Closing the Marketing and Creative Knowledge Gap
Image Description: Two puzzle piece characters are standing across a gap. The creative puzzle talks to the marketing puzzle, who gestures that they are confused by the creative’s statement.
As a marketer, you know that animation is a powerful tool to communicate your message and engage with your audience. But what goes into creating that animation? What are the processes and the roles of the creatives behind them?
If you don’t know, no worries! You’re not alone.
There's a knowledge gap between creatives and marketers, so it's time to bridge that gap.
Image Description: Two puzzle piece characters with arms are building a bridge together. The marketing puzzle piece smiles and waves to the creative piece.
The Marketing/Creative Knowledge Gap
Let’s look at this gap further through a classic scenario:
Creatives present their work to the client (the marketer) who comes back with BIG changes.
The people who approve creative up the chain of command are looking to create the best video possible, which sounds great! The challenge is that they might not be aware of what their input is doing to the creatives they employed.
On the other hand, creatives are failing to explain what they do and how they do their work. So how would a marketer know or be expected to understand the impacts of their feedback?
As a result, both sides get the wrong information they need to create the best work possible.
What Happens When We Start Closing This Gap?
Image Description: Two puzzle piece characters with arms are connected on one side and smile. Other pieces surround them.
Closing the gap will produce a few key things:
📅 Reduce production schedule conflicts within teams
⌚ Reduce time to complete feedback
💲 Increase ROI (Return on Investment) on creative efforts
By understanding what goes into creating content, we’ll make better decisions that align with our business goals.
How Creatives Get Closer
Creatives (like ourselves!) need to learn how marketers approach creative for their campaigns to their target audiences, how they tie animation in, and how their role fits into their business model.
These efforts will create smoother productions from start to finish, but only if we get those conversations started soon!
Image Description: The puzzle piece characters are connected along with surrounding pieces that read: Script, Audience, Branding, Strategy, and Voiceover.
Closing the Gap: Building Empathy
Closing the gap in knowledge between creative, marketing, and business professionals requires listening to each perspective and being open to learning. It requires building empathy for the people you're working with.
It's time to realize that very few people know how you do what you do, and that's okay, except when someone else tells you to change it.
It's time to empower creatives and marketers to work better together.
Stay Honest, Stay Creative, Stay Open
At Open Pixel Studios, we're committed to closing the marketing and creative knowledge gap.
Our podcast, Behind The Pixel, discusses how businesses can best use animation and how the medium has already changed our lives.
We discuss aligning creative efforts with business goals, managing feedback, and empowering creatives and marketers to work better together. Join us in building a better understanding between creatives and marketers, to create more effective and engaging campaigns.
Written by: Kathryn Taccone, Illustrations by Nikki Hazel