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1. Project Management in
Advertising
Kaye I. Smith

2. What is Project Management?
Delivering on time, on budget and high quality
initiatives that meet or exceed client (and
internal) expectations.
Definition: Project Manager
 The liaison between internal departments whose sole
responsibility is to keep all projects moving efficiently
 The guardian of the agency’s manufacturing process
 Allows Account Management time to address client facing issues,
strategy and planning
2

3. Why is Project Management
important?
Clients are forcing us to defy the triple constraint
The agency wants to remain profitable and
competitive
Cost
Time
Quality
3

4. Over-Arching Goals
Determine appropriate Work Flow Path for each project
(Job Streaming)
Get work through the Agency efficiently and accurately
Save Clients and Agency costly mistakes due to
miscommunication
Involve appropriate participants in approval process
Avoid redundancy of tasks
Expose all Project Managers to the various channels in
the Agency

5. Challenges
Complexity of our assignments
(skills needed, parties
involved, etc)
Account Executives sharing
Project Management duties
The number of people involved
in an engagement
Short cuts = Survival tactics
Increasing number of clients
moving from“Agency side to
“Client side”
Decrease in client spending and
increased level of expectations
Ourselves: it has always been
done this way
Roles not clearly defined
Who’s covering what base?
Everyone knows what has to
be done
Few seem to practice a
common process and
Little understanding as to who
is responsible for what tasks.
5

6. CLIENT MAKES REQUEST
Account Mgmnt.
Talks to Client
Account Mgmnt.
Talks to Creative
Creative Talks
to Art Buying
Creative Talks to
Production
Art Buyer Talks to
Production and
Creative
Cinque Talks
to Vendors
Account Mgmnt.
Talks to Media

7. Team Members
(from the outside in)
Media
Production
(developers)
Finance
Project
Manager
Client
Client
Services
External
Vendors
Strategy &
Planning
Creative

8. Primary Process Conversation
Team Members
Inter-Dept Conversation
(from the outside in)
Intra-Dept Conversation
Media
Business
Manager
Interactive
Lead
HTML
Cost
Control
QA
Production
Client
Acct.
Mgmt
Lead
AE
Project
Manager
Data
Analyst
Print
Producer
Mech
Artist
Studio
Lead
Strategy &
Insights
Lead
Strategic
Comm
Digital
Producers
Retoucher
Integrated
Services
Creative
Lead
Copy
Writer
Art
Buying
Art
Director
Editorial
Svcs

9. Project Lifecycle:
Engagement through
Completion
9

10. Project Lifecycle
Engagement
Planning
Concepting & Creation
Mechanical & Technical Development
Production & Execution
10

11. Delivery Tools

12. Delivery Tools
Engagement & Planning Tools
Client Input Brief
Statement of work
Project Plan
Creative Brief
Methodologies
Account Governance
Communications
Tracking Tools & Processes
Risk Management
Change Management
Financial Tracking
12

13. Engagement and Planning
Tools
DATE
VERSION
CREATIVE BRIEF
CLIENT
ASSIGNMENT NAME
JOB NUMBER
ACCOUNT PROJECT LEAD
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
TARGET DATE TO BRIEF CREATIVE TEAM
1
XX/XX/XX
XX
Name
Lorem ipsum
XXX-XXX-XXXXXX
XXXXXXX XXXXXX
Name
XX/XX/XXXX
WHAT DO WE WANT COMMUNICATIONS TO ACCOMPLISH?
Be realistic and precise – what action do we want to inspire in the target?
Trial? Loyalty? Consideration? What else should communications do?
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erat, vel ullan utat, quis adiamet ad tisl dion
Bullet Level 1
– Bullet Level 2
 Bullet Level 3
2
WHAT ARE THE KEY DELIVERABLES,
WHAT’S THE BUDGET, AND THE TIMING OF THIS INITIATIVE?
Tell the creative team what’s required, when it’s required (when we have to present
work to clients) what the “go live” date is and how much we can spend, if at all
possible.
Ecte magna feum volenisim volobor eraestisi etum zzrilit ipsuscing esto
do exer se magna facilit alis nulput utat numsan enit ut et lan ent lum etummodo et,
vulluptatum veliquis num quisis nibh ex essi elis adigniamet lore minci tat. duisi eum
in utatisl
3
WHO ARE WE TALKING TO?
Define the target as individuals, in the context of what we’re selling. Don’t
overwhelm the team with demographics or segmentation data. Focus on what they
think, how they act, and what choices they are currently making. What is currently
guiding their behavior?
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Client Input
Brief
Statement of
Work (SOW)
Client’s
guidance to
agency
Agency’s scoping
document or
project-level
contract
Creative Brief
Agency’s
guidance for
creative
development
Campaign
Tactics
Deliverables
13

