both customers and creative teams benefit from access to the latest data.
4. Bringing order to chaos is the job of a creative project manager
Ultimately, project managers give the creative method the structure it needs.
Seventy-two percent of marketers believe that agencies can and should perform better, and the same percentage believes that agencies could be more responsible. But it will be difficult to accomplish any of this if no one monitors the project’s finer details and retains the team accountable to those criteria.
Unsupervised creative endeavors can quickly spiral out of control. Without a project manager’s careful planning, planning, and determination, it is implausible that any of your group’s numerous brilliant ideas will be implemented.
Project Management Advantages When Working with Creative Agencies
Working as a project manager for a creative agency is a great way to hone your skills and gain the self-assurance required to tackle new challenges.
The ability to think creatively when faced with a problem is priceless because it enables the development of various viable solutions. Leadership skills are honed, which is essential given the number of individuals who must be persuaded to support your proposal for it to succeed.
It enables individuals to consider new approaches to doing things, enhance their communication abilities, and improve their opportunities for change while trying to dodge the setbacks and other difficulties associated with traditional methods.
What Skills Are Required for Project Management in Creative Agencies?
The amount of responsibility placed on the shoulders of project managers at creative agencies can vary greatly depending on many factors, such as the quantity needed for a team, the role’s significance, and the company’s general culture.
On the other hand, the job description for the project manager position strongly emphasizes strong organizational skills, the ability to multitask, and strong written and oral communication skills. These are all requirements for the position. In addition to this, agency project managers need to have an eye for detail, an understanding of creative processes and projects, and a familiarity with the software used for agency project management and workflows.
Conclusion
Dealing with certain aspects of project management can be exhilarating and frustrating at the same time for creative agencies. However, creatives can have incredible feats if they have the right people working with them and the appropriate resources. The innovative project manager deserves some of the credit for this.
