Creative teams continue to face unprecedented challenges as the world shifts around them, but they’re overcoming the uncertainty by doing what they do best: getting creative.
We spoke to 5 creative leaders to learn how their organizations and teams are adapting—from managing remote creative teams to how optimizing or scrapping visual storytelling strategies due to the constant change.
Check out their answers below and join the conversation on social!
We want to find out what strategies and tools you and your team are using, so we can help more creative teams like yours overcome roadblocks.
Thank you to all of these creative leaders for sharing what’s working for you – you inspire us!
Rebecah Beauchamp
Director of Brand Design at McKesson
How are you managing your remote creative team?
I’m fortunate to work with a team of people who are passionate about their work. We connect as a team at the beginning of the week to discuss projects for the week. We’ve set up group chats to collaborate as a team and I reach out through the week just to stay connected. One on ones with the team are now done by WebEx and it’s a general rule to use our cameras so it is more personal.
What have been the biggest challenges your creative team has faced while working remotely?
We were building such great team culture until the shelter in place came into effect. Our team is relatively new with most designers having 6 months or less with our company. It is really important to maintain the momentum of newly formed relationships, so we have virtual activities each week. The team gathers online, selects their favorite Snap Camera filter and hosts a happy hour with JackBox games. Some of our other team favorites are Fake Artist using an online white board app.
What tools and strategies have helped you overcome these challenges? Do you plan on continuing to use these tools in the future?
Our team uses Workfront to stay on track with all project work. To maintain team culture and connection, we have channels set up in Teams. We plan to continue using these for the next year.
Jennifer Lopez
Senior Director of Special Events at UNICEF USA
How are you managing your remote creative team?
We work with a variety of creative teams both internally and externally. With several of our events being cancelled due to COVID-19, the design work and needs have dropped significantly. However, we recently pivoted to launch a virtual event this coming Saturday and are using Zoom for frequent checks in and as well as email correspondence.
What have been the biggest challenges your creative team has faced while working remotely?
It’s difficult not being able to pop over in person to get fast answers or share quick edits. We are juggling a lot of deadlines as well as different time zones to complete each project.
What tools and strategies have helped you overcome these challenges? Do you plan on continuing to use these tools in the future?
I am a big fan of creative timelines that map out all details and scope of each project. We’ve made sure to have weekly check-ins to communicate frequently and the zoom chat feature has been great to get answers ASAP.
Paul Simón
Group Creative Director at Liquid Agency
How are you managing your remote creative team?
Hopefully better than I think I am. This is all so terribly unprecedented, of course. I go to bed each night fighting off various waves of panic. Is that a sore throat coming on? Why does my leg hurt? How can I be less of a turd as a manager? On that last point, a couple of things: One, I’m trying to make decisions, and provide feedback, faster than I normally do. The (I hope) takeaway: “Gee, Paul isn’t watching Netflix.” Two, I’m asking a little more of my senior leaders, and trusting the people skills I know they have. The (I hope) takeaway: “Gee, looks like everyone is engaged.” So, reacting faster, and trusting more.
What have been the biggest challenges your creative team has faced while working remotely?
Everyone would answer this question a little differently. But I’m pretty sure all of us are constantly dealing with some level of boredom, from annoying to crushing. It’s hard (perhaps especially for us delicate flower creative types) to stay engaged when you can’t look across a room and see faces; walk to someone’s desk and finger through printouts of designs; make fun of someone’s shirt; stare at, cross out and collaborate on headlines taped to a wall; have impromptu conversations with people at the soda machine. Zoom is better than nothing, but after a few weeks of it, only barely.
What tools and strategies have helped you overcome these challenges? Do you plan on continuing to use these tools in the future?
Ketel One & limes. Yes. Kidding aside, the three most important tools right now are communication, communication, and communication. Zoom, Slack, email, etc. are all fair game. So is this overlooked thing: the telephone. I try to use that, too. Know what else is a great tool? PTO. And comp time. Liquid has been fortunate. We’re still busy. On the one hand, the team is thrilled about that, given what’s happening to our economy. And on the other, it’s hard enough being busy in a collaborative environment. It’s a killer when your office is your bedroom. So I’ve been preaching: Unplug! Got a hole in your afternoon calendar? Get away! Can that project wait until Monday? Take Friday off! People need to know they have Liquid’s blessing to chill the hell out. There’s nothing more important these days, in fact.
Bill Duerr
President, Hatteras
How has your team’s storytelling and communications strategy changed over the last few weeks? How are you adapting your messaging?
We have engaged our customer facing team members to be extremely sensitive of the current climate. Our conversations are to be led with questions about the personal standing of the customers and prospects we are engaging with. Ie. How are you? How is your family?
We are then encouraging our team members to stay focused on the current needs of customers and prospects, and not trying to sell them anything. We are focusing on a needs and solutions approach.
We are also trying to speak from a position of positivity and confidence as we feel like we all need to be lifting each other up.
How has the nature of your content changed in this time, whether it be frequency, format, subject matter, tone, etc?
The nature of our content has changed as we have developed some new solutions in response to the pandemic. Our company has pivoted its resources to make protective face shields for front-line workers and first responders. We’ve donated many of these and started a fundraising campaign to help continue our efforts. We have utilized this opportunity to share the positive response and good will with our audience via social media. The response has been humbling and we are very proud of our team.
We have been less active with promoting our traditional services and we’re beginning to roll out “Reactivation Solutions” for when people begin to go back to work or back to public places.
What type of content has generated the most engagement from your audience?
The content around our donation campaign “Hatteras Helps” has generated a ton of engagement. We have had a very positive response and a lot of support from our audience. We have raised over $30,000 to support our efforts.
Frank Washkuch
Executive Editor, PR Week U.S.
How are you managing your remote creative team?
It is better to over-organize than under-organize, overcommuncate rather than under communicate. I have to stay in touch with people via text message instead of email. I find it is best to communicate with them a lot throughout the day to stay up to date.
What have been the biggest challenges your creative team has faced while working remotely?
I personally am a fan of people getting together in the office as much as possible. There is simply no substitute for collaboration in person. There are some things in communicating electronically that get lost in translation. We haven’t had any major breakdowns but there is no replacement for being together.
What tools and strategies have helped you overcome these challenges? Do you plan on continuing to use these tools in the future?
We are using the slate of google products as our primary tools for organizing and messaging. We are also using Slack secondarily.
Yes I think so. At least for the duration of the current situation. I think the world will generally have to reevaluate the way they operate. What are going to be office necessities going forward? Companies of all different sizes and kinds will be re-evaluating what works and what doesn’t.
We have much more experience now with these technologies and there will likely be a shift in the future.
Want to learn more from the experts?
Check out our on-demand PhotoShelter Summit for Brands to get insights from thought leaders like Content Marketing Institute Founder Joe Pulizzi, Creative Director/Head of Storytelling for WP BrandStudio Denise Burrell-Stinson and many more. We can’t wait to continue the conversation!