14. Client Input Brief
Outlines clients strategic objectives
Defines the metrics that will be used to judge project
success
Identifies the key deliverables expected as a result of
the initiative
Outlines who the client believes is the audience for
their product/service
Details budget, timing, specs and other constraints
14

15. Statement of Work
Why create a statement of work?
To ensure all parties have a clear understanding of what is to be
delivered
To build the documented foundation for the project
What is included in the document?
Objectives
ROI Goals / Expected Results
In/Out of Scope
Deliverables (including number of rounds)
Assumptions
Known risks
Escalation path
Schedule
Estimated costs
15

16. Statement of Work
Detailed
deliverable list
item
OK
GOOD
GREAT
Email
One (1) HTML
Email
One HTML Email –
Includes three Creative
rounds (two opportunities
for revision and one final
sign off)
One HTML Email –Includes three
Creative rounds (two opportunities
for revision and one final sign off)
Strategic
Recommendation
Strategy Deck
Strategic
Recommendations
Presentation:
Strategic Recommendations
Presentation to include:
• Outline – one client
review
• Draft – one client review
• Final – on client review
• Personas
• Strategic Pillars
• Brand hierarchy
Deliverables:
• Outline – one client review
• Draft – one client review
• Final – one client review
• Presentation, on March 29th in
Seattle, to client management team
16

17. Comprehensive Project Plan
Plan of attack
The list of deliverables and all of the detailed tasks
needed to create them
The timing needed for each task
The work flow, what happens
first, second, concurrently
Milestones
17

18. Creative Brief
Confirms and documents the Agency's strategic
understanding of the initiative
Provides detailed information and guidance to the
creative team about the initiative, product and all
relevant details
Provides a compelling expression of the value
proposition to spark the creative imagination
Outlines production guidelines, budget
guidelines, and schedule
18

19. Methodologies

20. Account Governance
Managing an integrated full-cycle CRM program for clients
requires a high-level of operational focus.
In the planning phase:
Determine how and when the team will communicate
Agree on the review process and how feedback will be shared
Identify stakeholders and when to involve them
Marketing Plan Diagrams
Created yearly and updated quarterly
Detail upcoming campaigns, high level timing
and dependencies on other business groups, partners, etc.
ID
1
Project start
1 day ?
Start
Jul 16, '06
T W T
Mon 7/17/06
2
next task
5 day s
Tue 7/18/06
3
task two
3 day s
Tue 7/25/06
4
Project work plans
Task Name
Duration
task three
3 day s
Fri 7/28/06
Jul 23, '06
F S S M T W T
Jul 30, '06
F S S M T
Outline the detailed dependencies on
individual initiatives
20

21. Communications
Status Reports and Meetings
Meeting Reports
Escalation Plans
Extranets
Post Project Reviews
Email – friend or foe?
21

22. Status Reports
HP Home & Home Office Store Weekly Status Report
LEGEND
On track no issue to budget or timeline
Some risk to budget or timeline
High risk to budget and timeline
Week Of:
Author:
Project Name
Job Number
Kick off Date
Deploy Date
Project
Deliverables
A weekly status meeting should be
held for all capabilities associated with
an engagement.
Team
Agency Kick Off Date
Release to YesMail Date
Deploy Date
Completed Tasks
Next Steps
Assigned To
Items discussed will cover:
Date
Raised
Deliverable Progress
Summary of progress toward team
goals
Major agreements
Priorities for the next week
Project completion percentage
During this meeting risks are reviewed
and assigned to ensure risk mitigation
22
Open Issue
Mitigation Strategy
Assigned To
Date
Raised
Items for management attention
(escalated issues)
Risk
Mitigation Strategy
Assigned To

23. Communications
Meeting Reports:
Every meeting and call should be followed with a documented, shared report of
the discussion, decisions, and action items
Escalation plans:
Up-to-date organizational charts for both agency and client with clear escalation
points should communication need to be advanced
Extranet:
A secure, Web-based application that serves as a central repository to store and
display all deliverables and critical documentation
All deliverables and other critical project documentation is uploaded and resides
in this location
Serves as a central repository for capabilities to store files related to an initiative
Client has a single point of access to all files related to a particular initiative
All status reports, and other assets will also reside in this location
23

