Our last blog post examined how to read and decipher a request for proposal (RFP) from a company or brand, so that you can provide ideas that are on target and within budget. Once you feel confident about what the RFP says, the next step is to translate that understanding into a cohesive plan that will knock their socks off.
As busy as we all are in agency life, it’s vital to anoint a team leader to guide the process from the RFP to the final presentation. Especially as things are often done remotely and via conference call, it’s up to the leader to “translate” the RFP and lead the upfront strategy development, so that the team is aligned. And, as tempting as it is to fall in love with a great theme or creative platform, always figure out the strategy first.
It’s important and productive to get the best thinking from a range of agency sources. Not many agencies these days have the luxury of new business teams who work solely on pitches. So it’s a good thing to be inclusive and get the best thinking from a number of account teams, support staff and others. Just make sure they’ve read the RFP and the team leader has briefed them about the agency POV on the strategy and program development process.
Be open to all ideas, because even the most ridiculous ones can help spark creativity. The team leader can later weed through those that aren’t on strategy or can’t be executed, to pull out the winning ideas.