How we construct stories

Have you ever considered why we make things the way we do? Why does a campaign have a singular big idea that everything tends to spin off from?

Is it because we've always done it this way? So when we get a new tool, we apply it to doing the same thing better, rather than looking at how we work and wondering if that tool can fundamentally change the process?

Here's a high-level overview of how we create things:

1. Get briefed on your challenge.

2. Conduct research.

3. Present creative or strategic suggestions (big ideas).

4. You select what you like or are willing to invest in.

5. We commence production.

6. Your input and approval are sought throughout the process.

7. We deliver a finished product(s).

8. Versions are created for distribution.

9. Release to the masses (target audience).

At some point, limited run testing may be conducted to validate our direction, though no guarantees exist on success.

This process has remained largely unchanged since the era of Don Draper's fictional creative agency.

If you've been following this month, you might anticipate what I'm about to suggest. Could there be room for improvement? Not for financial reasons or the comfort of the creative team, but for the ultimate outcome and effectiveness.

Do you believe that accelerating the process of making things could yield better results? What about continuously revising and adapting based on real-time feedback in the field—could that serve us more effectively?

Have you heard the phrase 'eggs in one basket' I once heard it finds its origins from an award-winning creative, illustrating the concept of the 'big idea'.

Why do we possess such arrogance in assuming we can distill everything we want or need to communicate into a single thought? Why do we feel bound to that concept once committed? That one's easy, if we change course we admit we got it wrong.

Instead of creating one overarching umbrella and adapting it for various distribution channels, why not generate numerous ideas that build towards a larger execution informed by these smaller ones? Then, after robust testing, put this comprehensive concept on the largest platform available.

I honestly believe you can initiate the creation and release process as early as step 3. The world has evolved to a point where memories are fleeting, allowing experimentation within a live environment. I've developed a template for a content ecosystem, which I'll share sometime. The focus isn't on a singular big idea; rather, the ecosystem itself is the idea. It's dynamic, adaptable, and continuously learns. Anyone can contribute and shape it.

There's an ancient proverb of unknown origin that goes: 'Give a comms manager a fish, you feed them for a day. Teach them to build content systems, and you feed them for a lifetime.'

As you were

MrMcK.