24. Communications
Post Project Reviews:
Agency self assessment completed at the end of every initiative
Feedback is solicited from client and suggested improvements are shared
with the client
Allows each capability involved in an initiative to participate in how we can
work better together for our clients
Provides business organization improvement
All feedback is presented in a constructive fashion and is provided by
initiative participants
Email:
An amazing communication tool that is often abused
Should be use thoughtfully. Assess the recipient’s ability to digest the
information you are sending.
Do not bombard your internal team or client with email
If one consolidated communication will help keep the team more organized,
use a Hot Sheet type of email sent once or twice a day. NOT several
separate emails.
24

25. Tracking Tools &
Processes

26. Risk Management
What 90% of project leaders say:
“Risk management is one of my top three
responsibilities.”
-and“I am too busy managing my crises to manage my
risks.”
26

27. What is a risk?
“An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or
negative effect on one or more project objectives..” – PMBOK, 5th
Edition
Often considered a state of uncertainty
In our daily lives we manage risk as an inherent way of life
Is it safe to cross the road?
Will it rain today?
So, why do we place it in a different “box” when we are at work
“Yet another process”
“No time to do it”
“Not my problem”
“People don’t want to hear about it”
27

28. What is Risk
Management?
The proactive
identification, analysis, mitigation planning and
monitoring of risk.
28

29. Why do risk management?
History teaches us that it repeats itself
Our clients are expecting us to proactively manage
their business
Understanding the landscape and potholes facilitates
smooth delivery
Planning for what could happen allows you to be
better prepared when specific events materialize
Through risk management planning discussions you
can take advantage of both your experiences and the
experience of your teammates
29

30. When should we perform
risk management?
In each moment of a project
Risks and opportunities exist throughout every projects’ lifecycle
At inception
During pursuit of business
Transformation of proposals to projects
During the implementation of projects
Delivery (ongoing)
In Communications
Make the risk management process part of the management of
the project
Integration with status reporting
Integration with reviews
Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize and then actually manage the
priorities
30

31. Risk Management Reporting
31

32. Risk Management Reporting
HP Home & Home Office Store Weekly Status Report
LEGEND
On track no issue to budget or timeline
Some risk to budget or timeline
High risk to budget and timeline
Week Of:
Author:
Project Name
Job Number
Kick off Date
Deploy Date
Project
Deliverables
Agency Kick Off Date
Release to YesMail Date
Deploy Date
Team
Completed Tasks
Next Steps
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Assigned To
·
·
Date
Raised
Open Issue
Mitigation Strategy
Assigned To
Date
Raised
Risk
Mitigation Strategy
Assigned To
2/16/2014, 1:16:43 AM
1 of 1
32

33. Risk Management Tool
33

34. Scoring Risk Impact
34

35. Exercise
Sample Project Situation
Identify
Analyze
Mitigate
Monitor
35

36. Risk Management - Things
to remember
Take the time to identify risk when scoping/planning
Review risk in every meeting and weekly status
Having a plan to close risks will increase the win rate
Use the process positively
You cannot remove all threats, but you can identify
and thus reduce them
Celebrate success
36

37. Change Management

38. What is Change
Management?
The tools, people and procedures used to
control changes to the scope of an initiative.
38

39. Why perform Change
Management?
Goals, objectives, knowledge and the business
landscape are always changing
It supports our clients ability to react to the
changing marketplace in a timely fashion
Ensures all parties have assessed the impact of
a requested change and are prepared to handle
it
NOTE: Not every change results in an increase
of cost or time.
39

40. How to perform Change
Management?
You must:
Have a clearly defined scope
Identify, document and share/escalate any deviation
from that scope
Assess the impact and whether the change in scope is
“worth it”
What is the impact to cost, timing, quality?
How will this affect other initiatives?
Is the rationale strong enough?
Get approval before taking on any liability
Take the time to do Change Management!
40

41. Financial Tracking

42. Financial Management
No matter what account you work on and what tools you have
at your disposal, you are responsible for the financial
health of your initiative.
Everyone on your team should know their responsibilities
and the amount of time they have to perform them – Make
people accountable
Look at the whole picture
Manpower
Vendor and out of pocket (pass-thru) costs
Materials
Red flag and escalate problems before they get out of
hand
42

43. Top Takeaways
Each agency function performs an essential role
Use your tools, they inform and guide the
process
Follow best practices, it ensures development of
high quality, strategic, compelling plans and
creative
The end goal is the best work possible in the
most efficient way possible
43

44. Thank You
Contact me: Kaye.Smith@pmiam.com
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